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 Maria, customer of our CubeSmart store in Philadelphia, for sharing her story with us.
As the Philadelphia marketing manager for State Farm Insurance, Maria Faust runs some 75 events a year in the regional market. This day, however, she’s gathering supplies from her CubeSmart storage units at 501 Callowhill Street for a special one.
“Today is a Neighborhood of Good event. We’re going to 30th Street Station and asking passersby to volunteer for a few minutes assembling supplies such as shampoo and conditioner and stuffing them into tube socks, which will later be donated to a local nonprofit called S.P.E.A.K.,” she says.
Maria is expecting 45 students from local schools to participate in the day’s activities and plans to engage with another 50 or 60 people in the crowd. S.P.E.A.K., which stands for Staying Positive Equals Amazing Kids, offers educational opportunities that encourage youth to become responsible, productive citizens, such as anti-bullying initiatives, career shadowing, cooking classes and more.
On an average week, Maria and her team visit the facility two or three times to stock up on needed items such as tents, six- and eight-foot tables, t-shirts, cinch bags, sunglasses and decorative items. For their largely mobile business, the CubeSmart office serves as a hub.
“My partner lives 45 minutes away in one direction, and I live an hour and 15 minutes away in the other,” Maria says. “This is our meeting point. We use the chairs and drink the coffee here and convene when we need to. I sometimes show up at 9:45 at night, so it’s important to me that it’s safe and clean.”
Though many of her events involve giving out freebies to help promote the company and create brand awareness, Faust especially enjoys days like this one where she feels she can have a greater impact.
“I get the credit because I’m the one there, but it’s not actually me that’s doing the giving. Still, it’s lovely to see how happy people are and know that what we’re doing can help.”
We’d love to hear how self storage has positively impacted your life. Share your #HumansofSelfStorage story in the comments.
