Movers for Meals – TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®

September 19, 2022October 10, 2022 Movers Who Blog Giving Back

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchises give back to their communities through fall cause programs

As we wrap up the summer season and head into fall, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®’s efforts to give back to the community are ramping up.

This is an ongoing mission for our company throughout the year to do our part in giving back, but the fall season is an especially prudent time for participation in our fall cause campaigns. Our founder, Mary Ellen Sheets, made giving back to our local communities a top priority for our franchises, and this mission has continued since the mid-1980s.

In addition to our four, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK branded fall campaigns, we also have great relationships with organizations such as Cheeriodicals and Convoy of Hope. We work year-round with these organizations to donate our resources to aid in their missions. At TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, donating our resources to such great causes is an effort our team is especially passionate about.

Find out more below about the four fall campaigns our franchises run in their local communities each year.

Movers for Meals®

The goal is to support families in the community that face hunger by partnering with schools, businesses, and other organizations. These organizations gather and deliver non-perishable food items to food pantries and local shelters that will then help support people within the community that are in need. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK assists with this process by delivering these items to food banks for those in need.

Movers for Mutts®

This is a program created by TWO MEN AND A TRUCK in order to help local animal shelters or organizations who care for and foster stray animals. This program is hosted each fall and partners with local businesses, schools, and organizations to collect food, toys, and other essential items pets may need while waiting for their forever homes.

Movers for Military®

We also believe it’s important to give back to the brave men and women who have served this country. Local TWO MEN AND A TRUCK locations partner with schools, businesses, and veteran’ shelters to collect essential care items each fall and deliver them to veteran’s shelters the week of Veteran’s Day. The Movers for Military® program helps care for the brave veterans that have fought for our freedoms.

Truckload of Warmth®

This program was made to support local shelters by providing warm clothing to those in need. This includes new or gently used coats, hats, gloves, scarves, and anything needed to stay warm. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK partners with local schools, businesses, and organizations to collect these essential items each fall. Next, they are donated to the local homeless shelters.

Giving back to our communities is a mission we don’t take lightly and we hope to inspire others to do their part in giving back as well!

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.

September 7, 2021September 7, 2021 Movers Who Blog Giving Back, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchises give back through branded campaigns to their local communities during the fall season

It’s hard to believe, but somehow, September has already arrived. Summer is coming to a close, fall is right around the corner, and that signals a major movement for the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK brand: giving back to our communities over the next few months!

While this is an ongoing effort throughout the year, the fall season is a particularly busy time for us as we give back to local organizations through our four, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK fall cause campaigns. These fall campaigns are great ways for our franchises to give back through different avenues which are important to them and their teams. Our founder, Mary Ellen Sheets, made it a point from day one that giving back in the areas we work and live would be a top priority for our franchises, and we’ve continued to live out this mission since the mid-1980s.

On top of our four fall campaigns, we’ve also developed meaningful and impactful relationships with organizations like Convoy of Hope and Cheeriodicals, who we work with year-round as we donate our resources to help with their individual missions.

Below, you can learn a little about each of our four call cause campaigns and what they stand for. If you want to get involved with these in your area, click here to use our franchise locator and find the location closest to you and contact them directly!

Movers for Meals®

Created to support families in the community facing hunger by partnering with schools, business, and other organizations to collect and deliver non-perishable food items to food pantries and local shelters that support the community.

Movers for Mutts®

Created to collect pet food or toy donations for local shelters or organizations who care for and foster stray animals.

Movers for Military®

A fall collection drive created to show support for the brave men and women who sacrificed to protect our freedoms. Essential care items are collected and delivered to veteran’s shelters to support veterans in need.

Truckload of Warmth®

A collection drive for new and gently used winter clothing, such as coats, hats, gloves, and scarves for local shelters or other organizations to distribute to those who need them most.

September 21, 2020October 12, 2020 Movers Who Blog Giving Back

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchises use branded campaigns to give back to their favorite organizations locally

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Founder Mary Ellen Sheets had a vision when she first started this brand, one that has stuck with us since day one and has shaped who we are.

