A local nonprofit’s fundraising is dwindling, so jobs were cut today to keep programs running.

United Way of Acadiana says the economy is hurting their organization.

“It’s hard because they are people”, admits United Way of Acadiana President and CEO Troy Cloutier.

In the business of helping people sometimes is self-sacrifice is a needed trait.

Cloutier knows that truth well. “We’ve tried to do it with what we had and we decided that over the last few months that we just need to reduce staff, restructure and not cut any programs.”

Four people who walked into the United Way of Acadiana with a job Wednesday walked out unemployed.
While they are looking for a news job The United Way of Acadiana is looking for more funding.

“In Lafayette and Acadiana it’s not what it was in 2014 with the oil field because there are not as many jobs in the area”, says Cloutier. “It’s affected others along with United Way along and other people that are raising money.”

Cloutier says the energy sector which used to raise over a million dollars just a couple years ago, isn’t raising even a quarter of that now.
The jobs cut were made to keep community programs running. Remaining positions fill the duties left by losing over ten percent of the staff.

Cloutier urges, “What the nonprofits in the Acadiana area have to do is be more efficient with their staff and make sure they are putting as much money in the community as we can”.

Because when a tough decision has to be made, Cloutier argues the needs of the many outways the needs of the few.

“All the programs that we have a benefitting people in the community that need them, and that’s what united way is here for. To help the people in the community.”
-Troy Cloutier, President, CEO, United Way of Acadiana

The organization is offering severance to the fired staff.
Cloutier told me the positions eliminated today include one in finance, two who work to find funding for the organization and one who focused on community impact.

The United Way of Acadiana board chair Scott Domingue released a statement saying, “United Way of Acadiana is seventy years strong and we are looking forward to a bright future”.

You can read the United Ways full media release below.