Two Portland trucking companies teamed up to give away 300 turkeys to local families in need over the weekend.
The Truck Depot and Long-Haul Trucking passed out $10,000 worth of turkeys on a first-come-first-serve basis on Hayden Island in Multnomah County, Oregon on Saturday, November 21st.
“A lot of families are struggling and they lost their jobs and, you know, I just wanted to help them out with a simple turkey so they can have a family Thanksgiving,” said owner Aurel Davidyan to KOIN 6 News.
Both The Truck Depot and Long-Haul Trucking are owned by Davidyan, who started his own fleet, and even a chain of truck parking and storage lots, many years ago.
“My drivers would call me at night and say, Hey where do I park the truck?” Davidyan said to ABC 2 News. “I didn’t have a hub or a yard and I ended up renting a space.” A space that would later turn into “The Truck Depot,” with six locations throughout Washington and Oregon.
“They go on my website, they reserve a space for tonight, and they know they’re guaranteed a spot,” Davidyan said. “They can come, they can park their trucks, they can go take a shower — we have a driver’s lounge.”
In light of his businesses’ success, Davidyan says he put $10,000 towards the turkey giveaway to help those struggling during these unprecedented times.
“We decided to order 300 turkeys and decided to give them out to whoever was struggling or needs that extra help,” he said. “It means a lot. I’ve always helped. I always wanted to give back and this is kind of the time, the perfect time. It means a lot to me.”