Not only were we going to be the most reliable movers nationwide – we were going to make an impact in our communities.. Mary Ellen donated her first $1,000 in profit to 10 different charities in the greater Lansing, Mich., area where TWO MEN AND A TRUCK all began. Since that day, our brand has continued with that commitment, since donating more than $3 million to organizations who support those who need it most.

We’ve also partnered with many great organizations over the years – like Convoy of Hope and Cheeriodicals – but along the way, we’ve decided to create our own branded programs to give back.

There are four fall campaigns and our franchises choose one to run in their local communities:

–Movers for Military: A fall collection drive created to show support for the brave men and women who sacrificed to protect our freedoms.

–Movers for Meals: Created to support families in the community facing hunger by partnering with schools, business, food pantries, and local shelters or food banks to collect non-perishable food items.

–Movers for Mutts: Created to raise donations for local shelters or organizations who care for and foster stray animals.

–Truckload of Warmth: A collection drive for new and gently used winter clothing, such as coats, hats, gloves, and scarves.

“We really are the ‘Movers Who Care®’,” Bush said. “We need to live that out, and it needs to be a part of our culture. I believe when we run these campaigns, it builds trust within an organization, as well as in the community, when TWO MEN AND A TRUCK is helping people and lending support.”

To learn more about all of our fall cause campaign programs and how you can get involved, click here.

January 27, 2020February 17, 2020 Movers Who Blog Father's Day

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchises use annual fall campaigns to give back in their communities

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK was built around the idea of giving – giving back to our customers, giving back to our employees, and most importantly giving back to the community.

This was a mindset instilled by Founder Mary Ellen Sheets and is something that has stuck with the company from day one. While our brand has grown significantly since that time, the commitment to giving back has not, and this was the inspiration for us to start our own group of giving campaigns associated with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK.

Four of these programs – Movers for Military®, Movers for Mutts®, Movers for Meals®, and Truckload of Warmth® – all take place during the fall season as TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchises partner with local organizations and business to run their campaigns and make a difference in the community.

The collection totals for 2019 included:

Movers for Military: 40,271 items collected

Movers for Mutts: 23,000 items collected

Truckload of Warmth: 10,943 items collected

Movers for Meals: 8,537 lbs. of donations collected

We always like to highlight some of the work done by our franchise locations after the year wraps up, so take a look below at some highlights from 2019!

Rosemary Hastings – Director of Marketing and Sales – TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Charlotte, N.C.

Campaign: Movers for Mutts

“2019 was our first year running Movers for Mutts, and we felt like it was a pretty successful initial launch! We had three different events, 13 collection box hosts, and we were able to collect $200 in monetary donations and a pallet full of donations for their foster cats and dogs. We were even able to adopt out five dogs at our events!”

Partners: Halfway There Rescue

“I think it’s important to participate in these fall cause marketing programs because not only is it excellent brand exposure and to show the public that we truly do care, but it’s great on an employee and personal level and self-fulfillment to know you are making a difference.”

Laura Gazarian – Marketing Coordinator – TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Portland, Ore.

Campaign: Movers for Mutts

“We felt the campaign went very well. The intent was to collect donations of the items on their wish lists, which we did. We would have liked to collect more and have a proposed strategy to do so next fall. However, the real success was the response from the community for both the animals and for us a brand.”

Partners: Oregon Friends Of Shelter, The World’s First Dog Taphouse, and Pure Mutts Animal Rescue.

“These campaigns allow the community to see us outside of our box. They see that we are more than movers, more than just a business out to make money, and that we are also supportive of the fabric of our community. We move where we live, we live where we move. It feels good, and it brings awareness that we have the capacity to make a different in the lives of others.

Rachel Chasteen – Multi-Unit Marketing Manager – TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Charlottesville, Va.

Campaign: Truckload of Warmth

“We feel the campaign was very successful for it being our first year. Our community is very generous and seems to enjoy the opportunity to help those in need. We collected more items than expected, and we were able to supply our shelter partner with plenty of warm clothing and blankets just before Christmas.

