Back for its 18th year, Two Men and a Truck’s signature campaign is collecting essentials for women facing homelessness — one item, one donation, one act of kindness at a time.

Fort Wayne is once again rallying behind single unhoused women through the Movers for Moms campaign — a national initiative with deep roots in local giving.

Launched by the moving company Two Men and a Truck, the drive aims to collect personal care items, clothes, and cleaning supplies to support shelters like St. Joseph Missions. And this year, they’re hoping for record-breaking generosity.

A Shelter With a Mission, A Campaign With a Heart

The St. Joseph Missions Women’s Shelter serves as one of Fort Wayne’s few emergency shelters solely for single women. These aren’t families. These aren’t couples. These are women standing alone — often survivors of domestic violence, job loss, or mental health struggles.

This campaign meets them where they are, not with pity but with real help.

Shampoo, soap, socks, wipes, deodorant — the simple stuff we all take for granted — can mean the world to someone starting from scratch.

And this is more than just a gesture. It’s about dignity.

“It might look like a bottle of lotion to you,” said shelter director Karen Blaine. “But to someone walking in with only the clothes on her back, it’s safety. It’s comfort. It’s hope.”

A Long Legacy of Giving — With Big Numbers to Prove It

The Movers for Moms campaign started 17 years ago with a simple idea: honor moms in need every Mother’s Day.

Since then, it has ballooned into a national powerhouse for grassroots charity.

Last year alone, the campaign collected 431,403 items. That’s over 400,000 tangible acts of kindness.

Let that sink in for a second.

And since it began? More than two million items have been donated across the country.

That’s not a typo. Two million.

This year, the company and local partners hope to push that number even higher.

How Fort Wayne Locals Can Get Involved

You don’t need to dig deep into your wallet to help. In fact, just a couple of dollars can go a long way.

One of the easiest ways to contribute is through the campaign’s Amazon wish list — where you can pick out an item and have it shipped directly to the campaign.

Here’s what they need the most:

• Travel-sized toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body wash)

• Women’s underwear and socks (all sizes)

• Feminine hygiene products

• Cleaning supplies (disinfectant wipes, laundry detergent)

• Gently used or new clothing

Donations can also be dropped off at participating businesses throughout the city. Many local offices, gyms, churches, and schools are acting as collection sites.

But heads up — the campaign ends on May 9, just before Mother’s Day.

So if you’re thinking about giving, now’s the time.

Why It Hits Different in Fort Wayne

Sure, this is a national campaign. But in Fort Wayne? It feels personal.

This city has long prided itself on community-led efforts. People here tend to show up — not just for galas and fundraisers, but for small, quiet gestures too.

This campaign isn’t flashy. No big parties. No headlines. Just box after box filling up with the everyday things that restore someone’s sense of self.

Local resident Tanya Ogle, who’s donated every year since 2017, put it plainly: “It’s the least I can do. I’ve been there. I know how much a clean pair of socks matters.”

The Bigger Picture of Women’s Homelessness

To understand why this campaign matters, you have to look at the bigger picture.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, more than 225,000 women experience homelessness in the U.S. on any given night. Many are fleeing abusive situations. Many more are navigating mental health issues or aging out of foster care.

In Fort Wayne specifically, shelters are consistently at or near capacity — especially those serving single women.

There’s still a huge gap in services for women without children. And that’s exactly where St. Joseph Missions steps in.

Here’s a look at the broader landscape:

In short? The need is there. And growing.

Small Acts, Big Ripples

What makes this campaign so effective isn’t just its size or its reach — it’s the intimacy of its impact.

There’s something about knowing that your donation might be the reason a woman feels safe enough to sleep through the night for the first time in weeks. Or walk into a job interview with clean clothes and confidence.

Every toothbrush matters. Every pair of sweatpants. Every bottle of shampoo.

And no, that’s not an exaggeration.

One volunteer put it this way: “You’re not just dropping something in a bin. You’re helping someone feel human again.”

And in a world that moves fast and forgets people too easily, that kind of kindness sticks.