My brother and I founded Meathead Movers while we were student athletes ourselves. And for the past 19 years, we have prided ourselves on maintaining the highest of standards, only hiring clean-cut, drug-free student athletes. The student athletes we hire are hard-working, ethical and responsible young men and women, so it’s disheartening to watch these recent news headlines that tarnish the reputations of the student athletes who are doing it all right.
Now more than ever, we as a society need to take a stand to help change the culture surrounding student athletes. There are a number of actions we can all take to empower these young men and women to stand up against domestic and sexual violence, instead of further contributing to the statistics.
Face The Issue Head On And Make A Difference
When we first started Meathead Movers, we were getting calls from victims of domestic violence begging us to help them move away from their abusive partners. We didn’t think twice; we jumped in our truck and drove straight there to help. It all started as a reaction, and quickly became part of our core mission statement.
Each of our student athletes has had the opportunity to assist in at least one of these moves – allowing them to see firsthand the dangers, devastation and emotional side of domestic violence.
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Fast forward 19 years and we’re still providing free moving services to victims of domestic abuse. Meathead Movers has since grown to more than 350 employees. Each of our student athletes has had the opportunity to assist in at least one of these moves – allowing them to see firsthand the dangers, devastation and emotional side of domestic violence.
What can your business or organization do to face the issue head on? What are small steps you can take to make a difference in the lives of victims and survivors of domestic violence?
Have a Goal, a Pledge or a Statement – and Commit to It
Upon hiring our student athletes, we encourage each of them to take the “It’s On Us” pledge against violence. Students around the country are committing to take a stand and intervene whenever they see something they think could lead to a sexual or violent assault.
By breaking down the stigma around domestic violence, we are able to enlighten our student athletes and empower them to make a change in the current reputation and help prevent potential violent instances.
Before embarking on a domestic violence move, each of our athletes are properly trained on the issue. Because of the sensitive nature of the situation, they are taught to look for the telltale signs of an abusive relationship, the proper way to confront a friend that may be abused/is abusing someone, and more. Our hope is that the athletes take this knowledge and apply it to their daily life outside of work.
On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States.
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As a business community, we need to be role models for our future leaders, and give them an opportunity to join in the effort to end domestic violence and sexual assault.
Give Them Resources to Make Real Impact
On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. In one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men (Source: http://www.ncadv.org/learn-more/statistics).
Imagine if 10,000 businesses worldwide came together in support of victims fleeing abuse. This unification of people and resources would take away all the abuser’s power. After realizing the effectiveness of the free moves that we were providing to victims of domestic violence, we decided to launch a nonprofit arm of our company called #MoveToEndDV.
#MoveToEndDV was created to inspire businesses globally to get creative about involving employees in giving back to shelters, victims and survivors of domestic violence. Our student athletes are tasked with going out into the community to share the nonprofit and inspire others to join the movement.
Victims of domestic violence often feel alone and ashamed, but when a community rallies around them, they’re that much more likely to feel supported and uplifted and, perhaps most importantly, to change their circumstances.
These are just a few of the steps we need to take to make change. We need to come together as a nation – as businesses, communities, sports teams, schools and individuals – to take a stand and make a difference. We need to #MoveToEndDV.
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By: Aaron Steed, CEO of Meathead Movers
Aaron Steed is president, co-founder and CEO of Meathead Movers. He founded Meathead Movers at 17-years-old in 1997 with his brother, Evan. As CEO, Steed oversees all areas of the company – providing clarity, strategy and accountability for everyone on the Meathead team. He has established an open-door style of management, similar to that of a coach, and is well-known for being happily available to assist employees at their jobs or in their personal lives.
In 2015, Steed and the team at Meathead Movers launched the #MoveToEndDV campaign to encourage businesses all over the world to donate free products and services to victims of domestic violence – just like Meathead Movers provides free moving services to victims fleeing an abusive situation.
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Photo credit: Getty Images