Partners: Multiple locally owned business in Charlottesville

“I think it’s important for us here at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK to grow our franchise’s roots in the community and get involved. Giving back to the community where you serve is one way to do that.”

Ashley Hamblin – Marketing Director – TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Scottsdale, Ariz.

Campaign: Movers for Military

“For the past three years, we’ve ran Movers for Military and work closely with the Military Assistance Mission. We love attending and contributing to their ‘Operation Holiday’ event located in Phoenix. From September through November, we collect toys from our collection partners through the valley and deliver them to the MAM facility before the big event.”

Partners: Military Assistance Mission

“You leave the drop off day with the fullest heart knowing that so many children will have a Merry Christmas. We can’t wait to work with the Military Assistance Mission again – please check them out to see how you can contribute to their annual events!

September 3, 2019September 23, 2019 Movers Who Blog Giving Back

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® franchise locations are ready to give back with their annual fall giving campaigns

-Written by Erik Sargent

The seasons are changing, school is starting, and football is back! That only means one thing— fall is officially here.

While this unfortunately signals the end of another summer season, it’s an exciting time for all – especially for those working at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchise locations around the country. Fall means it’s time for our locations to run their annual fall cause campaigns, which we designed as creative ways for our franchises to take a break from the normal day-to-day activities and give back to their communities.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK has four unique fall cause campaigns, each working to help a different cause that we’re passionate about:

Movers for Military®: It’s important to us to recognize and honor the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our freedom, and this starts with our Movers for Military program. We host collection sites to collect essential care items that will be donated to veteran’s shelters.

Movers for Mutts®: Pets are family – many of us have a dog, cat, or other animal who means the world to us, and that was the motivation for this campaign. We work with animal shelters in our community to collect items and donations to improve the quality of life for animals currently housed in shelters.

Movers for Meals®: Unfortunately, there is a large number of people around the country suffering from hunger, and that’s why we created Movers for Meals. Our franchises partner with schools, businesses, food pantries, and local shelters to collect non-perishable food items that can be properly distributed throughout our communities and in time for the holiday season.

Truckload of Warmth®: In order to provide adequate clothing for those facing homelessness, we’ve created the Truckload of Warmth program to collect winter clothing. Items like coats, hats, gloves, scarves, and other winter clothing is collected throughout our communities and donated to homeless shelters for those who need it most during the brutal winter months.

Each TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchise location can choose the program they want to run, and most make the choice based off what means the most to their employees and the need in their communities.

“It’s important for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK to participate in these types of campaigns because we’re able to give back in such a unique way,” said Rosemary Hastings, marketing director at the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Charlotte, N.C., location. “Not only we do we have the resources to manually move and transport donations, but by organizing the collection and promotion aspects, we are helping with their volunteer hours. It’s a wonderful way for our company to do our part in giving back to the community.”

Hastings will be helping her franchise location run Movers for Mutts this fall, where they will partner with the local nonprofit organization, Halfway There Rescue. They also have plans to set up some collection box sites, and are even partnering with the local minor league baseball team, the Charlotte Knights, for their “Bark In The Park” events.

“Employees [at the franchise] benefit from the joy of giving back, the community benefits from seeing what good moral our company has, and the nonprofits benefit from getting their shelves stocked,” Hastings said. “It’s a win, win, win!”

To learn more about all of our fall cause campaign programs and how you can get involved, click here.

January 14, 2019February 4, 2019 Movers Who Blog Giving Back, Leadership, News, Organizing, Our People, Tips and Tricks, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, Uncategorized

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK locations continue their mission of giving back year-round

–Written by Erik Sargent

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is focused on giving back in any and every way possible, and that doesn’t stop with our moving services.

As our company has evolved over the years, so have the ways we’ve been able to deliver to our communities and make an impact as our teams and resources grow. This is especially true with our charitable efforts, which took a big step when we developed four of our own charitable programs during the fall months.

