Moving company helps charities

You may have seen the large white trucks with a black logo that reads “Two Men and a Truck®” traveling around Orland Park.

What you may not know is the humble beginnings and wonderful things this company is doing.

Two Men and a Truck started in 1986 as an after-school business by two high school boys, Jon and Brig Sorber, in Okemos, Mich. Using a hand-drawn logo, placing advertisements in the local newspaper, and stashing advertising funds in a ceramic dish, the endeavor was never expected to be more than a local moving company.

Now, 30 years later, Two Men and a Truck has grown both domestically and internationally with more than 320 locations worldwide. The Orland Park location was opened in 2010 by Franchisee Paul Brown, who also owns four other locations within the Chicagoland area.

Becoming a successful brand was not enough for the company. Having women in key leadership roles across the company – and with some of their most successful franchisees being women – the idea apparently for Movers for Moms® came to them naturally.

With the Movers for Moms program, Two Men and a Truck locations across the country and internationally collect donations for local women’s and family shelters for delivery on Mother’s Day. The purpose of the program is to recognize those moms living in shelters on Mother’s Day by arranging delivery of small gifts for women who are victims of domestic abuse or homelessness. The Two Men and a Truck location at 16308 S. 107th Ave., Orland Park, collects for the Crisis Center for South Suburbia in Tinley Park.

The Movers for Moms program, which began in 2007, partners with various local businesses, schools, and organizations from March through Mother’s Day.

Two Men and a Truck drivers pick up and deliver the collected items to partnering women’s shelters on or before Mother’s Day, which this year was May 8.

A tally for the 2016 donation has not been counted. But in 2015, Movers for Moms collected more than 220,000 essential items like toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, and other personal care items, which were distributed to hundreds of shelters for Mother’s Day.

Although the Movers for Moms program has concluded for this year, the company also sponsors Movers for Military, which collects donations for veterans during the fall, and delivers them to veterans living in shelters during Veteran’s Day.

The Movers for Meals program collects non-perishable food items in an effort to feed families facing hunger. Collections are in October and November, so that the conclusion and delivery occur just around Thanksgiving. Beneficiaries of the bounty are local shelters.

Two Men and a Truck also sponsors Truckload of Warmth, which collects and distributes warm clothing – including hats, scarves, gloves, coats, or other necessities to help those in local shelters brave the winter weather. This program is new to the company, and not all locations are able to participate at this time.

Local Two Men and a Truck Orland Park franchisee Paul Brown said: “Any time we can use our trucks to help people in need, we are helping the community. We expect our 2016 program to exceed 250,000 collected items.”

Orland Township Crowns a New Senior Idol

On May 19th, Orland Township hosted their Fifth Annual Senior Idol Competition at Georgio’s Banquets at 8800 W. 159th St., Orland Park.

The 2016 Senior Idol Champion crowned this year is Laura Alberts, who won against 15 other contestants. More than 600 people were in attendance to view the spectacular finale.

Ms. Alberts sang “Luck be a Lady” to clinch the title and win over the judges and the crowd. Funds raised during the competition benefit the Orland Township Scholarship Foundation, which provides local area high schools students with college scholarships.

Congratulations, Laura Alberts!