There are partnerships, and there are PARTNERSHIPS.
And CubeSmart
® in Shirlington, VA + Kindness Activist = a
PARTNERSHIP.
From the first contact
back in Autumn 2021, CubeSmart® has been gracious and supportive of Kindness
Activist, a grassroots South Arlington, Virginia based non-profit organization. And the tremendous response from the
nationwide storage company is fitting, really.
You see, Kindness
Activist’s sole purpose is to SPREAD KINDNESS.
They spread kindness, then share the stories about it. The belief is that by talking openly about
kindness, “kindness ripples” are spread, each ripple inspiring readers to go
out into the world and be kind.
But Kindness Activist is
usually on the giving end of kindness.
So, when CubeSmart® was generous enough to donate a storage unit,
well, that was amazing!
The organization’s main
source of income is the annual “Kindness Fundraising Yard Sale”, a huge event
that many in the community look forward to.
How it works: neighbors donate
items, and anything and everything shows up: tools, puzzles, toys, children’s books,
clothing, shoes, kitchen equipment of all types, linens, arts and craft
supplies, sporting goods – you name it! Shoppers
find treasures at the Kindness Fundraiser Yard Sale!!
Then, on the sale scheduled
days, shoppers descend. People from all
around the community – speaking many languages, of all ages and all abilities –
come to shop! Only, at this sale,
shoppers are not here to score a bargain.
They are here to donate however much they decide to support kindness. Because the money that they give for items
all goes to the organization and is then used to spread kindness in the
world.
But you see, the problem
always lies between the COLLECTION DATES and the SALE DATES… Susan Thompson-Gaines, the founder of
Kindness Activist, resides in South Arlington, Virginia. Over the years the sales got bigger, and her
porch and basement got fuller… I mean, there
are only so many boxes that can be stored in a residential home and on a porch…
So, a volunteer reached
out to CubeSmart® to see if they could help out.
And help out they
did!! Once they heard about the mission,
CubeSmart® was
100% on-board. They donated the use of a
storage unit for Kindness Activist, and when that one was full, a month before
the next scheduled fundraiser, they donated a 2nd unit!
And let’s be clear here –
those storage units have been life savers to Kindness Activist. Instead of collecting donations in the week
before the sales as had to be the case prior to CubeSmart’s offering, neighbors
can now donate year-round. This allows
two things to happen: more money flows
into the organization with the yard sales, and more kindness is able to be
spread.
Thompson-Gaines can’t say
enough good things about CubeSmart’s storage facility. “It is great!
It’s clean, safe, and welcoming.
The staff are incredible and supportive.
CubeSmart® has
made a huge difference to Kindness Activist, and we are grateful!”.
If you ever want to see a
perfectly packed storage unit, just ask Susan.
Volunteers sorted and boxed donations, then applied their master
“Tetris” skills to fill the storage unit. “You might be able to fit a couple of pieces
of paper in there between the boxes, but that would be all,” Thompson-Gaines
says with a smile. “But just wait until
September when the next Kindness Fundraiser Yard Sale happens! Those boxes are full of amazing items, items
shoppers will be excited to find. Thank
you, CubeSmart®. Your partnership has allowed Kindness Activist
to flourish. I refer customers to you
all the time, because I know you will treat them well and their things will be
stored with peace of mind.”
To learn more about
Kindness Activist, check out the website at www.TheKindnessActivist.org and follow us on Facebook (Kindness Activist).
