Empower.Enlighten.
Carpet One Supports Hurricane Victims Through The CCA Relief Fund
Anaheim, CA (February 24, 2006) – During the past six months, Carpet One has been dedicated to supporting victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. CCA Global Partners, Carpet One’s parent company, established the not-for-profit foundation, CCA Relief Fund, Inc., in September 2005 with the objective of providing assistance to employees of CCA Global’s members and franchisees affected by the recent hurricanes.
At Carpet One’s convention in Anaheim, Howard Brodsky, co-CEO, co-Chairman and co-Founder of CCA Global Partners, provided an update on company’s contributions and efforts.
When CCA Global first established the CCA Relief Fund, they worked with the company’s law firm, Riezman Berger of St. Louis, to ensure that the fund would be granted tax-exempt status. The company also created a committee of CCA Global members and franchisees to review grant applications.
Since September 2005, the fund has gathered an amazing $126,000 from CCA Global’s employees, members and franchisees. Even more impressively, they have provided grants totaling $109,000 to 43 individuals in the Florida and Gulf Coast regions. These grants have been used for food, shelter, clothing, restoration of homes and temporary living expenses.
“When these natural disasters occurred,” explained Brodsky, “we knew that CCA Global Partners had to do something to help. We found not only that many of our businesses had been affected, but that many of their employees were in need of support as well. Our members and franchisees from across the country were extremely generous with their donations. I’m really proud of the compassion that everyone at CCA Global exhibited in the past few months.” Eileen Shapiro, Carpet One’s Vice President of Operations was in contact with many affected Carpet One members on a daily basis this past fall. She explained that there was a tremendous outpouring of assistance and generosity from Carpet One members throughout North America.
Members were constantly contacting her, even before the CCA Relief Fund was established, to offer their support and ask what they could do to help. Many donated funds, while others offered jobs – both temporary and permanent – to installers or sales associates who were affected by the hurricanes and were willing to relocate. One member even offered his home to anyone who was in need of a place to stay.
Another amazing group of Carpet One members in Montana pulled their resources together and raised $18,000 to send a truck full of bread products, toys and other supplies to hurricane victims in Houston. Through the Carpet One network, they were able to connect with a member in Houston, who helped to ensure that the supplies were delivered to the right location.
One of the stories that stood out the most in Shapiro’s mind came from a Carpet One member in Louisiana. Marc Levy, owner of Modern Flooring & Interiors Carpet One, left the area after the hurricane hit. Shapiro spoke to him every few days to check on the status of his business.
“Marc’s biggest concern,” explained Shapiro, “was not the state of his store, but that all of his employees were OK.” She noted that the relationship between Marc and his employees really exemplified the family values that Carpet One represents. When Modern Floors & Interiors Carpet One re-opened, every one of Marc’s employees came back to work for him. One dedicated staff member even left her family, who had been forced to relocate to Alabama temporarily, to return to her job at the store. “I always knew that this was a wonderful organization to work for,” said Shapiro. “But I now have an even greater sense of pride in Carpet One. We truly acted as a family during these disasters. Everyone was willing to help one another, even when they really didn’t know each other. Though it was a very difficult time for some of our members and their employees, I was truly inspired by the courage, caring and bravery of everyone involved.”
The CCA Relief Fund continues to receive grant applications and is still actively collecting donations. The company hopes to maintain the fund for future support of CCA Global members, franchisees and their employees.
About Carpet One
Carpet One http://www.ccaglobal.com is North America’s largest floor covering retailer, with over 1,000 locations in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The stores are known for a broad selection of floor covering products, distinctive warranties, excellent service and exclusive brand names, including Liz Claiborne Home and Good Housekeeping. With annual sales of more than $3.3 billion, Carpet One is the largest division of CCA Global Partners, a leading management and marketing company serving the retail and service community. Carpet One headquarters are in Manchester, NH; St. Louis, MO; Ontario, Canada; and Queensland, Australia.
