The National Family Reunion Institute (NFRI) is celebrating 35 years of serving family reunions. In 1990, Dr. Ione Vargus founded the Family Reunion Institute (FRI) as an organization focused on strengthening families. And while she maintains that any family gathering conveys family values, she asserts, "family reunions are mission centric." They are "more than just a picnic."  Family reunions help align resources, efforts, and decisions to achieve bonds of success and togetherness. They validate that success is not a solo endeavor but the result of collaboration and a network of individuals supporting one another.

Known as the "Mother of Family Reunions," Vargus, who recently turned 95 years old, founded the Family Reunion Institute (FRI) in 1990. An educational trailblazer and family advocate, she had spent several years visiting family reunions across the country. She found that reunions nourish and strengthen families, encourage healthy extended family relationships, provide a sense of belonging, restore family pride, nurture and respect all generations, and impart wisdom, knowledge and a shared purpose. The goal of FRI was to strengthen, inspire and support family reunion planning; share useful information and resources; and advocate for the teaching of family and reunion history, values, and experiences.

With a team of Advisory Board Members, Vargus conducted conferences for several years holding them in a number of major cities. Tourism, travel, and hospitality professional partners attended the conferences as sponsors and/or vendors reflecting the value of family reunions to the hospitality/travel industries and the economy.

In January 2021, FRI rebranded as the National Family Reunion Institute (NFRI). In October 2021, the first biannual Virtual Family Reunion Planners Workshop was organized to provide an experience comparable to the in-person conferences. Attendees have an opportunity to share questions, issues, experiences, and stories while receiving valuable information from NFRI's Advisory Board and other reunion experts.  

The NFRI website continues Vargus' legacy of providing practical information to family reunion planners. To ensure its legacy, Vargus has entrusted the leadership of the Institute to her daughter, Suzanne Vargus Holloman, and son, Bill Vargus.

Vargus' latest book, Black Family Reunions: Finding the Rest of Me, is a tribute to and celebration of family reunions. Vargus has chronicled her countless visits to family reunions throughout the nation to observe activities, events, and interactions, as well as interview family members. It documents that family reunions are powerful, time-honored traditions that have contributed to the survival, building and advancement of Black families. The book tells the story of several family reunions, in many cases using the voice of the family itself.  

NFRI's next virtual workshop will be on Saturday, October 25, 2025, from 12 noon to 2 pm EST. Visit https://nationalfamilyreunioninstitute.net to register for the mailing list and receive details about the workshop. NFRI's workshops continue conversations about reunions, and how they help families reconnect, share, strengthen bonds, and grow.