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August 2017 Mover of the Month: Crown Relocations of Chicago

September 21, 2017

Each month, we highlight one of the moving companies in our network for their extraordinary commitment to fighting hunger in their community. We are excited to announce that Crown Relocations of Chicago is our Mover of the Month for August 2017! This is the second time that they have been named Mover of the Month, having previously been honored in March 2015.


There's a certain degree of unpredictability inherent to the moving industry. Every job is different and it's rare that you're working at the same location twice. For the last 3 years, however, the team at Crown Relocations of Chicago knows there is one trip they will be making every Thursday.

It's only an eight-mile drive from Crown's office in Glendale Heights to Angelo Caputo's Fresh Market, a grocery store located in Carol Stream. When the crew arrives they will load up their truck with 1,000+ pounds of fresh produce, dairy products, bread, meat and any other near-perishable food that the store was unable to sell. All that's left to do is make the delivery to the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry, which is a mere 10 minutes away from Caputo's. For just an hour of their time, Crown Relocations is able to supply fresh food to an organization that provides assistance to 1,200 people in the area every month.

In August, Crown delivered nearly 7,800 pounds of food to local pantries -- which is enough to provide 6,500 meals to their neighbors in need. That's an extraordinary contribution, but from Crown's perspective, it's just all in a day's work.

"It's part of the fabric of our company," said Jamison Roudabush, General Manager at Crown Relocations of Chicago. "Our expertise is trucking and labor. We asked ourselves: how can we use our resources to help others?"

Social responsibility is at the core of the company's culture. Crown is committed to making a positive impact in the communities they serve, and they acknowledge that their employees are central to this effort. Roudabush noted that their Warehouse Operations Manager, Guy Stroczynski, was the driving force behind their food rescue program at Caputo's.

"Guy has made this an absolute personal commitment," Roudabush said. "He doesn't like getting attention for it; he does it because he cares. It's rare that Guy isn't there to help with the delivery, and when he's not, you can tell how much everyone there misses him."

While Stroczynki is leading the effort, every member of the staff is welcome to contribute. People who don't typically have time to volunteer during nights or weekends now have an opportunity to do so during work hours.

"I invite everybody down to help," Stroczynski said. "Everybody really enjoys it. It’s really cool that the company allows me the time to do this."

The Glen Ellyn Food Pantry itself is run entirely by part-time staffers and volunteers who do just about everything, including sorting donations and serving food. Without the support from members of the community and corporate partners like Crown Relocations, they wouldn't be able to assist the 300 families that visit the pantry each month. Roudabush understands how tenuous the situation is, and feels its Crown's duty to help keep their shelves stocked.

"It holds us accountable," he said. "When you work with a group like the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry for as long as we have, you begin to feel attached."

Crown Relocations has been a member of the Move For Hunger network since February of 2010 and, during that time, has delivered more than 198,000 lbs. of food -- 165,000 meals. Most of those deliveries have come as part of their relationship with Caputo's, but they've also collected food from their clients who are moving, assisted with food drives in the area, and volunteered to rescue food from other local grocery stores.

"We take this very seriously," Roudabush said. "We like that we're always challenged to do more. We feel like we're never doing enough, but we have gained a much greater appreciation of what role we can play. It's just making sure we are mindful of how we can help."

As they've become a more visible member of the community, Roudabush said that more opportunities are starting to present themselves.

"When you give back, more happens. You gain a reputation as someone who is willing to help."

For example, Crown's philanthropic efforts have garnered attention from the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Roudabush said he has had discussions with someone on their leadership team about how the two organizations can work together.

"It's brand new, but we are on their radar now. He feels comfortable calling me if they need assistance."

Roudabush hopes to prove to the greater Chicago area that Crown Relocations is a company that cares about its community.

"If there is a way we can make a difference, we always want to be called on."


In addition to the award, Crown Relocations of Chicago will also be receiving a Move For Hunger hand truck, courtesy of Victory Packaging, lunch for their entire staff, compliments of Montway Auto Transport, and Move For Hunger truck decals for their entire fleet.

Congratulations to Crown Relocations of Chicago on this much-deserved recognition. Thank you for commitment to reducing food waste and fighting hunger in the Windy City!

Are you in the relocation industry? You can join the Move For Hunger network today. Doing good is good for business!

There are a number of ways to fight hunger in your community. Get started today!