United Way may fall short of goal

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - United Way has sad news to share about this year's fundraising campaign.

At the current rate, the non-profit organization stands to fall short of its $5 million goal by 10 to 12 percent.

2009 United Way Campaign Chair Tony Albrecht said fewer people are giving and more are out of work.

"There are 5,212 people in our community that are not working today that were working a year ago. That's a lot of potential donors and it's a lot of individuals that might need the very services that we support," said Albrecht

Albrecht said that it is possible to fill the financial gap. For example, it could be made up if 10 percent of those who don't usually donate gave $11 a month.

If the shortfall isn't made up, however, it will likely have a domino effect on other non-profits the United Way supports. Transportation for the elderly, transitional housing, and food banks are all areas that could be forced to cut services.

These cuts couldn't come at a worse time, according to Lafayette Transitional Housing Executive Director Jennifer Layton.

"We have seen a 51% increase in the number of people served already this year," said Layton.

The organization is hoping that new donors will step up to fill the need.

If you want to receive more information about United Way or make a gift, you can call 765-742-9077 or visit uwlafayette.org.