These four programs – Movers for Meals®, Movers for Mutts, Movers for Military®, and Truckload of Warmth – have become a staple at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchises all across the country, with each having the ability to choose the one that fits their franchise the best. Fall 2018 was another big year in giving back through these four programs, and the team members at our franchise locations were more than happy to help out in their communities!

“This year was our first annual Movers for Mutts campaign, and we feel that it went really well,” said Stephanie Mills, marketing and communications director for the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Huntsville, Ala., location. “We worked with pet food and supplies stores, storage units, apartment complexes, skate parks, hardware stores, banks, juice bars, veterinarians, local hospital departments, and more. Many of the businesses we worked with were already established contacts of our beneficiary or our company who were more than happy to be a drop off location for Movers for Mutts.”

Working with such a large number of collection partners, Mills and the Huntsville location were able to help spread the word of Movers for Mutts throughout the area, and it showed in the amount of items they collected.

“We feel it went extremely well overall,” Mills said. “It got the word out in our community about animals who don’t have homes yet. We had a large number of people wanting to be involved in the campaign, whether that meant getting the word out via social media, being a collection site, or donating. Just this year alone, we were able to collect more than 1,300 items for the local animal rescue center, A New Leash On Life. It was a huge success in our books.”

For our TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Southeast locations, they chose to run Movers for Military this fall, as they felt it was important to give back to the veterans in their community and show appreciation for all of the hard work done by the brave men and women in our military.

With a number of employees having their own military background, it was a natural fit for their teams.

“It was a good fit because we employ veterans at each of our locations,” said Charlene Bush, marketing manager for the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Ann Arbor, Brighton, Brownstown, and Oakland Southwest locations. “Some of our longest tenured full-time movers and drivers are veterans, and we wanted to be able to give back and show our appreciation.”

Three of the four TWO MEN AND A TRUCK campaigns were able to put up big numbers for the fall of 2018. Movers for Meals had 7,100 items collected and an astounding $20,636 in food donations and vouchers. Movers for Mutts had 8,000 items collected across the country, and Movers for Military collected 5,000 items that were able to be distributed to veterans in need.

It’s an effective and easy way for us to give back to the people who have made this company possible, and for each of our franchise locations, it will continue to be a priority moving forward in 2019.

“I am passionate about giving back to and supporting the people in our communities because it embodies our core values and our mission,” Bush said. “We are the ‘Movers Who Care®’. We need to live that out, and it needs to be a part of our culture. I believe that it builds trust within an organization, as well as a community for people to see TWO MEN AND A TRUCK helping and lending that community support.”

October 29, 2018November 19, 2018 Movers Who Blog Giving Back, Leadership, Newsroom, Organizing, Our People, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, Uncategorized

Food banks distribute meals and food options to end hunger across America

–Written by Erik Sargent

Having a reliable food source and knowing where your next meal is coming from is something that many people in this country take for granted, but unfortunately, it’s not always the case for a large number of individuals across the U.S.

Hunger is an issue that continues to affect many people right here in our own country. Due to a variety of factors that can come into play, many adults – and especially children – are left to live day-by-day being unsure if they can eat, and often failing to receive the proper nutrition to maintain a healthy diet. It’s an ongoing issue, and one that organizations like the North Texas Food Bank strive to solve.

The North Texas Foodbank was founded in 1982 with the sole purpose of providing the residents of the greater Northern Texas area access to nutritious food. With such a high number of people in the area, it can be a daunting task.

“Our mission is to close the hunger gap in North Texas by providing access to nutritious food,” said Lexi Kay, the annual campaign manager for the North Texas Food Bank. “Currently, there are more than 800,000 people – which includes 300,000 children – who are currently facing food insecurity. Food insecurity means that they don’t always know where their next healthy meal will come from.”

NTFB is able to cover a 13-county service area in North Texas, providing more than 190,000 meals each day through various locations and through their new distribution center. Just last year alone, NFTB was able to provide people access to nearly 72 million meals, and their goal by 2025 is to be able to provide 92 million meals in the year.

How does an organization like NTFB – which is a nonprofit – receive the necessary resources to make this goal a reality?

