PODS of Houston Gives Back to Youth with Donation of PODS Containers to Camp Hope

    HOUSTON, TX, July 29, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- For the past four years, PODS of Houston has continued to be a dedicated supporter with its donation of PODS Containers to Camp Hope, a week-long program for children living with HIV. Through the donations of PODS containers, the AIDS Foundation Houston is able to conveniently store camp supplies, while saving thousands of dollars in logistics and storage costs.

Founded in 1996, Camp Hope provides HIV-positive children, ages 7 to 16 from low income households, the opportunity to develop important life skills needed to manage their lives with HIV/AIDS. During the week, campers will learn the importance of medical adherence, how to manage disclosure of their status in relationships and how to deal with stigma involving their illness.

"The donation of the PODS container is hugely essential to Camp Hope because we don't have the capacity or space to store the items that we need in our offices," explained Niki Lessig, Volunteer Coordinator at Camp Hope. "Some children come to camp with only the clothes they are wearing so it's great to have that extra storage to be able to store extra pairs of pants, towels and any other items that we may need to provide for them."

In addition to the various activities campers can participate in, they will also continue to follow their normal medical regiment with the donation of medical supplies from Camp Hope's medical partners.

"Eight of the PODS containers will also be used to store medical supplies which is required to be stored in a temperature controlled area and that wouldn't be possible without the PODS containers," said Margarita Perez, Manager, Development and Volunteer Services.

Campers will also engage in traditional camp activities such as riding horses, singing songs, rock climbing as well as conquering their insecurity and building their self-esteem, all while experiencing a week of fun, barrier-free activities and quality time with their friends.

"The AIDS Foundation Houston and its program, Camp Hope do so much for these children that are looking to find their place in the world and we are proud to be a supporter of its continuing endeavors," said Tim Preston, Vice President and General Manager of PODS of Houston. "We hope that the donation of PODS containers help to alleviate some of the logistical stress and keep their focus on running the camp for the children in need."

ABOUT PODS OF HOUSTON

PODS of Houston is one of the largest independently-owned franchises of PODS Enterprises, LLC in the country and is the leading provider of moving and storage services to residents and businesses throughout the greater Houston area. PODS of Houston is locally owned and operated and began serving Houston-area residents in 2003.

Each year, PODS of Houston donates moving and storage solutions for more than 20 Houston-area charities in support of their contributions to the community. The Salvation Army, Houston Arts Alliance, the YMCA and Toys for Tots are among the many organizations PODS of Houston partners with annually.

PODS is a leader in the moving and storage industry providing both residential and commercial services in 46 U.S. states, Canada, Australia and the UK. Founded in 1998, PODS pioneered the portable moving and storage industry now preferred by many customers' increasingly active and mobile lifestyles. To date, the PODS network has completed more than 600,000 long-distance moves, exceeded 2 million deliveries and has more than 150,000 PODS containers in service.

ABOUT CAMP HOPE
According to the Centers for Disease Control, recent data indicates that 1 in 4 of new HIV infections occur in youth. The highest concentrations of those are diagnosed in the Southern and Southeastern United States. To prevent youth from falling prey to illness and stigma, AIDS Foundation Houston designed a continuum of youth summer programs to give HIV-positive youth the confidence, education and life skills they need to lead productive lives.

Since 1996, Camp Hope has supported the social, emotional, medical development of HIV-positive youth ages 7-16. Over the years more than 2,100 HIV-positive children have experienced the joy and life skills camp brings. For additional information contact: http://www.aidshelp.org/camphope.

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