Non-profits worry about 'fiscal cliff'

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Leaders of area not-for-profit groups are expressing concern about how they'll be affected if leaders in Washington can't reach an agreement to avert the looming tax increases and spending cuts known as the "fiscal cliff."

As the new year approaches there is still a lot of uncertainty in Washington and all of the uncertainty is raising some concern for the new year in Lafayette.

"Government food, we call it commodities," Executive Director of Food Finders in Lafayette Katy Bunder said. "It's food provided absolutely free by the government and it's firs-quality food. So that's catfish and chicken for example that people would really like to have."

But what Executive Director of Food Finders in Lafayette Katy Bunder said she'd like to have is some answers from the people in Washington about the so called "fiscal cliff."

"We are concerned about it," Bunder said. "We're always trying to get as much food as possible into the food bank as we can so that's really how we're addressing it."

With government spending on the chopping block Bunder said Food Finders is preparing for the worst come the new year.

"The biggest issue for us is the level of need that will go up for all of our clients because if funding is cut across the board to other agencies that provide social services then there's going to be a lot greater need for food in 2013," Bunder said.

Meanwhile, Salvation Army Major Jim Irvine said it's difficult to prepare for the worst because it isn't clear which programs would see cuts and how quickly they would be affected.

"That always causes us challenges because we are relying on that income to balance our budget," Major Jim Irvine said. "When those dollars don't come, it puts us in a quandary."

Both Bunder and Irvine said they'll just prepare for the worst but hope for the best in 2013.