Convoy Joins Forces With Tempur Sealy International To Help Make Their Charitable Commitments A Reality During COVID-19

In late April 2020, Tempur Sealy International, the world’s largest bedding provider, committed to bringing some measure of comfort to at risk individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic by donating $160,000 to charities serving communities during this crisis. During the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company also produced and distributed relief mattresses and masks to healthcare, government and charitable organizations. Convoy is helping Tempur Sealy deliver on its philanthropic initiatives by hauling the mattress donations to the Bay Area Furniture Bank across the country, at no cost to Tempur Sealy.

According to Christina Gorshak, Donation Program Manager, at Tempur Sealy International, which donates tens of thousands of mattresses to deserving charities each year, “These charities working on the ground in local communities do amazing work every day. During this COVID-19 crisis, their efforts are more important than ever and we are very grateful to be given the opportunity to do our part to support their efforts during these challenging times.”

Here’s how it all fell into place:

Convoy reached out to DHL (of which Tempur Sealy is a customer) to express our desire to have a positive impact in our country during an unprecedented time (COVID-19). When an opportunity did arise for Tempur Sealy to donate mattresses and mattress frames to the Bay Area Furniture Bank, DHL reached out to Convoy to assist with the transportation of the goods from Indiana to Sunnyvale, CA. Convoy committed to finding and booking a truck to haul the mattress donations at no cost to Tempur Sealy or the Bay Area Furniture Bank. Since DHL sources and builds relationships with logistics providers in order to help customers access top notch service and maintain a logistics spend budget, they are also often charged with finding cost effective, efficient ways of getting donated supplies to those in need. Convoy’s offer of assistance was a perfect match for this situation.

Katie Reese, Transportation Manager, Carrier Development, Transportation Solutions at DHL Supply Chain, notes “It has been particularly challenging for companies around the globe to effectively manage their supply chains during COVID-19. At DHL, we are thrilled we could assist Tempur Sealy in helping them to locate a way to transport their very generous donation to the people who need it most with the assistance of Convoy. ”

Being able to acquire these mattresses was vital to Bay Area Furniture Bank, since they are trying to help keep the homeless community from becoming infected by the Coronavirus by moving them into old hotels with furnishings. This is only a part of their greater mission as a charitable organization and social enterprise which has been helping people in the San Francisco Bay Area and across North America establish their homes since 1998. Bay Area Furniture Bank accepts gently used furniture and household goods and redistributes them to people in marginalized communities.

“The generosity of companies — particularly during this COVID crisis — has been heartwarming for us, as at risk individuals need assistance during these difficult times. It is vital for us not just to receive donations, but to be able to transport them where they are most needed, and the partnership between Tempur Sealy, DHL, and Convoy has really helped us to be able to support our community,” added Ray Piontek, Founder and Executive Director, Bay Area Furniture Bank.

Now that this first donation has been successfully completed, the goal moving forward is for Convoy to work with Tempur Sealy International and DHL to maximize the logistics for a system to support all of their charitable shipments either free of charge or at a significantly discounted rate. 
Convoy is offering free trucking services for any business that is donating a truckload of products. Businesses can email sustainability@convoy.com to book a truck for their donation.