This Moving Company Will Help You Leave An Abusive Partner For Free

There are dozens of reasons a person may find it difficult to leave an abusive relationship. Denial, finances, isolation, and fear can all play roles, and the dynamic between the couple isn't always what you'd expect. But, what if it were just a little easier to move out of an abusive situation? California-based moving company Meathead Movers provides just that. Since 1999, they've offered cost-free moving services to help people experiencing intimate partner abuse to leave their relationship quickly and safely. (They just added L.A. to their territory.) The backstory for Meathead Movers might not be what you'd expect. Two teenage brothers, Aaron and Evan Steed, played a lot of sports and started the company as a way to make money in the off-season. Soon enough, they became the go-to movers in their California town of San Luis Obispo. That's when the calls started rolling in from people experiencing abuse. "Women would call upset and desperate to get themselves and their kids out of abusive situations," explained Erin Steed, corporate controller of Meathead Movers (and Aaron's wife). "The victims are often cut off from the finances. They would offer TVs, or anything else they had, to pay for the move." The boys were quick to respond, and never accepting payment from people in this type of situation. One day, a move became violent when an abuser came home early, and the brothers realized they needed expert assistance to continue to help where they could. Today, Meathead Movers services regions from California's Central Coast all the way to San Diego, and with every new expansion, they partner with a domestic violence shelter to best assist victims. In L.A., they work with Good Shepherd Shelter to identify and move victims — accompanied by police — to temporary housing that's provided by the shelter. "Some people think only doctors or lawyers can help those in need, but everyone has something to offer," Steed says. "For us, it was a no-brainer; if there's something we can do, we're going to do it!"