TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®’s Movers for Military program puts essential care items in the hands of veterans

-Written by Erik Sargent

With the month of November upon us and Veteran’s Day just wrapping up, it’s important to recognize the sacrifices our veterans have made for this country, and to help the ones in need.

The unfortunate reality for the brave men and women who fight for this country is that when some of them return home, it’s not always a welcoming time. Many struggle with finding employment or homelessness, creating a harrowing situation.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK is a company built around the hard work of many veterans, and we’ve made it a point as a company to help give back to these individuals through our Movers for Military campaign, which many TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchises choose to run each fall.

Franchise locations partner with local schools, business, organizations, and shelters to set up collection sites where people can donate essential care items that are delivered to veteran shelters around the community. It’s a good way for us to put our moving resources to use, and allows the community to come together and help those who need it the most.

“I think Movers for Military is a good fit at our franchise because we are located in a community that heavily supports and endorses our troops, both past and present,” said Kayla Emond, marketing coordinator at the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Portland, Maine location. “The program is important to our community because our partner, Preble Street Veterans Housing, serves veterans all over the state of Maine, where there’s nearly 400 a year who face housing insecurity or homelessness. It’s important to not only recognize but also support those who gave so much to protect this country and our freedoms.”

Emond and the Portland franchise held two community events where they set up collection sites this fall, with the first being held at a Maine Mariner’s hockey game, and the other at the local Island Dog Brewing, where there was Halloween party and 20% of all beer sales were donated to the Movers for Military campaign.

It was a great way to get TWO MEN AND A TRUCK’s cause out there, and the community really came together to support the program.

“The response we saw about the program was overwhelming,” said Emond. “People loved sharing stories with us about the veterans in their lives and praising us for hosting a program that gives back to veterans. I can’t even tell you how many people came up to us with excitement that they saw our trucks around their neighborhoods.”

For the four TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Southeast Michigan locations – Ann Arbor, Brighton, Brownstown, and Oakland Southwest – they also ran the Movers for Military program this fall, and felt like it was a good fit for their team.

“Both myself and Franchisee Alan Oversmith come from military families, so we are both very passionate about this campaign,” said Charlene Bush, marketing manager for all four TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Southeast Michigan locations. “In addition, we have several veterans that now work at each of our locations as movers or drivers. This campaign is a great way to both honor them and show our appreciation for their service to our country.”

Bush and her locations partnered with the Livingston County Service Agency, Downriver for Veterans, Michigan Ability Partners, and Vets Returning home to run “stuff a truck” events around their communities.

The events were held at two Walmart locations and two Kroger locations, and gave people the chance to stop by and donate their items. It also was a good way for the movers and drivers at the franchises to get involved and help out in the community.

“Our movers and drivers love helping with the different campaigns we run, so I get a ton of support from both management and our frontline staff,” Bush said. “I was very pleased with each campaign and the amount of donations we were able to deliver.”

The events received a phenomenal response from the community, and even led to some great stories like that of a young girl who donated her birthday money to buy items that could be donated to veterans, showing just how involved these campaigns can be and the difference they can make.

“I think it is important to participate in these campaigns because it is important to help build and support the community we live and work in, and to be a part of something bigger,” Bush said. “I also feel that people are more apt to trust a company they see giving back, and people tend to do business with people they trust.”

To learn more about Movers for Military and to find out how you can get involved with future campaigns through TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, click here.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the first and largest franchised moving company in the United States. Let us help move you forward! For more helpful tips and information on moving services subscribe to our blog and like us on Facebook.