As the federal reimbursement rate for gasoline climbed 8 cents to 58.5 cents per mile Tuesday, the Volunteer Transportation Center Inc. is doing all it can to keep its drivers happy with a reimbursement rate of 44.5 cents per mile.

Director Donald A. Drew said that although he'd like to give the agency's 78 volunteer drivers the additional 14 cents per mile, there isn't enough money in its $947,000 annual operating budget to cover it.

"That's a significant difference," he said. "Our drivers will want to be compensated for that, but it's like getting blood out of a stone. Where does it come from?"

Between the mileage reimbursement rate and administrative costs, the agency spends about 63.9 cents per mile, he said.

The Volunteer Transportation Center, 203 N. Hamilton St., mainly provides transportation to the elderly or disabled, but it will drive anyone within Jefferson County who has no means of getting to a medical appointment.

"We drive a lot of people to Syracuse, and those trips add up rapidly," said Theodore H. Bence, the agency's deputy director. "We've had to limit ourselves because of funding."

The agency is expecting a $28,500 shortfall this year.

Mr. Drew said he hopes the agency's annual "Neighbors Helping Neighbors" mail appeal will help offset some operating costs, particularly gasoline reimbursement money.

Over the next couple of weeks, about 2,000 letters will be sent to the businesses and organizations that the agency's clients are driven to.

Mr. Drew said there is no campaign goal.

"This year it's imperative," he said. "I don't care if it's $1,000 or $1, as long as it's something."

The Volunteer Transportation Center already has cut back on the types of trips clients are allowed to take. The agency will take people only to medical appointments or to the grocery store.

"At one time, we were able and willing to take seniors to the beauty shop," Mr. Drew said. "We used to take people grocery shopping once a week, but now it's once a month."

Transportation for some of the clients, he said, is life or death, as they have to be driven to and from their thrice-weekly dialysis appointments.

Despite the state average price of regular unleaded gasoline being $4.29 per gallon, Mr. Drew said that no volunteers have quit. Some, however, have had to scale back their trips until they receive their bi-weekly reimbursement check.

The recruitment of volunteer drivers is always on the agency's agenda. Finding drivers close to clients who need transportation would be ideal, Mr. Drew said.

On average, 150 transports are conducted each day.

Last year, the agency accepted 6,207 transportation requests, and volunteers drove 374,615 miles, an 86 percent increase from two years ago, when a total of 201,140 miles were driven.

Clients contributed $17,706 in 2007. They are asked to donate, but a contribution is not required for transportation.

The agency has a contract through the Jefferson County Department of Social Services to provide rides to Medicaid clients needing medical services. The reimbursement rate under that contract is the federal rate, Mr. Drew said.