Meathead Movers, a moving company based right here on the Central Coast, has been getting a lot of international attention for a service that it offers.
Early in September, the LA Weekly ran a story about the Good Shepherd—one of Los Angeles’ oldest women’s shelters—and how it partners with the San Luis Obispo company to help move victims of domestic violence and their stuff into a shelter—for free.
The story went viral across the Internet. National news media outlets, such as the Huffington Post, even picked it up. Not long after, the company’s phone started blowing up with calls from people around the world wanting to get involved somehow.
The word is out and now, Meathead owner Aaron Steed is challenging other businesses to step up and do their part to help victims of domestic violence. Steed also encourages people to check out the hashtag #MoveToEndDV to see what others are doing to stamp out domestic violence.
“We clearly struck a chord here,” Steed told the Sun. “Let’s try to inspire other businesses to donate their products and services to help victims of domestic violence.”
It doesn’t have to be money, Steed said, adding that there are so many ways a business can help. For example, a plumber can donate services to the shelter, a mortgage banker can offer financial literacy classes, or a florist can send flowers to the shelter to brighten the days of families who stay there.
Steed and his brother, Evan, started Meathead Movers in 1997 while still in high school. It was the perfect gig for a strapping young grappler like himself.
He remembered how he got started helping domestic violence victims. When he and his brother started the company, they periodically received calls from victims fleeing from their abusive partners. He was surprised at the frequency of those types of calls.
“I was the guy picking up the calls,” Steed recalled. “We would just go over there and help out. There wasn’t really a structure to it.”
Things got a little hairy during an incident in 2003 when an abusive partner came home earlier than expected. A toaster oven was thrown, stuff got broken, and the cops were called.
But Steed wanted to keep offering these services. Since that moment, he organized the way this type of moving operation is conducted.
Leaving an abusive relationship can be one of the hardest things to do for domestic violence victims, especially when they have only a small window of time. Sometimes the movers—comprised of tough, clean-cut, male, student athletes—have to work at the drop of a hat to get a victim to safety. But they have muscle on their side. No one’s going to want to mess with half a dozen brawny dudes carrying heavy objects.
“There have been times when the victim only had two hours to get their items out,” Steed said. “We’d have to staff it with five or six guys instead of two. Every situation is different.”
Now when a victim calls for help, Steed says they’ll be directed first to the shelter, which vets the situation and then calls Meathead to let the movers know if it’s legitimate and safe. In this way, Meathead is acting like an extension of the shelter itself.
He couldn’t remember offhand, but Steed estimated his company has helped hundreds of domestic violence victims.
Now, Meathead Movers is taking pledges from other companies who are promising to donate their products and services to help victims and shelters. Steed’s goal is to get at least 100 businesses on board.
“That’s going to lower their costs and help victims of domestic violence,” Steed said.
Meathead Movers has several locations throughout Central and Southern California, but they are headquartered at 3600 S. Higuera St. in San Luis Obispo. They can be reached at 544-6328.
Highlights
• The baby boomers in the workforce are slowly being replaced by millennials. To help prepare the next generation, the Workforce Resource Center is holding orientations every second Tuesday of the month at the Youth Workforce Program on Oct. 13 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. At the workshop, candidates will find job placement assistance, résumé preparation, interview skills, leadership development, occupational certificates, and even paid work experience. To qualify, candidates must be 17 to 21 years in age. The Workforce Resource Center is located at 1410 S. Broadway in Santa Maria. There is no cost. For more information, call Peter Sotelo at 346-7107 or Michelle Lynch at 717-8204.
Staff Writer David Minsky wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, email, or mail.
This article appears in Oct 8-15, 2015.
