CENTRAL COAST — With 50 years of Hank and Helen Kawecki’s memories packed into boxes and stacked into their neighbor’s garage, friends of the couple knew that more room would be needed to help the couple store and move their belongings. Not only did the local community take action but the business community networked to get the word out for donations to assist. When Steve Yapp, owner of local PODS Moving and Storage, heard about the couple’s hardship, his team stepped in to help.
The moving and storage leader will donate the use of a PODS container so the couple can store their treasured memories and household items while they’re transitioning into their new home. PODS will then move the container to the Kawecki’s new home in Newbury Park.
“When this story broke a couple of months back, the business community pulled together their resources to figure out how to help this couple get back on their feet,” said Yapp. “PODS wanted to do anything we could to help. We know moving can be one of the most stressful times in anyone’s lives. Adding moving to the stress the Kawecki’s are experiencing is unthinkable.”
The Kawecki’s, who recently lost their home because of their grandson’s mismanagement of their expenses, have received help from not only their local community but from all over the world. The community has raised $117,000 of their $200k goal with the help of a gofundme account, https://www.gofundme.com/27m9zvn3.
“The generous support from not only our community but from businesses like PODS has really helped the Kaweckis during this time of need,” said Doug Emerson, the Kawecki’s neighbor. “We are truly grateful for everyone’s donations and the PODS container which will simplify the moving and storage process for the Kaweckis.”
About PODS: Steve Yapp is the owner of three Tri-Counties PODS franchises that serve residents and businesses in Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties.
Dedicated to the local community, Yapp’s franchises have donated hundreds of PODS containers to nonprofit and charitable organizations throughout Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San Diego and Los Angeles counties since opening their doors in 2005.
A partial list of recipients include: Boys & Girls Clubs, FOOD Share of Ventura County, Casa Pacifica, Toys 4 Tots, California Strawberry Festival, Ojai Music Festival, Relay for Life, C.H.P. Holiday Toy Drive, Salvation Army, Santa Maria Good Samaritan, Oxnard Downtown Management District, Boy Scouts of Ventura County, California Visitors Center, Simi Valley Days, the Oxnard Salsa Festival, and Catholic Charities. PODS is a leader in the moving and storage industry providing both residential and commercial services in 46 U.S. states, Canada, Australia and the UK. Founded in 1998, PODS pioneered the portable moving and storage industry now preferred by many customers’ increasingly active and mobile lifestyles. To date, the PODS network has completed more than 700,000 long-distance moves, exceeded 3 million deliveries and has more than 170,000 PODS containers in service.
For more information, go to: www.mylocalpods.com.