This Moving Company Is Aiding Victims Of Abuse

As much as people love to complain about humanity's never-ending descent into moral decay, there are some amazing acts of kindness out there. Take this California moving company, for instance. Meathead Movers is helping victims of domestic violence get out of abusive situations — for free. If that doesn't do a little to restore your faith in humanity, you have some strange priorities.

Working with the domestic abuse prevention nonprofit Good Shepherd, Meathead Movers has promised to help identify instances of abuse and help the victim move at no charge. As president and CEO Aaron Steed pointed out to LA Weekly, moving company employees know firsthand how difficult it is to completely pack up and move to another location, and it only gets more complicated when children are added into the equation.

"It’s unimaginable to think about a woman and her children trying to pack up all their belongings and flee before the abuser returns home," Steed told LA Weekly. He later clarified to Bustle over email that the program is not restricted to women, either. "We are fully cognizant that both men and women are survivors of domestic abuse. A few people have wondered if we will offer the same service to male victims of abuse and the answer is simple: absolutely!"

The program benefits both the victims and the employees themselves by giving them a glimpse into the reality of domestic abuse. "Not only do these services help the victims of domestic abuse but they directly impact Meathead employees," a spokesperson said, according to LA Weekly.

"Domestic violence is unfortunately far too common and, too often, a topic that is hidden away. Since we quietly began offering this service in 1999, we vowed to do this in every market we serve," Steed told Bustle. "We partner with a number of organizations across the state, and those folks are true angels. Any victim, regardless of gender, is one too many, and we want to do what we can to support anyone in an untenable situation."

The reasons why a victim of abuse stays with their abuser are complicated, and can be hard to understand unless you have experienced a similar situation. However, there's no doubt that financial and physical barriers play a role; moving is a huge undertaking for anyone, even in the best of circumstances. In fact, many psychologists claim that it's one of the most stressful events people experience on a regular basis. For someone in an abusive situation, boxing up everything and leaving without their abuser's knowledge could be nigh impossible.

With that in mind, Meathead Movers' offer of help could literally save someone's life. You can find the Meathead Movers website here, and the Good Shepherd website here. Let's hope they inspire others to lend a hand as well.

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Image: Matt Cornock/Flickr

9/6/2015: Edited to add comment from Aaron Steed