“We work with a network of over 200 partner agencies,” Kay said. “These partner agencies typically have a food pantry within their organization, so that’s really how we are getting the food out to those in need. We’re pretty much receiving either donated food, purchased food, or different kinds of food provided by the government and we provide it where it’s needed the most. Without these partner agencies, we would not be able to meet hunger demand we see. These partnerships are very critical to what we do here.”

To match their partnerships with various organizations, NTFB was able to open a new, state-of-the-art distribution center which allows them to operate at an even higher level and put more meals in peoples’ hands across North Texas.

“Since we’ve seen such an increased need for food here in our community, we’ve recently opened our new distribution center in Plano, Texas,” Kay said. “It’s very exciting. It’s three times the size of our prior distribution center, and it’s centrally located within our service area which allows for more engagement with business, volunteer’s, donors, and helps us meet the needs of the area.”

A big part of what NTFB does is not just getting food in people’s hands, but providing access to healthy food to make the process worthwhile.

Their organization allows members of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to have access to all NTFB resources, and they set up pantries with healthy food options to make sure people are maintain – and having the options – for a nutritious diet.

“One of our pantries that we run is called ‘Our Community Pantry’, and we set it up as a client-choice pantry, which means that clients can come in and choose what they want to take home with them when shopping for groceries,” Kay said. “It’s set up just like a grocery store, and the clients come in and have a cart and volunteers help them shop for what they need.”

Giving back

Tackling the ongoing issue of hunger takes more than just one organization, and it’s important for as many hands as possible to get involved in making a difference. One company that has put their resources to good use with this issue is the international moving company, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®.

For more than 30 years, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK has made it a point to donate their trucks and moving resources to all types of charitable causes. One campaign they developed on their own, Movers for Meals®, specifically deals with people facing hunger. The company partners with various organizations to help deliver and pickup food and other items and deliver them where needed, taking some of the pressure off food banks who are working to distribute meals.

The TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Lansing location ran Movers for Meals during the month of October, partnering with local businesses in the area like MSUFCU, Tutor Time, WLNS, and McLaren of Greater Lansing to gather donated, non-perishable food items for families in need.

“The response from the organizations was a surprise,” said Laura Larson, the marketing coordinator for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Lansing. “We couldn’t have imaged how strong and supportive they have been with this project, especially since we have done other charities in the past with these organizations helping us. These organizations match our compassion and love for our community, and it is amazing to be partnered with them this year for Movers for Meals.”

This kind of work fits in with TWO MEN AND A TRUCK’s list of company core values, and for the Lansing franchise, it was a no-brainer getting involved and helping.

“In Michigan alone, one out of seven people go hungry and of those, one out of four are children,” Larson said. “It takes a village to raise a child and when that child is hungry and in need, we all need to get involved. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Lansing strives each and every day to make a difference in our community, and that means making sure that we can stop the one out of seven people going hungry. This program strongly fits into our core values and what we stand for.”

Help make a difference

As with any charitable cause, the work of the organization only goes so far – it’s up to the help of everyone to make sure the needs and goals of a certain area are met.

“In order for us to do what we do, we really rely on donations,” Kay said. “A lot of our donations come from corporations, individuals, grants – that’s really where our funding comes from, and it’s what helps us operate.”

More than just cash donations and grants, one of the best things that can make a difference is people getting out and helping by volunteering their time.

“At least for us here, we are striving to have individuals come to our new facility and to see what it looks like and hear more about our mission,” Kay said. “We’re always looking for volunteers – they help us pack a lot of the food that goes out, so they are critically needed. We are always looking for advocates, too. People to use their voice to tell elected officials that there is hunger in the community.”

To find out more about the North Texas Food Bank and how you can get involved, visit their website here. To learn more about TWO MEN AND A TRUCK’s charitable programs, click here.

September 4, 2018January 14, 2019 Movers Who Blog Giving Back, Leadership, Moving, News, Organizing, Our People, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, Uncategorized

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchises gearing up to give back this fall through charitable campaigns

-Written by Caitlyn Laidler

At TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®, we live by the core value of giving back to the communities where we live and work. Locations across the country donate countless hours each year to a variety of charities, including Toys for Tots, United Way, Habitat for Humanity and more. In 2017 alone, our franchises donated more than $3 million worth of moving services.

