Louis and Phyllis Friedman of Stack & Store Mini Storage sponsored a reading room at a middle school in Maryland.

Students at Southampton Middle School in Bel Air can now relax and read in a jungle-themed room located near the schools media center. The room includes chairs, bookshelves and lamps to encourage students to read.

The Ben Carson Reading Room is named for Johns Hopkins pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin Carson, who along with his wife, Candy, created the Carson Scholars Fund in 1994. One of the initiatives is to fund nurturing reading environments for children.

Southampton Middle School is the eighth Harford County public school to receive a Ben Carson Reading Room. The Friedmans have sponsored nine rooms. There are currently 58 Ben Carson Reading Rooms in seven states.

Stack & Store Mini Storage is a family-owned and operated business with more than 25 years in the self-storage industry. In addition to sponsoring the Ben Carson Reading Rooms, the self-storage owners also sponsor the Harford County Boys and Girl Club, the Bel Air, Emmorton and Edgewood Little Leagues, and the Havre de Grace Activity Center.

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