U-Haul is Offering 30 Days of Free Storage and U-Box Portable Storage to Central Texas Wildfire Victims

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The U-Haul Company of Austin is offering 30 days of free storage and U-Box Portable Storage to Texas residents whose homes have been damaged by these wildfires, or those still needing to move their belongings away from areas being affected at this time. With U-Box Portable Storage, you pick up or we deliver the U-Boxes, you fill them up and we store them in our secure warehouse or deliver them to a location of your choice.

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In addition to the 30-days-free self-storage assistance being offered, U-Haul locations throughout central Texas also will be collecting donations of new personal-hygiene items, along with new and gently used household goods, furniture and clothing for Texas residents whose homes have been destroyed.

Also, people who need boxes can take advantage of the U-Haul Take a Box, Leave a Box Program. The program enables customers to return their reusable boxes and allows others to take them as needed – FREE. U-Haul encourages anyone who has any type of reusable box to drop it off at the nearest U-Haul location and allow another family to reuse the box, free of charge, instead of throwing the reusable box into the recycling bin.

Families needing more information about the 30-days-free self-storage assistance program or residents who have items to donate should contact the following regional office:

U-Haul Company of Austin
12611 Research Blvd.
Austin, TX 78759
(512) 331-7777

"With more than 1,000 homes destroyed within the last several days, these wildfires have caused critical damage, and are continuing to spread throughout the communities we serve," stated Wayne Towle, president, U-Haul Company of Austin. "I hope this effort will provide assistance to families that need a helping hand.  We will continue to help our friends and neighbors in this time of need."

About U-Haul

Since 1945, U-Haul has been the choice for the do-it-yourself mover, with a network of more than 16,300 locations in all 50 States and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul customers' patronage has enabled the Company to maintain the largest rental fleet in the do-it-yourself moving industry with approximately 104,000 trucks, 80,000 trailers and 36,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers more than 406,000 rooms and 36 million square feet of storage space at nearly 1,100 owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the consumer's number one choice as the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. The Company supplies alternative-fuel for vehicles and backyard barbecues as one of the nation's largest retailers of propane.

U-Haul was founded by a Navy veteran who grew up during the Great Depression. Tires and gas were still rationed or in short supply during the late 1940s when U-Haul began serving U.S. customers. Today, that background is central to the U-Haul Sustainability Program: "Serving the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."  Our commitment to reduce, reuse and recycle includes fuel-efficient moving vans, neighborhood proximity, moving box reuse, moving pads made from discarded material and packing peanuts that are 100% biodegradable.  Learn more about these facts and others at uhaul.com/sustainability.

Contact:
Joanne Fried
Ashleigh Wagner
U-Haul Public Relations
(602) 263-6194
[email protected]

SOURCE U-Haul