Written by Hanna Lee

​​Adam Lowy’s family has been in the moving business for over 90 years when his great-grandfather started Lowy’s Moving Service in Ocean County, NJ.  Growing up, he worked on a truck whether he liked it or not. As Lowy moved families from point A to point B, he realized the amount of food going to waste. Non-perishables like canned food, pasta and rice we’re being thrown away with fruits and vegetables because most families didn’t feel like it packing up.

​ After mulling over the situation with his father, Lowy questioned why they were throwing out food others could potentially use. In no time, they collected pounds of food without trying. They decided to donate to a local food bank, and they were shocked by what they discovered.“The food bank volunteers told us what a big problem hunger was in the community, and I was stunned to learn that the food bank catered to over 140,000 people in Monmouth & Ocean Counties,” recalls Lowy. “It wasn’t something I really thought was an issue in this area.” Lowy realized that it wasn’t just the homeless or extremely impoverished that relied on food banks, but many who were affected by the economic downturn and trying to hold down two jobs to pay their mortgage and utilities.

Recognizing that Lowy’s Moving Service had the potential to help others, Lowy established Move For Hunger in the summer of 2009. Since its creation, the nonprofit has donated over 350,000 lbs of food. Building on their success, Move For Hunger enlisted other moving companies from across the country to become a network of 155 movers in 35 states.

Moving companies join Move For Hunger and find a food bank in their area to become their partner. When people are looking for movers, they can go through the nonprofit’s website to find a company enrolled in their area. Affiliated moving companies leave a donation box at every job with a letter outlining the local hunger statistics. On average, food banks estimate that just 1.3 lbs of food is enough for 1 meal.

Lowy believes the Move For Hunger model is successful because it generates a positive effect for both businesses and the community. “There is already this network out there, and we’re not trying to take anything. We’re trying to mobilize the moving industry for something good,” Lowy explains. “It’s a greener, sustainable model because it reduces waste while giving one thing that was being thrown out into the hands of someone who truly needs it.”  Move for Hunger is a program that can benefit food banks year-round and not just during the holiday season. According to Lowy, food banks suffer the most during the summer months when children are out of school.

Lowy’s inspiration is derived from two things: his family’s values towards charitable giving and the startling facts about United States hunger.“1.3 million New Yorkers are hungry, and in every state 1 in 6 Americans do not have enough to eat,” informs Lowy. “I find these statistics really depressing, it’s like a third world country!” Lowy said what keeps him going is the awareness that every time a mover picks up a food donation, it helps reduce the hunger divide.

Move For Hunger’s goal is to become one of the largest hunger relief organizations in the world. Lowy believes that feeding America is imperative right now and that by doing things in a new, innovative way, his organization has the potential to support every food bank and food pantry out there. “Being young doesn’t mean you’re not capable of doing great things so go for the biggest idea you can think of,” advises Lowy. “Those creative, almost laughable ideas you have when you’re young are what you can’t get away with when you’re older. The worst someone could say is no.”