Each month, we highlight one of the moving companies in our network for their extraordinary commitment to fighting hunger in their community. We are excited to announce that Pacific Transfer of Kapolei, an Atlas Van Lines agent, is our Mover of the Month for January 2017!
Pacific Transfer joined the Move For Hunger network in February of 2015 after meeting with our representatives at an Atlas conference.
"I've always tried to donate to food drives and our company has always made an effort to participate in local charities," said Travis Nekota, Pacific Transfer's Moving Division Manager. "We decided to sign up with Move For Hunger after seeing how much good the program is capable of doing."
January isn't typically very busy in the moving industry, but Pacific Transfer was able to collect nearly 100 pounds of food from its customers during the month. Food banks see a drop in donations following the holiday season, so any extra help goes a long way.
Nakota says that much of the credit for their success goes to Miles Kaonohi, who has really helped to drive Pacific Transfer's food collection efforts.
"Miles does a lot of community work. He meets with the crews regularly, attends all of the training sessions, and makes sure our staff is asking customers to donate their food when they move."
Kaonohi was quick to point out that it's a team effort.
"Once they hear about it, everybody wants to help out," he said.
Making the staff aware of the program is essential, but communication with the customers is just as important. Kaonohi says that he makes it a priorty to let Pacific Transfer's clients know that they have an opportunity to support their local food bank.
"We have a handout that we give our customers," Kaonohi said. "The program letter that Move For Hunger provided us with is the first page of the packet. It's the first thing we explain to them."
Move For Hunger was born near the Jersey Shore, and it's amazing to see that our network has expanded all the way to the Hawaiian islands. For most of us here stateside, our perception of Hawaii is influenced by the few days we spent there on vacation or the beautiful images we've seen in movies and travel brochures. There's no doubt that the archipelago is a paradise, however, it is no more immune to hunger than anywhere else in the United States.
Nearly 200,000 people in Hawaii are food insecure, including 1 in 5 children. There are more than 127,000 people facing hunger on the island of Oahu, where Pacific Transfer is based, alone.
Hawaii has among the highest per capita living costs in the country. A lack of affordable housing puts low-income households at risk of homelessness and, sure enough, Hawaii has the highest per capita homeless population in the United States. On any given night, nearly 7,000 people in Hawaii experience homelessness.
"It's a big problem here," Nekota said. "Hawaii is number one in homeless population. There's a lot of childhood hunger. I don't think anyone should ever have to go hungry."
Ending hunger in Hawaii, let alone the United States, is too much to ask of any one person or organization. But we all have a part to play. Nekota, Kaonohi, and the rest of the team at Pacific Transfer have made fighting hunger part of their day-to-day operations. With every staff member they train, every customer they educate, and every trip to the food bank they make, Pacific Transfer is creating a sustainable solution to the problem.
Since joining Move For Hunger two years ago, Pacific Transfer has delivered 500 pounds of food - that's nearly 400 meals - to the St. Jude Catholic Church Food Pantry.
Kaonohi has pictures from the food pantry that he shows to the crew as a reminder of why the work they do is so important.
"When they see that, it's makes the guys feel really good," he said.
Along with the award, Pacific Transfer will also be receiving a Move For Hunger handtruck, courtesy of Victory Packaging, lunch for their entire staff, compliments of Montway Auto Transport, and Move For Hunger truck decals for their entire fleet.
Congratulations to Pacific Transfer on this much-deserved recognition. Thank you for commitment to reducing food waste and fighting hunger in the Aloha State.
Are you in the relocation industry? You can join the Move For Hunger network today. Doing good is good for business!
There are a number of ways to fight hunger in your community. Get started today!
