Beyond Self Storage (BSS), which operates 15 facilities in nine states, is hosting a donation drive next month at three Pennsylvania locations to raise money for the Homeless Children’s Education Fund (HCEF), an Allegheny County, Pa., nonprofit. The company’s stores in Mount Lebanon, Robinson Township and Ross Township, which include a drive-through loading zone, will kick off “Drive Thru Change” on Oct. 10. Community members are encouraged to go through the covered area in their vehicles and donate the loose change found in their cars. (Additional cash will be accepted, of course.)
The event will include a live radio broadcast, prizes and player appearances from professional soccer team the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. HCEF representatives will discuss their efforts and how the community can get involved. BSS will also offer a $10 move-in special at all its Pittsburgh locations that day.
The storage operator hopes the event will act as a “super-charged” precursor to HCEF’s “Homeless Children’s Awareness Week,” Oct.13-19, according to a press release. “We wanted to work with a charity based in Pittsburgh, where we could be assured that our efforts would have a direct impact on the community in which we operate,” said Lara Anderson, director of marketing for BSS. “It is our goal to educate our customers on the needs of the youths in the city and show that we are proud to be and committed to being a long-term partner in Allegheny County.”
Founded in 1999, HCEF provides after-school programs, educational mini-grants, field trips, enrichment programs and teen outreach for homeless kids. “We believe that everyone has a responsibility to address the problem of homelessness in their communities, and we couldn’t do the work we do without the support of local business partners like Beyond Self Storage,” said HCEF Executive Director Carlos Carter. “We are excited to partner with organizations who are committed to advancing the education of the education of young people experiencing homelessness.”
BSS is the operating brand for NorthPoint Development, a development, management and leasing firm that’s principally focused on the industrial, multi-family, senior-living and self-storage markets in the Central United States. Based in Riverside, Mo., and founded in 2012, the company plans to expand the BSS brand into three new states this year, and reach more than 40 locations nationwide in 10 markets by 2020, the release stated.
