ATLANTA, Nov. 23, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Aaron's, Inc.
(NYSE: AAN), a leader in the sales and lease ownership and
specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home
appliances and accessories, provided home furnishings for three
surprise home presentations this month as part of Homes for the
Holidays (HFTH) programs sponsored by former NFL stars Warrick Dunn and Kurt
Warner.
The presentations in Newark and
Atlanta were the 150th and 151st,
respectively, since the 2002 founding of Warrick Dunn Charities
(WDC) by the former pro running back. In partnership with Aaron's
and Habitat for Humanity affiliates, WDC has rewarded 151 single
parents – plus their 400 children and dependents – with the
American Dream of first-time homeownership through down payment
assistance in 15 cities across the nation.
In Phoenix, a partnership of
Aaron's, Habitat for Humanity and retired NFL quarterback
Kurt Warner, his wife Brenda, and
their First Things First Foundation (FTFF), presented a home to a
single mother of three. The family was the 41st nationwide – and
19th in Arizona – to be surprised
by FTFF's "Homes for the Holidays" program.
"We are thrilled to join Warrick Dunn Charities, First Things
First Foundation and Habitat for Humanity in celebrating these
newest additions to a heartwarming program that provides single
parents with a safe, comfortable home for them and their children,"
said John Robinson, CEO of Aaron's,
Inc. "For 61 years, Aaron's has focused on supporting our
communities, and we're happy to continue that tradition by
providing these families with furnishings they can enjoy this
holiday season and for years to come."
The 150th home by WDC went to Newark resident Beatrice McKay, a Liberian refugee and mother of
two. Aaron's surprised McKay and her family by providing furniture
and electronics for her master bedroom, two children's bedrooms,
living room and dining room. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and his wife, Jane, also
contributed to the surprise home and personally assisted in
decorating the home and attended the unveiling.
A week later in the Atlanta
suburb of Jonesboro, the 151st
home was presented by WDC to Rickita
Burney, a single mother of two. Burney overcame a bitter
divorce, multiple home break-ins, financial stresses, and living in
cramped quarters with her mother to complete Habitat for Humanity
requirements to receive a new home and interest-free mortgage.
"Helping Rickita and Beatrice accomplish their American Dream is
what makes Homes for the Holidays so rewarding," said Dunn. "Nobody
deserves this more than they do, as each of them has overcome
numerous obstacles to achieve this goal."
Warrick Dunn Charities provides hope and healing to communities
through innovative programming inspired by Dunn's life journey. The
Homes for the Holidays program assists single parents in becoming
first-time homeowners by providing the materials necessary for
long-term stability and the provisions required to ensure both
parent and children can thrive educationally, socially and
economically. The recipients receive $5,000 in down payment assistance as well as home
furnishings, appliances, food, and other support for financial
stability and security.
The Phoenix home was presented
by Aaron's, FTFF and Habitat for Humanity to Amanaranta Robles, a
single mom who works hard to provide for her three children. They
were most recently living in Amanaranta's mother's three-bedroom,
one-bathroom house along with her sister's family.
First Things First Foundation was founded in 2001 and is
dedicated to impacting lives by promoting Christian values, sharing
experiences and providing opportunities to encourage everyone that
all things are possible when people to seek to put "first things
first." Unbeknownst to the Robles family, their new home was fully
furnished, including all the furniture, washer and dryer, and a
computer with an approximate total retail value of $10,000 thanks to Aaron's.
"I'm overjoyed we're able to help Amanaranta and her children
feel at home in a place of their own," said Warner. "By doing this,
we not only reward Amanaranta for achieving the dream of home
ownership, but also give her children a springboard for their
future and empower them to achieve their dreams."
About Aaron's, Inc.
Headquartered in Atlanta,
Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN) is a leader in the sales and lease
ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer
electronics, home appliances and accessories, and currently has
more than 1,930 Company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states
and Canada. Progressive Leasing, a
leading virtual lease-to-own company, provides lease-purchase
solutions through approximately 16,000 retail locations in 46
states. Dent-A-Med, Inc., d/b/a the HELPcard®, provides a variety
of second-look credit products that are originated through a
federally insured bank. Aaron's was founded in 1955, has been
publicly traded since 1982 and owns the Aarons.com,
ProgLeasing.com, and HELPcard.com brands. For more information,
visit www.aarons.com.
About Warrick Dunn Charities
Warrick Dunn Charities, Inc. provides hope and healing to
communities through innovative programming inspired by our
Founder's life journey. Since 1997, the Homes for the Holidays
program has helped 150 single-parents and 405 children and
dependents achieve first-time home ownership. Serving single-parent
families nationwide, WDC and its partners have helped single
parents to combat poverty and hunger and ensure families have basic
necessities and comfortable surroundings in order to improve their
quality of life. For more information, visit www.wdc.org.
About the Kurt Warner First Things First Foundation
Established in 2001, the Kurt Warner First Things First
Foundation is a 501(c)3 public charity serving as a vehicle for
Kurt and Brenda Warner to reach out
to the community and share their blessings with those in
need. The First Things First Foundation is dedicated to
impacting lives by promoting Christian values, sharing experiences
and providing opportunities to encourage everyone that all things
are possible when people to seek to put "first things first."
Additional information is available at www.kurtwarner.org.
About Habitat for Humanity Newark
Habitat for Humanity Newark is a nonprofit organization
dedicated to providing affordable housing to working families.
Since 1986, individual volunteers, corporations, and faith-based
and civic organizations have worked in partnership with qualified
homebuyers to construct affordable, green, quality homes, which are
then purchased through no-interest mortgages. Habitat Newark has benefitted more than 100 families
in the Newark and Essex County area. For more information, visit
http://www.habitatnewark.org.
About Habitat of Humanity Central Arizona
Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona (HFHCAZ) is a non-profit
501(c)(3) organization that builds, renovates and repairs homes in
partnership with families in need. Serving Arizona since
1985, HFHCAZ (an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International)
is an independent, locally-run nonprofit organization which helps
local families with low to moderate incomes become homeowners by
building and partnering in the creation of affordable
housing. Services offered include new construction, home
renovations, home repairs, reconstructs, neighborhood
revitalizations, emergency home repairs, and contract services for
public and non-profit industries. HFHCAZ also builds
community partnerships that promote spiritual values and individual
responsibility. The Central Arizona affiliate is one of the largest
and most active of the Habitat affiliates and is responsible for
building and renovating more than 1100 homes. Currently, the
affiliate is active in Maricopa County and Pinal County.
About Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity
Southern Crescent Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit
organization that specializes in building and repairing homes for
low-income families in Clayton,
Henry and Fayette Counties. We build stronger families
and neighborhoods through homeowner education and by partnering
with donors and volunteers to construct attractive, affordable
homes and to repair existing homes. Since 1986, we've partnered
with thousands of volunteers and sponsors to offer a hand up, not a
hand out to hard working low income families. Through expanded
services because of increasing need, we've served more than 150
families in the past 2 years. We serve South Metro Atlanta which
includes Henry, Clayton and Fayette Counties. Southern
Crescent Habitat for Humanity also provides home repair services
for existing homeowners with a focus on the elderly and our
veterans.
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SOURCE Aaron's, Inc.