CityView Magazine

50 | July/August 2015 phones back then, so we got outside. And I'm glad. He gently guided us and showed us the right way to do things," Steve said. "He also showed us how to forgive people and how to treat people," Greg said. "Because people liked him, they worked hard for him." Steve appreciated the way his father made people feel like they worked with him and not for him. It's a principle they've carried on since Floyd turned the company over to them, one passed down from Floyd's own father, Soggie. "My old man raised me with the phi- losophy that you sit at my table, so when I work, you work," Sonny said. "I value a dollar bill because they were hard to come by growing up." Floyd grew up walking behind a to- bacco plow south of Fayetteville in Fair- mont, NC. He held several jobs, includ- ing driving a Curtis candy bar delivery truck, before joining the Marines at age 17. In 1951, he built his first house in Fayetteville alongside his brother-in-law J.P. Riddle. en, in 1953, they started building in Drake Park. e rest, as they say, is history. In 1980, Floyd renamed his business and handed over the reigns to his sons. was needed, as President of Full Gospel Businessmen and part of the Set Free Prison Ministries. True to his character, Floyd worked in the trenches, bringing pizza and drinks to the prisoners and praying with them one-on-one. In 1982, Floyd embarked on his big- gest mission yet when he opened a local chapter of Operation Blessing. "e Lord called me to do that one," Floyd laughs. "I'd have never done that on my own." e organization offers food and clothing, emergency financial assis- tance and parenting support to people in crisis. "It's my aim to make sure people know they have worth and value re- gardless of their circumstances," Oper- ation Blessing executive director Peggy Middleton said. "People deserve your best when they are at their worst." In 1996, aer experiencing loss and difficulty in her own life, Middleton joined Operation Blessing. She also credits her involvement with divine intervention. "God prepared me so that when I talk to people, I don't just sympathize, but I know how it feels to be in their situa- tion. It's a calling and an opportunity to not only give back, but to stay human. Life touches us all in different ways and in different seasons," Middleton said. Floyd still sits on the board and takes an active role in Operation Blessing. "When he believes in a vision, he sup- ports it whole heartedly," Middleton said. One of the programs Floyd is most proud of is Earn While You Learn, giv- ing parents the opportunity to earn "baby bucks" by attending a twelve- week course covering important topics such as parental well-being, child safety and budgeting. Graduates can spend their earnings in the Operation Bless- ing baby store on items like brand new pack-and-plays, strollers and cribs. e food pantry provides four days worth of food to families in crisis, and the clothes closet ensures people have something clean and seasonally ap- propriate to wear. Since the mission of Operation Blessing is to help people in crisis, they partner with other agencies At 86-years-old, Floyd still comes into the office, although he leaves business operations to his sons, Greg and Steve. Answering the Call At age 50, Floyd felt the tug of a high- er purpose on his life. He gave his life to Jesus Christ. It was something his golf buddies chocked up to a phase and they gave it a year to pass. But it didn't. Instead, he dug in and let his real life's work begin. Floyd began to construct more than buildings. He started to see needs in the community and he did his best to fill them. In 1980, Floyd helped build Calvary Chapel at its initial Ireland Drive lo- cation where he also helped build and begin Fayetteville Christian School. ere, he felt called by what he found in scripture, specifically the words in Isai- ah 58:6-10, which outline the true fast of sharing your food with the hungry and oppressed. rough the Salvation Army, Floyd founded the Love Lunches program, renting out an old building and providing food and devotionals to 150 homeless people per day. e pro- gram grew so rapidly, Floyd and the others were afraid it might dissolve. So, they raised around two million dollars for the new building on Alexander and handed the program fully to the Salva- tion Army. Floyd continued to help wherever he

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