Storage King makes space for mental health in Aotearoa

One year ago, Storage King chose to support the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand with its charitable giving. Since then, they’ve surpassed all their sponsorship goals, raising awareness and funds for the mental wellbeing of people across Aotearoa.

For Storage King, the decision wasn't made in a boardroom. It started with a simple question: what cause matters the most to our people?

Giving employees a voice

In 2024, Storage King set out to rethink its approach to charitable giving. Rather than making a top-down decision, the company chose to listen to its employees.

"The buy-in that you get when you listen to your people is huge," says Sharon Dorward, Regional Operations Manager at Storage King.

With a shortlist of 14 charities across Australia and New Zealand, Storage King gave more than 300 employees and contractors the chance to vote on which charity the company should support.

And there was one cause that stood out in both countries: mental health.

Seeing this was strongly valued on both sides of the Tasman, Storage King chose the Mental Health Foundation in New Zealand and Beyond Blue in Australia.

"When you looked at the overall numbers, the percentage of our staff that wanted to support mental health was outstanding. It was clear that this cause matters deeply to our people," says Dorward.

Why mental health matters at Storage King

Dorward was not surprised that mental health was a top priority for Storage King employees. Many of their stores have small teams, with just one or two people working on-site at any given time.

"Our teams are very small. Often you're working on your own, which can mean a lot of time in your own head. You don't always have other people to bounce things off – and that can be mentally challenging,” says Dorward.

Mental health is also a priority because customers tend to use Storage King during periods of major life upheaval. Employees lend a listening ear to customers going through life's toughest moments.

"A lot of our customers come to us when they're not in a good headspace. Their lease has run out, they've had a death in the family, or they're going through a divorce," says Dorward.

“That’s why the mental health cause is so important to us – we want to support both our employees and our customers through life’s tough moments.”

Thinking outside the box

One of the simplest and most effective parts of the sponsorship has been Storage King's fundraising carry boxes.

Available in selected New Zealand stores, the specially branded Large Ezi Carry Cartons direct people to the Mental Health Foundation website, which has tools to support mental wellbeing, and $1 from every box sold is donated to the Mental Health Foundation.

"The box sales were the easiest win for us, because they gave us consistency throughout the year," Sharon says. "The more money we raise through the boxes, the more people can get the help and resources they need," says Dorward.

And the benefits of the branded boxes go beyond fundraising.

"If the boxes are sitting in someone's home while they're packing, and it all feels like it’s too much, there are mental health resources listed right there. If even one person reaches out for help, then it's worth it."

Building a brighter future

Alongside fundraising, Storage King employees have embraced opportunities to engage with mental health initiatives throughout the year. Their teams have enjoyed taking part in the Push Up Challenge, Pink Shirt Day, and Mental Health Awareness Week.

Lachlan Strada, Communications Designer at Storage King, is proud that the team exceeded its original sponsorship commitment to the Mental Health Foundation by $7,438 in its first year.

Looking to the future, he wants to do even more with the sponsorship. "Our team over-delivered on the sponsorship agreement, and I'd love to see us do that again next year.”

"The team gets so much out of the Mental Health Foundation, and we'd love to be able to give back. We want to do more, and raise more, for mental health."

With a smile, Dorward adds, "It's no secret that we're a little bit competitive."