U-Haul is offering college students free storage during coronavirus outbreak
As the coronavirus prompts colleges and universities to shut down their campuses, U-Haul is offering free storage to college students who need to abruptly move out of their dorms or rental units.
The moving and storage company announced this week that it will extend 30 days of free self-storage to new customers with college IDs, depending on availability.
“We don’t know how every student is affected,” said U-Haul president Jonathan Taylor in a statement. “But we know they are affected.”
“More and more universities are giving instructions to leave campus and go home,” Taylor continued. “Students and their parents are in need of moving and storage solutions. We have the expertise and network to help, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
With the uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases being reported, colleges across the country are canceling their study abroad programs, switching to online courses and asking students to leave campus. The closures have left some students scrambling to find housing and storage.
U-Haul has a tradition of offering a free month of storage to those in disaster areas, but this is the first time the company has extended the free storage offer nationwide. Affected students can find a location nearest to them by visiting uhaul.com/storage.
As of March 17, the coronavirus has caused 100 deaths in the United States, according to The Washington Post.
As the global pandemic reshapes American life, many companies and individuals are stepping up to help meet unique demands — from a luxury perfumer and distilleries making hand sanitizers to a children’s book author who is hosting daily “lunch doodles” as schools are closed.
Several companies are offering free classes online to help children learn while school is shut down. Also, many tech companies are offering free work-from-home tools during the coronavirus outbreak.
Disneyland announced it will donate its extra food to food banks amid its closure, and even some celebrities are extending a helping hand during these uncertain times, like Steph and Ayesha Curry, who are vowing to supply one million meals to kids affected by school shutdowns.
It’s great to see all of these companies — and individuals — stepping up to help out during this global pandemic.