SALT LAKE CITY, April 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --
Responding to the urgent and growing needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Extra Space Storage has found two ways to help: donating masks held in storage for emergencies and offering free storage to hospitals and first responders.
First, employees in hurricane prone areas noted that their hurricane emergency response kits included N95 masks. Lead by employees, hundreds of stores banded together and donated their extra masks – over 10,000 in total – to hospitals in need.
"A few store employees raised the question about us donating emergency masks," said Chief Legal Officer and Head of People Gwyn McNeal. "One of our guiding principles is to 'Do the Right Thing.' This one is clear and simple – we'll be donating masks and we'll restock the hurricane kits when supplies aren't in high demand."
Additionally, the company has decided to offer two months of free storage for new rentals to hospitals, hospital employees and first responders. Any of Extra Space Storage's 1,800 locations across the country will be offering storage space to help.
"When a hospital in New York City reached out to one of our stores about the cost of renting a unit to store less critical hospital equipment to make room for COVID-19 patients, it was clear we could help," said McNeal. "We're hoping by offering two months of free storage to first responders, we'll be taking one concern off their plate, so they can focus on what matters most – caring for COVID-19 patients."
Currently, Extra Space Storage locations across the country are operating without physical contact between customers and store managers. Business is being conducted through a "no contact" lease process, operating with office doors shut and rental agreements processing online. This allows storage to continue to be used by those in need without creating additional exposure risk.
"We talk about our company values often, and during times like these our values give us much needed direction," said McNeal. "We hope these donations provide some relief to health care professionals in our communities during this time."
Extra Space Storage Inc., headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a self-administered and self-managed REIT and a member of the S&P 500. As of December 31, 2019, the company owned and/or operated 1,817 self-storage properties, which comprise approximately 1.3 million units and approximately 140 million square feet of rentable space. Extra Space Storage offers customers a wide selection of conveniently located and secure storage units across the country, including boat storage, RV storage and business storage. The company is the second largest owner and/or operator of self-storage stores in the United States and is the largest self-storage management company in the United States. For more information visit extraspace.com.
Medica Contact: McKall Morris, info@extraspace.com
SOURCE Extra Space Storage Inc.
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