A threat to the fret: ‘Guitar for Kids’ losing instrument storage unit

A non-profit organization that helps children develop a love for music is looking for a new storage space. CTV’s Spencer Turcotte explains.

A non-profit organization in Waterloo Region, called Guitar for Kids, is looking for a new space to store their guitars.

They never had to pay for their current storage unit in Cambridge because of an ongoing charity agreement. That deal has now ended, and the clock is ticking to find a new home. The uncertainty remains a dark cloud hanging over an organization that aims to bring music to children in need across the community.

“I love to see kids learning with guitars and holding their first guitar and the excitement it can generate,” said Brian Gardiner, the treasurer at Guitars for Kids.

That was how the program, which describes itself as a “kindness organization,” got its start.

“We take in donated instruments within the community in any shape, whether they’re playable, unplayable or totally damaged. And we rehabilitate those,” Dan Walsh, the president of Guitars for Kids, explained.

Donations, volunteers and fundraisers have kept the program going since 2014, as has the kindness of others. Franklin Storage was the family-owned business that gave them the storage space for free so they could keep their 80 to 120 instruments, at any given time, safe both before and after repairs.

“We operate with basically no money,” Walsh said. “We’re a rock ‘n’ roll blue box. We’re recyclers.”

Franklin Storage was eventually bought by Mini Mall Storage. Last week, Guitars for Kids received a notice from the new owners that their current arrangement had been terminated.

“Meaning, essentially, we either have to start paying the full storage rates or vacate the premises by Dec. 15,” Walsh said.

“We honoured this complimentary arrangement for four years under our ownership,” a spokesperson for Mini Mall Storage explained in an email to CTV News. “After eight months of not being able to reach them, we issued a letter to them on October 29th to allow room for another charity to have an opportunity to store with us at no cost.”

The company said they eventually spoke with Walsh and Gardiner and arranged a time to discuss the organization’s options, but that meeting never ended up happening. Mini Mall Storage also expressed their “disappointment in this outcome.”

For Guitars for Kids, this is the busiest time of year and paying the regular storage rate was not an option.

“As a treasurer, I think it’s a $2,400-a-year unit. That’s pretty close to what we have in the bank, so that wipes us out,” Gardiner said.

Now, the organization is turning to the community to help save the program from folding.

They have been granted an uncertain extension on the deadline, but time is running out.

“The best way that people can help us now is go to our website,” Walsh explained. “It’s www.guitarsforkids.ca. There’s a contact form. And what we are seeking is basically a 10x10 storage space. And if they want to donate some money to the cause, they can also do that through the website.”

As for the men behind Guitars for Kids, their plan is to leave the current facility in search of more stability. That way, they can go back to being the local guitar heroes they’re meant to be.