Local business owner honored for crusade to help homeless veterans
Senior officials from Military Outreach USA, a national faith-based non-profit serving veterans based in Northbrook Illinois, recently honored UNITS® Moving and Portable Storage of Chicago owner Tom Koenig for his tireless efforts to help local veterans.
Retired Army Major General James Mukoyama and Army Veteran Chappy Ferrer stopped by Koenig's 24,000 square-foot warehouse in Buffalo Grove to present him with their Award of Appreciation for providing a dozen 16-foot containers towards their Veterans Exiting Homelessness Program. Over the past nine months, they've used the containers to help them collect furniture, kitchen supplies, clothes and anything a veteran might need when moving into a home.
"I'm humbled to receive such a wonderful recognition from this incredible organization," says Koenig, the son of a Chicago firefighter, with a family full of first responders. "Military Outreach USA does incredible work for veterans in need in our area. I look forward to partnering with them for several more years to come."
In the U.S., nearly 1 out of 10 homeless adults is a veteran. Another 1.4 million veterans are at risk for homelessness, due to poverty, lack of support networks and dismal living conditions. Mukoyama says donation needs in Chicago include everything from basic move-in essentials to winter clothing, such as scarves, thermal underwear, hats and gloves.
"There will always be veterans in need, so we are very grateful for the support we receive from businesses like UNITS Moving and Portable Storage," he said. "The containers Tom provides ensure that the items we collect will be safely stored until we can get them in the hands of our fellow veterans."
UNITS Moving and Portable Storage offers all-steel containers featuring barn-style doors that are weather-resistant, making them excellent partners for charities needing to store goods. Their robotic delivery system virtually eliminates any shift in contents when lifting containers, and allows them to be placed in almost any desired location. Koenig opened UNITS Moving and Portable Storage of Chicago in October 2018, when he saw an opportunity to serve the public not just as a business owner, but as a community partner.
"This is my home. I'm honored to be in a position to not only help families moving into and around the area, but also to help those who have given so much get back on their feet," he said.
For more information about Military Outreach USA, visit http://www.militaryoutreachusa.org/.
For more information about UNITS Moving and Portable Storage, visit https://unitsstorage.com/.