NIFCA Disbands, Donates $25,350 to FCIF

[Dalton] After 22 years of operation, the Nebraska Iowa Floor Covering Association (NIFCA) board voted to disband their organization, a local affiliate of the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA).

Chris Nordin, president of the organization, said, “NIFCA was established in 1995. To have a local association for that long would not have been possible without the support of our members and from the World Floor Covering Association. I would also like to thank all the past and present board members which have worked tirelessly to make this organization a success.” 

The NIFCA board voted to donate the remaining funds to the Floor Covering Industry Foundation (FCIF), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization who assists families in the industry who are suffering from catastrophic illness or severe disability.

Nordin said he was proud that the funds were able to honor two individuals who left their mark on the industry, “The board voted to make the donation in the memory of Arlon Miller and in the name of Doris Miller. Arlon was a Charter board member of NIFCA, 1990 president of WFCA, and chairman of the WFCA Surfaces Trade show in 1990 and 1991. Doris Miller was the heart and soul of our organization. Without her, NIFCA would not have existed.”

Board members of the NIFCA include: Chris Nordin, president; Rachael Duncan, president-elect; Tyler Brandt, secretary/treasurer; and other directors: Mike DeForest, LaSchan McCarter and Dustin Ruzicka.

“The gift could not have come at a better time!” Andrea Blackbourn, executive director of the Floor Covering Industry Foundation, was excited that the foundation was chosen as the recipient of the funds. “We set an ambitious goal of $650,000 in revenue this year, which is up $150,000 over last year. The gift from the Nebraska Iowa Floor Covering Association makes a nice dent in our goal. We have nearly doubled the number of families that we have helped year over year and need additional investments from the flooring covering community to keep up with the increased demand. Our grant recipients are huge facing financial and medical crises and we don’t want to have to start a waiting list.” 

Behind every grant is a story of crisis and perseverance — of a real person struggling through a difficult time. One of FCIF grant recipients who volunteered to share her story is Melissa Taylor. After her diagnosis of breast cancer in 2017, Taylor quickly realized the financial burden of this disease. “You never think to budget for cancer.” Her rare and rapidly growing cancer required frequent, aggressive treatments, so she had to take time off from work. A 23-year veteran of the floor covering industry, Taylor has worked the past 13 years in claims and customer communications at a manufacturing facility. She said she did not want to turn to her sons for financial help. “Parents are not supposed to rely on their kids. It should be the other way around. You want your kids to depend on you.” After a year of rigorous treatments and doctor visits, Taylor is now in remission. She has returned to work and learned not to take life for granted. “This grant saved my home, lowered my stress level and gave me peace of mind. I stopped worrying so much about medical bills. My grandkids, God and the Floor Covering Industry Foundation gave me the strength to push through this difficult time.”

Wednesday, May 30, 2018