It is often thanks to the kindness of strangers that many people get past difficult situations in life. And those in the power to help in a direct way, sometimes self storage operators and owners, are thankfully often among the first to act. One such person was Detroit, Mich., businessman Glenn Wash who owns Schaefer Lyndon Self Storage and reached out to help a man who faces losing his home.
Thomas Warren has lived at the property near I-96 and Greenfield since 2006, taking care of his mother who owned the home and died of brain cancer in 2009. Unable to pay his mortgage owned by Fannie Mae, Warren faces getting thrown out of the 73-year-old house. If not for the help of strangers who have donated money and Wash who has donated a moving van and storage space, Warren would likely wind up at a homeless shelter. Not a good statistic for Detroit which has about 20,000 homeless people and about 70,000 vacant homes.
People have donated about $2,800 to Warren who has opened up his first bank account and is pursuing a part-time job at a landscaping company. As movers emptied most of his house on Thursday, all that is left inside the three-bedroom, brick house is a stove, refrigerator and a couch to sleep on.
Warren said he is overwhelmed by the kindness people have shown: “It’s truly been a blessing,’’ Warren told the Detroit Free Press. “With the help of God and so many beautiful people, something good is going to happen.”
In related news, Americans apparently aren’t the only ones ready to reach out and offer help. A family living on the far Northeast Side of London, England, is receiving 18 free boxes and free use of a storage unit after their home was waterlogged and smoke-damaged from a fire. The home will be uninhabitable for six months while the cleanup and remodeling is underway. That means there’s a need for self storage and the Big Yellow facility located in Gants Hill has stepped up to help Tarek Elalfi and his family. Big Yellow Self Storage has 61 facilities in the United Kingdom, with most concentrated in Greater London.
According to reports, Store manager Ibrahim Khan said: "We always like to give to charities and help out the community in times of need. When we saw the story we wanted to do our bit and offered the boxes and storage space. This was a very sad and shocking incident, and we hope this small gesture will help Tarek and his family through a difficult time.”
Sources Used:
Gerritt, Jeff. “Grateful For Help, Warren Still Safe at Home.” Detroit Free Press. May 15, 2011.
Weatherup, Mark. “Storage Company Gives Space to Burnt-Out Gants Hill Family.” London24.com. May 15, 2011.
“Big Yellow Self Storage Donates Unit, Boxes to Family in Need.” Inside Self-Storage. May 17, 2011.