Anyone out there have any great holiday stories to share about volunteering in your community?

Let's get this thread going and share the good side of our industry. I know there are a lot of you out there doing so many wonderful things, and we'd all love to hear about what you do and how it impacts your life and perspective.

If you insist, you can share the benefits your efforts have on your business as well.

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Gina 6k
CochraneStorage dot com
Morgan Hill, California
twitter.com/CochraneStorage

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough!
I am not an attorney, just an experienced manager who is willing to share what I have learned. Your thoughts, practices or opinions may vary and neither of us may be right.

I usually take a crew and do thanksgiving and christmas dinner at a soup kitchen nearby. I'm still a working chef. The storage is a side business. Fed 250 last Thanksgiving and 150 at christmas (weather was bad) and promoted free turkeys for folks to take home at Christmas.

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ChefMichael
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J. and M.e. Self Storage

Last year we had a free pumpkin giveaway. We had about 250 pumpkins sitting out all around the store. People just had to come in and sign up for our mailing list and they could have one.

Last December Santa came in (??me??) and had pictures taken with the kids....and sometimes adults!

Wow, I look at a little bit of Santa's face and I feel like I've seen him on YouTube before.

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John Carlisle
Community Manager, Self-Storage Talk
Online Content Editor, Business Solutions Network
VIRGO
jcarlisle at vpico dot com
480-990-1101, x1214

Great start to the thread gang. Great photos Fainer. Chef Michael, that's an awesome thing to do!

Here we have a local restaurant that feeds the hungry on Christmas Day and the rest of us 'community activists' play wait staff to hundreds of people that pass through during the day. Plus Santa and his Elves (Marines included) make sure there are more than enough gifts under the tree for the little ones. It's a good thing.

Come on gang... brag a little and share with us what you all do.

Here's an easy donation to do and you can ask your customers to do the same.

Watch your local market sales fliers; about this time they offer a free or $5 turkey with a $25 purchase. Our staff picks those birds up each time we go to the store then donate them to the food pantry. It's easy and affordable even with pinched wallets, you can make a huge difference.

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Gina 6k
CochraneStorage dot com
Morgan Hill, California
twitter.com/CochraneStorage

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough!
I am not an attorney, just an experienced manager who is willing to share what I have learned. Your thoughts, practices or opinions may vary and neither of us may be right.

Where did you get the pumpkins? Did you have to pay for them? Great idea!

Major

One of the owners also owns a landscaping company. He had some connections and got about 250 of them. That would be a little pricey if you bought them at a grocery store/Walmart. But he got them for a good price wholesale, Im sure.