U-Haul Team Members across the Valley put their generosity on display again this Thanksgiving, donating nearly 840 turkeys to Arizona families in need through two longstanding charity partners.
Each November, U-Haul management showcases its appreciation for Team Members by giving everyone a turkey, which is meant to provide U-Haul families with the main course for their Thanksgiving dinners.
However, hundreds of Team Members choose to re-gift their turkeys to Phoenix-based nonprofits St. Mary’s Food Bank and St. Vincent de Paul, which ensure they reach families experiencing food insecurity.
This “pay it forward” mentality not only helps St. Mary’s and SVdP meet their annual turkey goals so they can service more families, but it continues to unite U-Haul with communities in the Valley, where the Company has been headquartered since 1967.
Hearts of Orange (Better than Gold)
“The benevolent acts of both U-Haul management and our Team Members never ceases to amaze,” stated Jeff Lockridge, U-Haul Manager of Media & Public Relations. “The cost of a large turkey is not cheap, and yet hundreds of Team Members donate their turkey every year without a second thought because they wish to help a neighbor in need — whether they know them or not. It’s a wonderful trickle-down effect of kindness, and it says a lot about the people who work here.”
Turkeys were handed out by management on Nov. 22 at the U-Haul Midtown Campus in Phoenix and U-Haul Technical Center in Tempe, as well as other sites. Team Members at the Midtown Campus donated nearly 600 turkeys to St. Mary’s and 100 to SVdP, while the U-Haul Tech Center collected 140 turkeys for SVdP.
Ready to start your career at U-Haul and be part of a hardworking and heartwarming team? Find openings at uhauljobs.com.
Media coverage
Team Members donning their U-Haul orange shirts delivered the last of the turkey donations to St. Mary’s before dawn on Monday, Nov. 25, as cars lined Thomas Road to receive Thanksgiving meal food boxes. ABC 15 News and Fox 10 News spotlighted Team U-Haul on their live morning broadcasts.
On Tuesday, Nov. 26, U-Haul was interviewed on NBC 12 News during St. Vincent de Paul’s annual “Turkey Tuesday” fundraiser. The event was held at SVdP’s South Phoenix campus, where U-Haul volunteers often provide dinner service for people experiencing homelessness.
Thank you to U-Haul management for the turkeys, and a gleeful “gobble gobble” to the 840 Team Members who paid it forward to make a neighbor’s Thanksgiving brighter — and more filling.
To read about turkey donations in past years, click here.
