Moving out? Meathead Movers will help you donate to local nonprofits as you pack
Donating items to charities just got easier, thanks to a new program started by Meathead Movers.
The San Luis Obispo-based moving company, which hires student-athletes as movers, started a program earlier this month called “Do Good Boxes” that allows clients to place their unwanted items into donation boxes the company provides.
The company asks clients to separate items into one of three categories and mark the boxes accordingly. Categories are animal shelter (for items such as canned pet food, towels), food bank (canned food, other nonperishable foods) and literacy programs (gently used books and movies).
Meathead Movers then will deliver the filled donation boxes to one of three local nonprofit partner organizations: Food Bank Coalition of San Luis Obispo County, United Way of San Luis Obipso County or Woods Humane Society.
We realized that a lot of people have things they want to get rid of as they move out, and we wanted to make it easy for people to donate.
Aaron Steed
Meathead Movers CEONeither the clients nor the organizations will be charged for the boxes or cost of delivery.
“We realized that a lot of people have things they want to get rid of as they move out, and we wanted to make it easy for people to donate,” Meathead Movers President/CEO Aaron Steed said. “We might be out of a few boxes, but this is a great fit for us and the organizations we partner with, and we’re working it into our business model.”
The boxes are given to prospective clients during the initial estimate of the cost and logistics of a move. Steed said that’s because it’s much easier to coordinate than move-in day.
Steed said that even if the clients choose not to do business with Meathead Movers, they’ll still deliver the “Do Good Boxes.”
I think it’s a really exciting way to help people receive items they can’t afford on their own. It also cuts back on the items that are dumped in landfill sites.
Nikia Hendrickson
United WayNikia Hendrickson, office manager at United Way, said the organization hasn’t started receiving boxes yet, but its staff welcomes the program.
“I think it’s a really exciting way to help people in need to receive items they can’t afford,” Hendrickson said. “It also cuts back on the items that are dumped in landfill sites.”
In addition to using donations for its own events, United Way distributes items to other nonprofit groups, such as the Salvation Army, Hendrickson said.
“I think this (Do Good Boxes) idea makes things very efficient because instead of people trying to donate a single item here and another item there, they can put them all in one box to give away and not have to think about where to donate,” Hendrickson said.
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This story was originally published December 15, 2016 at 5:39 PM with the headline "Moving out? Meathead Movers will help you donate to local nonprofits as you pack."