By Jon Osborn
Most of us have had the experience of moving residences once or perhaps several times. To make that happen, we usually save up money, borrow a truck, mobilize family and friends, and, over the course of a few days, wrestle our belongings to our new residence. When we arrive, we often unpack and reorganize for days, months, or longer before we’re settled. All of that comes with an emotional cost. Moving has been rated as one of the top ten stressors in modern life. It’s a huge undertaking. No wonder we’re exhausted after a move!
Now imagine facing the necessity of having to move with little or no support. No money for a truck rental, no social circle to embrace you with their help. That move may well be coupled with an eviction notice, which would make moving even more stressful and exhausting.
Movin’ On is a simple concept to help with the complexities of moving for people who have few resources. The way it works is that Movin’ On gets the name and address of one client family from a social service agency or church. To begin, we are assisting one family per month.
At the appointed date, a team of six to eight church volunteers will show up at the client’s residence. We carefully load all of the client’s household items and move them in our rental truck to the new residence (within 20 miles). We unload the truck and get the items to the appropriate room of the house. If time allows, we help the client assemble beds, hook up televisions, and unpack. The volunteers and clients break for a sandwich lunch partway through the move.
Four churches are currently on board with this plan. We may or may not know the person carrying the other end of the mattress we’re moving, but it might be good to meet someone new! For the time being, the churches involved have agreed to, in partnership, rent the truck and buy the lunches. All we need is volunteer muscle, brains, and heart!
If things go smoothly, this should be a four-to-six hour Saturday job. By the time we’re done, we hope our client is moved and well on the way to feeling settled. That’s something we would want for ourselves on moving day and something we can offer to our client family. We would want to offer the same compassion and respect we naturally give our own family members.
Yes, we could use your help sorting, lifting, carrying, and encouraging. But if you’re a person who doesn’t feel you can lift and carry, there still is a place for you! We could use some administrative help. We would love your assistance!
At the end of the day, we want our client family to feel satisfied, peaceful, and hopeful. We at Movin’ On would love to be a part of that optimistic outlook. Hope you can join us!