Firefighting's Finest Moving & Storage, founded in Fort Worth in 2001 by off-duty firefighters Derrick Potter and Patrick Dodson, is partnering with the Central Texas Food Bank for a summer food drive through Move for Hunger. All summer, crews from the company's Austin location on West Howard Lane will collect unopened food from customers on moving day and deliver it to the food bank at no cost.
Summer is the busiest moving season in Central Texas. It is also when many families lose the school meals their children rely on. People moving often throw away unopened food because it isn't worth packing. The drive turns that food into meals for neighbors.
The idea is simple. Before every move, the crew asks if the customer has unopened, non-perishable food they don't plan to take. The crew loads it onto the truck and drops it off at the food bank. Customers don't fill out a form or pay anything extra.
"In the Marine Corps and in the fire service, you learn that you take care of the people around you," said Travis Korenek, director of operations at Firefighting's Finest Moving & Storage and a former U.S. Marine who runs the company's Austin operation. "Austin families are already sorting their pantries when they move. We just make sure that food feeds someone here at home."
The company, known locally as "the firefighter movers," has run the same program in Fort Worth since November 2010. There, it has delivered more than 300,000 pounds of food to the Tarrant Area Food Bank. Move for Hunger named it the nonprofit's first-ever Mover of the Year in 2011, and it was the first mover in Tarrant County to join the network.
The Central Texas Food Bank has fed Central Texans since 1981 and is the largest hunger-relief organization in the region.
The drive covers moves across the Austin area, including North Austin, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, Hutto, Lakeway, Bee Cave and Buda. Austin crews include military veterans and firefighters, and every crew member passes a background check and drug screening.
The Austin drive joins the company's other community work, which includes support for Parkland Burn Camp, Camp Janus and One Warm Coat.
How do I donate food when I move in Austin? Set aside unopened, non-perishable food before moving day and tell your Firefighting's Finest crew. They will deliver it to the Central Texas Food Bank.
Does donating cost extra? No. The crew delivers the food free of charge, and the price of the move stays the same.
What food can I donate? Unopened, non-perishable items such as canned goods, boxed pasta, rice, cereal and peanut butter. Open or perishable food can't be accepted.
About Firefighting's Finest Moving & Storage
Firefighting's Finest Moving & Storage is a Texas moving company founded in Fort Worth in 2001 by off-duty firefighters Derrick Potter and Patrick Dodson. Known locally as "the firefighter movers," the company runs nearly 30 trucks from locations in Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston (Spring) and Austin. It offers residential, commercial, long-distance and military moves, plus climate-controlled storage. Honors include AMSA Independent Mover of the Year (2018), Fort Worth Chamber Small Business of the Year (2016) and Move for Hunger's first Mover of the Year. Learn more at firefightermovers.com.
Media contact
Firefighting's Finest Moving & Storage, Austin
(512) 361-6683
https://firefightermovers.com/austin/
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