In addition to working with charitable programs year-round, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK locations also incorporate our own community support programs in their local communities.

Each fall our franchisees gear up for various campaigns, such as Movers for Military, Movers for Meals®, Movers for Mutts® and Truckload of Warmth. The goal is for each franchise to get involved in their communities and make a difference — with more than 300 franchises operating in 43 states, our system has the ability to leave a nationwide impact starting at the local level!

The campaigns:

–Movers for Military: A fall collection drive created to show support for the brave men and women who sacrificed to protect our freedoms.

–Movers for Meals: Created to support families in the community facing hunger by partnering with schools, business, food pantries, and local shelters to collect non-perishable food items.

–Movers for Mutts: Created to raise donations for local shelters who care for and foster stray animals

–Truckload of Warmth: A collection drive for new and gently used winter clothing, such as coats, hats, gloves, and scarves.

Each of these programs are designed to raise awareness of a certain issue families and individuals are facing across the country. In response, we generate community involvement and support through the simple act of donating to those in-need.

“This year, we decided to do Movers for Military, as it is more personal for our franchise,” said Janelle Ishman, marketing manager for four Greater Philadelphia area franchises, who partnered with Operation Yellow Ribbon in southern New Jersey to run their campaign. “We have an operations manager who previous served, and have hired other military members. We like to give back to the community, especially our veterans.”

Charlene Bush, the marketing manager for the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Ann Arbor, Brighton, Brownstown, and Oakland Southwest, Mich., locations, is also planning to run Movers for Military this year.

Each franchise partnered with a different veteran organization in their area for 2018, and with all of the franchises employing multiple veterans, it was a good fit for them as a franchise group and also a good way to give back. Just last week, they delivered an electric wheelchair to a 70-year old veteran in Detroit that was donated to their franchise.

“We really are the ‘Movers Who Care®’,” Bush said. “We need to live that out, and it needs to be a part of our culture. I believe that it builds trust within an organization, as well as in the community, when TWO MEN AND A TRUCK is helping people and lending support.”

For Amy Gladieux, the marketing and recruiting manager at the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Cleveland location, she used a variety of connections to partner with seven different realtor offices, two networking organizations, a bank, a library, a dance studio, and a minor league baseball team in the Cleveland are to run Movers for Meals.

“Giving back to the community is one of the reasons I decided to work for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK,” said Gladieux. “Not only can we help out those in need of moving, but through these campaigns, we can have a big impact on the communities where we work.”

Without support from individuals and organizations in our local communities, these campaigns wouldn’t be possible. We were able to donate more the $3 million in moving services alone for 2017, and we hope to expand the reach and impact of these campaigns by exceeding our 2017 collection total of 145,000 items overall.

To learn more about our fall community programs and how you can help, visit our Community Service page, or contact the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® location nearest you.

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.

January 15, 2018January 29, 2018 Movers Who Blog Giving Back, Holiday Fun, Moving, Our People, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, Uncategorized

Making a difference by giving back: TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® fall-cause wrap up Part 1

-Written by Erik Sargent

At TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®, we’re all about giving back to the communities where we work and live, while making a difference in peoples’ lives. Going above and beyond the moving services we offer, we always look for different ways to provide assistance and care to those who need it, and show why we’ve earned the motto “Movers Who Care®”.

Our founder, Mary Ellen Sheets, made it a staple of the brand to give back to local charities with our time and resources, as it shows we are more than just a moving company. Over the course of more than 30 years, we have not only worked with various charitable organizations all over the country, but have also started our own charitable programs centered on giving back.

These campaigns take place during the fall months heading into the holiday season, and include Movers for Military, Movers for Meals, Movers for Mutts, and Truckload of Warmth.

