Making a Difference

The Impact of a Caring and Supportive Industry 

By Christine Wagner 

Sometimes we can find ourselves down on our luck, dealing with hardship, struggling, or going through tough times. When this happens, it is easy to withdraw and hide, not ask for help, and go into survival mode to just try to make it through. But we are not alone, and it can be life-changing to share your struggles or hardships and ask for help. Collectively as an industry, we have persevered through a lot of adversity, not only as companies and an association, but also as individuals. Whether it’s dealing with the pandemic, recovering from natural disaster, or navigating unexpected personal challenges – we all go through it, and nobody is exempt from being thrown life’s curveballs. This industry and this association are strong and supportive – they want to help and make sure that struggles aren’t handled alone. 

The SBCA Foundation created its Hardship Grant fund to help people through adversity. The fund is available to SBCA and NFC member employees, and their families, who are facing unexpected crises or emergencies. The fund can cover expenses like housing, utilities, medical bills, or other urgent needs during times of hardship, such as job loss, illness, natural disasters, or unexpected expenses. With the SBCA Foundation’s mission at the heart of this program and the drive to give back to this industry, the SBCA Foundation has proudly approved multiple grants in 2024. 

We are grateful and honored to share some of the recipients’ stories with you, to shed light on what kind of impact this hardship grant has had and can have on the people of this industry.  

One of the grant recipients is Daicy Contreras with Trussworks, Inc. Daicy works in the sales department and has been with the company since April of 2024. According to Daicy, if it weren’t for her boss, Jason Walsh, she wouldn’t have even known about this program and would never have applied. Daicy did not ask for help, nor did she expect it; she was simply sharing her situation with Jason one day, explaining how her seven-year-old daughter had been riding her scooter in her father’s apartment complex parking lot and was hit by a car. Her daughter ended up with broken bones and stitches. As one can imagine, this led to hospital visits, appointments, and treatments. Daicy was anticipating that the father’s medical insurance would cover the bills, but soon learned that was not the case. Daicy was now burdened with thousands of dollars in medical bills, in addition to her daily expenses and rent, all of which needed to be paid. 

After hearing her story, Jason took it upon himself to nominate Daicy for the SBCA Foundation Hardship Grant. “Nobody can plan or prepare for this kind of hardship,” says Jason. “For Daicy to be able to still balance that situation in addition to being a single mother and diving in to work, was impressive and showed her commitment to both her family and her job. It was a no-brainer to nominate her.” 

The SBCA Foundation reviewed the application for Daicy and was very happy to report an approved status for her and her family. “This is exactly what this program is all about,” says Joe Hikel, SBCA Foundation Trustee. “This program offers our industry peers and association members a valuable opportunity to give back and contribute in ways that may not always be possible.” When Daicy found out she was awarded the grant, she couldn’t believe it. “You have no idea how far $5,000 went for me and my family,” Daicy explains. “We were able to get the doctors paid up and continue getting treatment for my little girl. It was the best thing ever…it was heaven-sent. We are so grateful to Jason for nominating me and for the SBCA Foundation’s grant. This was the best gift my family could have ever received. It made a difference for us in more ways than I can explain.” 

Daicy’s daughter is doing much better now, is out of her wheelchair, and is now using crutches and recovering well. She is getting back to living her best seven-year-old life! 

Through this experience, Daicy realized that this industry and this association is so much bigger and caring than she thought. “Don’t be afraid to throw someone’s name out there if they’re in need, or don’t be afraid to apply yourself,” says Daicy. “SBCA is so much more than just an association for this industry. They care about the people and their members. This would be a great help for anyone who is struggling or has an unexpected hardship come up.” Daicy continues, “I feel like this grant with the SBCA Foundation is important because it brings people together. It brings this industry together; from the sales rep outside to the executive in the offices.” 

SBCA and the SBCA Foundation are glad to hear about the positive impact this grant has made for Daicy and her family. This is a great example of why the SBCA Foundation created this grant program; with $50,000 budgeted in 2024 for this fund, the SBCA Foundation is passionate and enthusiastic about the potential assistance it can bring to SBCA and NFC members and their families. The SBCA Foundation meets monthly to review requests, aiming to fulfill calls based on need for amounts varying up to $5,000, on a case-by-case basis. 

To learn more about the SBCA Foundation & Endowment, to donate, submit ideas and requests, or to nominate someone or apply for the SBCA Foundation Hardship Grant, visit https://sbca.foundation.

Thank you to our SBCA Foundation Trustees, everyone who has contributed to the SBCA Foundation, and SBCA members for their continued dedication and hard work in making the SBCA Foundation & Endowment a possibility.