The Social Impact of Donating Space

We love the phrase, "Prosperity for Purpose".  It is reminder that when you are in a position to give or to help someone in your community, you must do what you can and strive to leave people better than you found them.  

A strong connection and commitment to community is woven deep into the fabric of the Secure-Rite Mobile Storage Team.  Our team gives back to the community through donations of time, product, and finances to various initiatives like ending homelessness, working towards an affordable housing solution, minimizing the carbon footprint on the environment, providing experiences and opportunities for students and younger generations to learn applied skills, and creating access to resources or commodities for those in need. 

Being a socially responsible business through advocacy and action is one part of the picture – but what about measuring the impact of your social activities? How do you know you've really helped and made a difference? We've taken a hard look at what it means to give the gift of space, and we hope you'll feel as inspired to help as we do after looking at some results from our community work this year: 

United Way – Southern Interior BC

The United Way of Southern Interior BC serves the communities of the Okanagan, Columbia, Shuswap and Similkameen regions. Each year, over 85,000 residents in this region benefit directly from United Way investments with 73 local charities, which focus on supporting kids, moving people from poverty to possibility and building strong, healthy communities.

BCAA estimates as many as five per cent – roughly 23,000 – of children in British Columbia don’t use an approved child car seat when travelling by car, despite the clear safety advantages to using one. The unfortunate reality is that some kids go unprotected because their family simply cannot afford the expense of a new car seat. 

The Child Safety Initiative is a partnership powered by the Paul Docksteader Foundation, United Way Southern Interior BC, KGH Foundation and Central Okanagan Foundation, which provides new car seats to families in financial need. The car seats are distributed to families throughout the Southern Interior of BC, thanks to a network of community partners who provide social services in these regions. 

A 20' x 8' x 8.5' container allowed the United Way to securely stow a large delivery of 172 children's car seats while they prepared for distribution to 29 local charities throughout the Okanagan.  This campaign was considered a huge success by the organizers!

The Animal Food Bank

Founded in Kelowna by Nicole Wilks, the Animal Food Bank aims to become a national organization promoting the sharing of resources and knowledge, and promoting collaboration between organizations working to feed and shelter the pets of the homeless and no/low income individuals by working together to help change their circumstances. 

Day-to-Day Operations

When the pandemic began, the Animal Food Bank reached out for help as their inventory and current donations continued to grow and started to consume the home office of Nicole Wilks, Founder of the Animal Food Bank.  

An 8' x 8' x 8.5' space in Nicole's driveway allowed her to better organize inventory and incoming donations and reclaim her home office space. In the months to follow, the space would also allow the Animal Food Bank to continue on their quest to keep the community and their pets together and fed. A modest 8' space has enabled the Animal Food Bank to receive and distribute 11,000 lbs. of dry pet food, 3,700 lbs. of wet pet food, and 3,000 lbs. over a 6-month period. This highlights the fact that a small contribution made by any company or individual can have a huge impact in our community!

'Fill The Container' Pet Food Drive

This year, many families have found it difficult to afford pet food, supplies, and vet bills, and with the holidays right around the corner, our community needs all the help it can get for their pets. The Secure-Rite Team partnered with Total Pet (Kelowna) to host a week-long  'Fill The Container' event for the Animal Food Bank, where the aim was to fill a 20' x 8' x 8.5' shipping container to the brim with donations.  

The event was so successful and the container was so full that Nicole Wilks, Founder of the Animal Food Bank and her volunteers could barely walk around inside the container. The team worked diligently over the span of a weekend to unload 2,000+ lbs. of pet food donations; this is enough food to feed the pets of approximately 36 families for a month.  We are so proud and thankful for the generosity of the people in our community!

Alberta Cancer Foundation 

The Alberta Cancer Foundation brings together donors, patients, health care providers and researchers to close the gap between diagnosis and cure, and they are the official fundraising partner for all 17 Cancer Control Alberta cancer centres in Alberta. 

Every day, 53 Albertans hear the words, “you have cancer.” The Alberta Cancer Foundation aims to make life better for Albertans facing cancer by offering three words in return – “we will help.” 

This past summer, the Alberta Cancer Foundation's original goal was to host the Calgary Flames playoff run, but then quickly adapted to a drive-in movie concept when the Flames series came to an early end. Featuring classic movies on a 28ft diagonal LED screen, supported by three 40' stacked shipping containers, the ACF was pleased to host over 600 cars, 1,800+ people during a month-long event, with the help of 20 volunteers and 80 hours of their time, which resulted in over $20,000 raised for Albertans facing cancer. Partner sponsors and donations of resources, money, or time has made it possible for the Alberta Cancer Foundation to support patient access to clinical trials, a patient financial assistance program, and a patient navigator program. 

As a community-driven business, Secure-Rite strives to change the way the world views and uses shipping containers by bringing people and portable space together in creative and meaningful ways.  We are encouraged by the generosity of our community, and we will continue to challenge ourselves and those around us to keep giving.  Find an organization that is helping those in need, or support a cause that is near to your heart! Remember that every bit helps, and even a small donation can yield huge results!