East Cherokee Storage in Woodstock, Ga., in cooperation with its facility-management company, Absolute Storage Management (ASM), is raising money through charity auctions for several local charities. Organizations that have benefited include Operation Smile, the Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services Explorers Post, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s K9 Department, Woodstock Public Safety Foundation’s Shop With a Hero program, the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation and greyhound-rescue group Leaving Tracks. All events take place at the self-storage location, 125 Highland Village Drive.

The self-storage company’s goodwill has led to increased business for the facility, according to facility manager Melissa Emert, who spearheads the fundraising efforts with assistant manager David Moore.

“People actually store with us because they’ve heard about our auctions for charity and how much it means to the people of our community,” Emert said.

East Cherokee Storage promotes and executes the charity auctions in conjunction with regular lien sales at the property. Items are donated by tenants and community members. Contributions have included pianos, desks, chairs and even a 100-year-old butcher’s block, Emert said. “We usually raise a couple of hundred dollars for a charity at each auction,” she said.

Items that aren’t sold are donated to local charities that have retail stores including the American Thrift Shop, which supports families in distress, and the National Kidney Foundation.

“We couldn’t be more proud of the effort Melissa and East Cherokee put into these auctions,” said ASM President Michael Haugh. “Not only are they making a big difference in their community, but thanks to their generosity they also stand out from other self-storage facilities in their area.”

Founded in 2002, ASM is a provider of third-party management services in the Southeast. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., the company operates more than 75 properties in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.