by Tony Gonzalez
July 21, 2011 5:35 PM
Kids around the country are busy sleeping in, playing video games, riding bikes, hanging out with friends; basically, doing whatever they please (as long as Mom and Dad don’t mind). One thing that a number of them probably don’t want to face right about now is something they have no control over and will come whether they like it or not—school.
Many families are probably already making preparations for the children to go back to school. Some families are not. For some of them it is by choice be it procrastination or because they simply don’t feel like it, but for others it is because they can’t afford it.
Lots of schools around the country now require kids to wear some kind of uniform to school. For some parents, buying them year in and year out is no easy task. One self storage facility (along with some other local businesses) have decided to do something about that.
National Self Storage in El Paso, Texas, will be participating in the Third Annual School Uniform Swap.
"I love it," said National Self Storage Manager Luisa Langer. "I see all these kids coming in excited and donating their uniforms. I know they're not new, but it's exciting because it's something new to them."
Rather than throw old uniforms out or take them to someplace where people may or may not think to look for school uniforms, they can donate them to the Swap and help families that would otherwise have trouble buying them save a good amount of money.
"It's worthwhile to help the parents that can't afford (it)," Langer said. "I'm a grandma of 11 kids, so I know my daughters sometimes can't afford to buy them uniforms. Then they outgrow them so quick."
National Self Storage is one of three places where people can drop off donations.
It is actually a pretty common thing to find self storage facilities helping out school children in some way. Paso Robles Self Storage in California helps kids out each year with a rummage sale; proceeds go towards furthering student education. Hawaii Self Storage offers scholarships to 12 area graduating seniors each year. A-1 Self Storage in California is actively involved with helping kids get much needed school supplies through Operation Homefront: Back to School Brigade.
Sources Used:
“Strapped For Cash? 3rd Annual 'Uniform Swap' Is Saturday.” KVIA.com; 20 July 2011.
“California Self Storage Company Shows Children Some Love.” Self Storage Industry News; 13 July 2011.
“Self Storage Company Helping Local High School Kids Turn Trash into Scholarships.” Self Storage Industry News; 15 March 2011.
"Hawaii Self Storage Offers 12 College Scholarships.” Self Storage Industry News; 10 January 2010.