This is one of a series of stories we are sharing to show what’s inside CubeSmart. You not only get a peek inside our customer’s storage unit, but also a peek inside what is important to them. Thank you to Regina Ashton, a customer of our CubeSmart store in Washington, D.C., for sharing her story with us.
Regina Ashton and her daughter Zoe are new customers at CubeSmart’s Upshur Street store in Washington D.C.
“I’m in transition. We’re moving out of our home and staying in a hotel until we find another place. I got a 10 by 15 and I’m keeping most of our stuff in there for now,” Regina says. “It’s conveniently located, and they’re very helpful. Plus there are lots of buses right here.”
She’s been coming to the store on a daily basis to get what she needs. With late notice from her landlord, she’s had no choice but to accept the situation, and she’s finding the apartment hunt in this desirable neighborhood is taking longer than she’d like.
“I’m a single mother so I have to be very particular. I’m not just going to sign a lease for any old place,” she says.
But Regina is used to handling such challenges. As a child and family services advocate, she works with women in D.C. who have lost or are at risk of losing custody of their children, helping them connect with the supports and services they need to make big life changes and win judges over. She started the job seven years ago and it’s turned out to be her life’s calling. She remembers the day she was doing an intake and she burst into tears, knowing how profound her impact could be.
“You have to have empathy. You have to have compassion. You have to let people know that we’re more alike than different,” she says. “I’m a single mom, too. I’ve been through a lot of what they’ve been through and I become what they need me to be—I give them a shoulder to cry on, or a hug. I help them sign up for mental health services, get them Medicaid, teach them to clean, to cook. I’ll go to court with them, or pick up their kids.”
Regina’s dream is to someday open up her own nonprofit to better assist women in crisis situations. Experience, she says, is the best teacher, and she wants to continue to inspire, motivate, encourage other women to push through the barriers they face. She’s proud to set an example for her daughter, to show her what giving looks like.
“Seeing people change, really change, is so rewarding. It’s not easy for me either, but I get my strength from the Lord. This is my purpose. I have a passion for helping people.”
We’d love to hear how self storage has positively impacted your life. Share your #HumansofSelfStorage story in the comments.