Across our more than 350 locations, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK teams partner with volunteer groups, local businesses, schools, shelters, and nonprofits to assist in helping the mission of these specific campaigns. As each year goes by, we like to highlight some of the work our franchises do in the community with these campaigns.

First up – Movers for Military and Movers for Meals in part one of our fall campaign wrap up!

Movers for Meals

Amy Gladieux, Marketing and Recruiting Manager for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Cleveland

How did your Movers for Meals program go in 2017?

“The response was amazing this year! We did Movers for Meals for the first time in 2016, and this year, we had an additional 100 items donated to the cause. I think the success comes from people who remember about it the year before, and we had exposure in a community paper.”

Who did you work with?

“I’ve been involved with an organization in the fall that collected food for the past five or six years, and I thought it was a good opportunity to partner with them for Movers for Meals. One of the main events was with the local chamber who has a bowling event where people can earn extra raffle tickets for donations they bring to the event. I’ve had pretty good success partnering with libraries, also.”

Sarah Bullard, Sales & Marketing Manager for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK North Mississippi

Who did you work with during the process?

“We partnered with several different types of businesses such as local apartment communities, storage facilities, and realtor groups. Many of which we were well acquainted with due to our involvement with the chambers in our area. One of the best locations that we were able to partner with actually ended up being a local apartment complex called Oak Hallow, who contacted us to participate for a second year! They loved the response they had from their residents in the previous year, and were eager to help us once again. We were thrilled to see their excitement and desire to partner with us for such a great cause!

Why Movers for Meals?

“We decided to run Movers for Meals after becoming aware of a huge need for canned goods and nonperishables by a local organization called “Heartland Hands”. We were first introduced to this organization through our involvement with several of the Chambers in our community. Movers for Meals was the perfect campaign to help our location impact our community in their time of need.”

Movers for Military

Eugenia Parlow, Regional Sales and Marketing for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK in Tampa, Ocala, The Villages, and Pasco County, FL

How long have you been running the Movers for Military program?

“We’ve been doing this program for six years, and have made it a part of our continuing efforts to aid homeless veterans and their families. [We worked with] schools, universities, daycares, golf courses, and real-estate offices. We collected 13,000 items.”

Why do you think it’s important to run these campaigns?

“It is very important to continue our efforts in aiding our veterans. Unfortunately, some veterans have given so much that they are unable to fathom what is being done for them. We need to show them we appreciate what they have gone through.”

Stefanie Shook, Marketing Manager for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Pasadena, CA

Why did you choose Movers for Military?

“We had a lot of success running it last year, and we have built a great relationship with our charity, New Directions for Veterans. They are very active in the community, and do a lot of good for the homeless veteran population in Los Angeles, which happens to be the largest in the nation.”

How did this year’s campaign go?

“The campaign was a huge success, and it really got our staff pumped up! It was exciting to see the donations pour in. Last year, we had six donation partners and collected 1,800 items. This year, we had 27 donation partners, and collected 6,700 items plus an additional $1,300 in gift cards!”

Jade Tinner, Marketing Lead for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Fort Worth, TX

Why did you choose to run Movers for Military?

“We chose to run Movers for Military in our Fort Worth locations because we have a large amount of veteran organizations, military bases, and organizations to end homelessness in the area. It just seemed like the perfect fit. Also, we have several veterans on our team.”

Who did you work with for your campaign?

“From start to finish, we worked very closely with the Tarrant county Homeless Coalition and Catholic Charities Fort Worth. Both organizations have their own veterans’ initiatives working to help homeless veterans transition to housing and employment.”

Charlene Bush, Marketing Manager for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Ann Arbor, Brighton, Brownstown, and Oakland SW, MI

Why Movers for Military?

Both myself and Alan Oversmith, our franchisee, come from military families, so we were both very passionate about running this campaign. In addition, we have veterans that now work at each of our locations as movers or drivers. This fall campaign was a great way to both honor them and show our appreciation for their service to our country.”

Who did you partner with during this process?

“We worked with the Livingston County Veterans Service Agency, Downriver for Veterans, Michigan Ability Partners, and Vets Returning Home. We organized a “Stuff a Truck” event in each of our locations. The organizations, the local chambers, and some local radio stations helped us to get the word out about each event.”

