Dalton—The Floor Covering Industry Foundation (FCIF) board of directors is currently holding its fall campaign drive, reaching out to thousands of flooring businesses across the country. The Foundation provides grants directly to flooring families to help with expenses such as medical care, medications, medical supplies and other necessities such as food, shelter and utilities.
More than 100 families have reached out to FCIF this year including:
- A distribution shift supervisor in a manufacturing plant who is battling brain and breast cancer
- A flooring installer and his teenage daughter who are both battling leukemia
- A claims analyst who is caring for a disabled grandchild
- An inlay production worker whose son has Cerebral Palsy and needs medical equipment.
The Foundation’s board members shared why they are passionate about this cause:
Charlie Dilks, chief product officer, CCA Global Partners, chairman of the board, FCIF:
“The FCIF provides grants to recipients exclusively within the floor covering industry and is funded almost entirely from donations made from within the industry. Knowing that your donation, large or small, will be used to benefit someone in your industry who is suffering as a result of a catastrophic illness or life altering event, is a differentiation unique to very few charities.”
Scott Humphrey, CEO, World Floor Covering Association, vice-chairman, FCIF:
“FCIF is my chance to give back to the people and industry that has supported me and my family for multiple generations. My support is one way of saying ‘thank you’ to those who have worked in the industry I have called home for almost my entire life.”
Emily Finkell, CEO, Emily Morrow Home, chair of fund development, FCIF:
“At the age of 35, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. As a single mother of two, I balanced a corporate career while caring for my young children and myself during the harrowing treatments. This experience led me to start a family foundation for cancer care, which supports FCIF as well as other non-profits. I am honored to serve on the board of FCIF and encourage other to give and help us meet our funding goals this year.”
Keith Campbell, chairman of the board, Mannington Mills, treasurer of FCIF:
“I have been involved with FCIF for over 20 years. The foundation has provided critical financial assistance to families within the industry who are experiencing medical setbacks. These grants enable people to live with dignity at a time when they need the most help. In recent years, the number of grants has risen extending throughout the United States to retail associates, installers, as well as those in manufacturing. The current COVID-19 crisis has not diminished the need to assist floor covering families in need. For every dollar given, more the $.90 go to assist those in need.”
Howard Brodsky, Co-CEO, CCA Global Partners, past-board chair, FCIF:
“I feel privileged to be chairman of the board of FCIF for over 15 years, and I’ve seen firsthand the incredible difference FCIF has made in the lives of those during their most difficult and challenging times. To be in an industry that cares about their own is truly heartwarming. It is said we rise up by lifting others up, and there is no greater work than what FCIF does by lifting others up in times of need. We should all be proud of the work of the floor covering industry. This is not about a supplier or wholesaler; it is about the good we can do in the world.”
Know someone in need of assistance?
- Visit here for an application.
- Grant applications have a rolling deadline.
- Criteria for assistance: financial need, severity of medical condition, and 5+ years of service to the floor covering industry by a household family member.
As part of the fundraising campaign, companies and individuals who make a gift by Dec. 31 will be recognized in seven trade publications.
Contribute by:
- Mailing a donation to 855 Abutment Rd. #2, Dalton, Ga., 30721
- Pledging or made a credit card donation online at fcif.org
Giving levels are as follows:
- $1,000 – Genesis
- $2,000 – Bronze
- $5,000 – Silver
- $10,000 – Gold
- $25,000 – Platinum
- $50,000 – Diamond