By Alex Hassel, Storage.com
A couple in Port Arthur, Texas, is using self storage as a means of helping flood victims in the area. Angel Kreie and her husband, Mark, both property managers at Scotty’s American Mini Storage in Port Arthur, are collecting non-perishable foods, bottled water, clothing, household items, and more.
It was back in March that record-high floodwaters swamped parts of Louisiana and Texas. Five people died in the region. In Texas, conditions for communities along the Sabine River, like those near Port Arthur, were particularly bad. A month later, these areas are still recovering. Angel and her husband have seen many victims seeking refuge for their belongings at Scotty’s. The stories have struck a chord with Angel.
“We’ve been out here and have seen everything that happened,” she says. “It touches base with you seeing the emergency evacuations, seeing people using storage here, and hearing from all of these families. We’ve been counting our blessings. We’ve also wanted to reach out and help people. We have extra space. We’re close to the highway. We thought we should give back to the community.”
The Kreies have been working to fill a 10×10 storage unit with disaster supplies donated from the community. The items will go to help flood victims and Food Bank of Southeast Texas. The drive ends on May 31, 2016, but if the 10×10 unit fills up first, Angel says they’ll start filling another one.
“I have to stop and think about how grateful I am for what I have and that I’m in a position to help someone out and give them a hand up. The gentleman who owns Scotty’s really wanted to help everyone, too. I’m glad to work for an organization that isn’t just worried about money, but also wants to help people,” says Angel
The facility is having a grand re-opening event on April 22, 2016 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to celebrate the change of ownership and renovations it’s had in the last year. The business will host an auction, as well as vendors, food, and family activities. Angel says this will be a great venue to boost the collection drive.
“You’ll never know when it might be you. I welcome everyone to come out and show us how you can help, too,” she says.
Scotty’s Storage is located at 8989 Memorial Blvd. in Port Arthur. Donations can be collected during office hours: between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Alex Hassel is News Reporter for Storage.com. If you’d like to pitch Alex a self storage industry news story, email alex.hassel@storage.com or call 402-779-7328.