Andrew Marrotte, Marketing Manager for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Northwest-Phoenix and Southwest-Phoenix, AZ

How did the campaign go overall compared to previous years?

“When all was said and done, there was more than 10,000 donations for the cause. Our location had more donations this year than ever before, and our staff is really proud to have been a part of it.”

What was the overall response to your efforts?

“There was a big event that was put on for the recipients of the donations at the Air Force base here. All of the active duty military in the area were invited, and over 1,600 people left at the end of the day with full stomachs and trash bags full of presents for their family members. On top of the toys and food were bounce houses, face painting, cookie decorating, and picture booths. Needless to say, the response was pure joy.”

Thanks to all of the organizations that helped us run these campaigns, and thanks to all of the outstanding employees at our TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchises for making a difference in the community. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog series!

September 18, 2017October 9, 2017 Movers Who Blog Giving Back, Organizing, Our People, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, Uncategorized

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® extends community outreach with four fall cause-marketing campaigns

-Written by Erik Sargent

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is known as a nationally recognized moving company, but at our core, we are built on a strong foundation of giving back, and do everything we can to help out in our local communities through charity, awareness, and donation events.

Each fall, we run a host of fall cause-marketing campaigns across our 350 plus locations, aiming to make a difference in the communities we live and work in. This lines up with our strong core value system that has carried our company for more than 30 years, and it’s imperative to us as a brand to ensure we are doing everything we can to help those in need.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® runs four core campaigns each fall, ranging across a variety of areas of focus.

Movers for Military: There’s nothing more important than helping the brave men and women who have served our country, and that’s exactly what this campaigns aims to do. This program collects essential items that are delivered to veterans who are currently living in homeless shelters during Veteran’s Day.

Movers for Meals: The ongoing hunger crisis is an issue that always needs addressing, and this campaign strives to provide food to those who need it by partnering with businesses, schools, or other local organizations to collect non-perishable food items that can be delivered to collection centers and food pantries.

Movers for Mutts: Our community outreach doesn’t stop with humans – we take care of our animal friends, too! This campaign works with local animal shelters to collect food, toys, and other essential items for pets in need.

Truckload of Warmth: The fall and winter months often bring a decline in weather, and many people don’t have the proper clothing to stay warm during the harsh winter months. This campaign works with local shelters to collect hats, gloves, coats, scarves, and anything else that can help people in our communities stay warm.

“I think it’s important to have fall campaigns for our brand because it lets people know that we care about our community year round,” said Carolyn Chynoweth, marketing manager for the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® North Dallas, South Dallas, McKinney, Carrollton, and Garland (TX) locations. “Also, it helps people understand that we care about many different charities and causes.”

These fall campaigns provide an opportunity for our various locations to identify areas and groups that are in need in the communities they operate in, and offer our expertise and moving services to assist charities and organizations with their work.

“I really love the fall campaigns because each franchise gets the opportunity to see a specific need in their community and help,” said Sally Mink, marketing director at TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Brentwood, Tenn. “Our fall campaigns also show we are not a one-and-done company when it comes to giving back. We are passionate about helping all year long, not just a couple months out of the year.”

It’s the people in our communities that have gotten us to where we are today as a company, and that’s why we put so much effort into giving back any way we can. We love putting a smile on peoples’ faces, and our franchises appreciate the chance to connect with those around them.

“Our movers tell us all the time their favorite part of the job is going out on charity moves or being a part of charity events,” said Jenni Hargrove, sales and marketing director for the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Nashville and Hermitage, Tenn., locations. “They know their more difficult moving jobs are worth the hard work because they allow us to fund charity initiatives that serve less fortunate people in the community. Our employees also love that we make sure they always know how they can get involved – it shows them we really are the “Movers Who Care®”, instead of just a corporation.”

If you are interested in helping us work in communities and working toward a great cause, be sure to visit our franchise locator and contact your local TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® to see how you can get involved this fall!