A-1 Self Storage in Santa Ana Charity Storage Auction Success
If you rent self storage, have you ever considered donating items your unit to charity? At A-1 Self Storage, some of our customers decide that they no longer need or want their belongings in their units. When this happens, we offer to auction off their items for them with proceeds going to partnered charities.
Recently A-1 Self Storage in Santa Ana auctioned off items for a customer who had moved from Santa Ana to Sacramento, resulting in one of their largest charity donations to date. Santa Ana’s facility manager, David, explained that the customer had moved many of his items out of the 10’ x 20’ self storage unit, but ran out of time to reasonably move the rest of his belongings.
“He also realized it was going to cost him a lot more to hire a moving company to come out and get it. So he asked if we could help him in some way of dealing with that. I told him that we do take donations, so he decided he was going to donate the stuff to us,” David said.
While not all units are great candidates for a successful charity storage auction, David described this unit as having many big items including dressers, sofas, patio furniture, and chairs. The items were also in very good condition and high quality. When asked how these auctions usually go, he said it was usually hard.
“You get donations, but people do not put a lot of money into it. Out of a really good unit, You might get $100 out of it,” David said. “But in this case, since everything was wrapped with plastic and in good shape, we were able to get more for the items. For this one I believe it was around $600.”
Not only was this Santa Ana’s most successful charity auction to date, but also for any A-1 Self Storage facility. The proceeds from the auction will be distributed between three charities: Serving Hands International, Kure It Cancer Research, and the SSAF Scholarship Program.
Serving Hands International partners with local, on-the-ground organizations to improve the lives of people living in extreme poverty. Some examples of programs that the charity facilitates include food distribution, portable buildings, and medical aid. Kure It Cancer Research provides grants for kidney and other underfunded cancer research. The money helps researchers explore innovative research projects. The SSAF Scholarship Program awards students in need who have roots in the self storage industry. Since their beginning the SSAF has awarded over $410,00 to 173 students.
David says that he loves being able to help the customers at his facility while also helping out the partnered charities. This mission of giving back to the community is something that David says is not easy to find at just any company. “Even then I believe that there is more that they do that we don’t hear about. So at least hearing about some of the good things we do, it’s a good thing. It makes me feel good,” David said.
Congratulations to the Santa Ana facility team for their fantastic charity storage auction and donation! The success of this auction is truly inspiring, and we know it will not be the last. That being said, If you think that offering your unit up for a charity storage auction is right for you, contact your facilities manager to find out more on the process and how to get started!
