Veteran’s Day is tomorrow, and the nation will come together to recognize the brave men and women who have proudly served this country through military service.
As many people know, the unfortunate reality is that many of these individuals return home from their time in the service and suffer from hardships, whether it’s food insecurity or homelessness. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK is adamant about supporting the veteran community – with many veterans finding a new career at our franchises – but another way we work to give back is through Movers for Military®.
This charitable campaign is one of our four fall giving programs, and franchises that run it partner with local veteran’s shelters in their community and collect donations from community partners to help those in need.
“We run Movers for Military each fall at our locations,” said Alyssa Watts, the marketing coordinator for the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Macomb/Detroit, Mich., franchises. “My grandfather was a veteran, and it’s something very close to my family. Seeing veterans on the street is heartbreaking when you know that they served for us and we’re not doing anything for them.”
The personal connection people correlate with Movers for Military makes it extremely impactful for many of the TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchises and their team members who choose to run the program.
“A while back, I spoke with our franchisee, Alan Oversmith, and we talked about what was important to us from a charitable standpoint, and we both agreed on Movers for Military,” said Charlene Bush, a multi-unit marketing director for TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchises in Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. “With both of us having family who have been active service members, it was near and dear to both of our hearts.”
Their team has worked with organizations like Michigan Ability Partners in the past to help end veteran homelessness, using their moving resources to transport much-needed essential care items for the group to assist with their mission.
“Whether it’s permanent or temporary housing, they provide help to veterans, “Bush said. “Where we kind of fill in the gap is doing collection drives to collect basic needs [for the veterans in need].”
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchises work with their community partners like schools, businesses, and local organizations to set up collection sites for the essential care items, often times coordinating with the veteran shelter they have partnered with to make a specific donation list.
Working throughout the fall, they’ll promote Movers for Military in their area and encourage the community to donate, before collecting all the donated items and delivering them to the veteran shelter they have partnered with on or around Veteran’s Day, ensuring the people there get what they need.
“To be able to serve them and give them what they need to move forward in their next chapter of life is a great thing for us,” Watts said.
