Escanaba Moving Systems Donates Services to Mission Honduras

When Escanaba Moving Systems in Escanaba, Mich., was asked to help move some dental equipment overseas, they had no idea the project would turn into a three-year mission bound to bring unimaginable opportunities to one of the poorest areas of Honduras.

A representative from Mission Honduras International, a non-profit organization that sponsors life-giving programs in Honduras, called Tom Woodaz, CEO of Escanaba, for help. An area family had offered to donate an entire fully equipped dental office to the organization, but had no way of getting it to Honduras and no money with which to do it.

“The representative had just come back from Honduras herself, and said the current dental office in this particular area was nothing more than a folding chair,” said Anna Norman, moving consultant for Escanaba. “We knew we had to help.”

The move began by picking up the equipment from Negaunee, Mich., a 70-mile trip, and bringing it back to store temporarily. The agency later discovered that that step was just the beginning. The equipment and furniture needed to be crated for international delivery, but the Customs requirements kept changing.

“The government of Honduras changed hands several times during this process, and the red tape just grew,” Norman said. “We were crating, uncrating, documenting, inventorying and re-crating over and over again.”

Finally, the agency cleared the red tape, and Woodaz personally drove the shipment to a National Guard Air Force Base in Milwaukee, Wis., where it would be shipped down to Comayagua, Honduras.

“We got word that everything arrived safely and in good condition,” Norman said. “It’s just amazing the impact this dental office will have on the community.”
Escanaba has a history of being active in their community and donating equipment and storage space, but Norman said this is the first time the agency has ever taken on a project of this magnitude.

In a letter thanking Escanaba for their tireless efforts over three years to make this move a reality, Joan Fabiano, executive director of Mission Honduras, wrote, “The real beneficiaries of your efforts are, of course, the orphans and other poor children of Honduras who will benefit from this whole new dental capability. Please know that your contribution to their health and well-being is deeply appreciated.”

Fabiano specifically recognized Kevin Stoerck for “going the extra mile” and for his patience, understanding and kindness throughout the entire process.

United Van Lines, with headquarters in suburban St. Louis, maintains a network of 1,000 affiliated agencies throughout the world. As the nation’s largest mover, United holds more than 30 percent of the market, which is nearly double the market share of the second largest carrier. More information about United and its services is available at www.unitedvanlines.com.