Aaron's and Warrick Dunn Charities Surprise 100th "Homes for the Holidays" Single-Parent with House Full of Furniture

ATLANTA, Sept. 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a lease-to-own retailer specializing in the sales and lease ownership of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, in a surprise unveiling Tuesday, filled the home presented to single mom Kimberly Lofton and her daughters with furniture including three bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, a TV and computer, and a fully-stocked pantry as part of Warrick Dunn Charities (WDC) Homes for the Holidays program.  In addition, Aaron's provided Ms. Lofton with $5,000 down-payment assistance to Atlanta Habitat for Humanity which will greatly lower her monthly mortgage payments.  The Lofton home marks the 100^th home that Aaron's has filled with furniture in partnership with Warrick Dunn Charities "Homes for the Holidays" program.

Homes for the Holidays assists single parents becoming first-time homeowners by providing the materials necessary for long-term stability and the provisions required to ensure that both parent and children can thrive educationally, socially and economically. To date, in partnership with Aaron's, Inc. and Habitat for Humanity affiliates, WDC and its sponsors have rewarded 138 single parents and 380 children and dependents across the nation for achieving the American Dream of first-time homeownership in Atlanta, Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Dallas, Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Tampa. Aaron's has been a longtime supporter of Warrick Dunn Charities initiatives and began contributing the furnishings for the Homes for the Holidays program in 2003.

Gil Danielson, Aaron's interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, said, "Aaron's believes in supporting our communities and helping enrich people's lives and we've been focused on that mission for nearly 60 years.  We're proud to partner with Warrick Dunn Charities' Homes for the Holidays on our 100^th Home Presentation to provide single parents like Ms. Lofton a place of stability for their children that they can call home. As we commemorate Labor Day, we congratulate Ms. Lofton for all of the hard work and many hours she contributed to building her own home."

"Over the past 11 years, we've been fortunate to partner with Aaron's to fill 100 homes of single parents with furniture and electronics as we help these families create their own path to financial freedom and stability in communities across the U.S.," said Warrick Dunn, Founder of Warrick Dunn Charities.  "My mom, who worked hard as a police officer to provide for her six children, lost her life protecting our Baton Rouge community when I was a teen.  It was her dream of home ownership that inspired me to create this program and it's priceless to see the look of joy on these single parents and their families' faces when they step into their new fully-furnished and stocked home and their dream becomes a reality."

The family was joined by Gil Danielson, Aaron's interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, Steve Michaels, President of Aaron's, Jim Cates, President of Aaron's Foundation, Inc., Michael P. Ryan, Senior Vice President of Operations of Aaron's, Lisa Chester, Interim Executive Director, Warrick Dunn Charities, Allen Rossum, the former NFL cornerback/return specialist who played alongside Warrick Dunn with the Atlanta Falcons, Larrie Del Martin, President and CEO, Atlanta Habitat for Humanity and Melinda Kelleher, Vice President of Resource Development, Habitat for Humanity.

The contributions by Aaron's were made on behalf of ACORP, Aaron's Community Outreach Program, which supports neighborhoods and communities across the country in which Aaron's stores are located. Warrick Dunn Charities, based in Atlanta, partnered with Atlanta Habitat for Humanity to choose a single-family home with proven progress and financial stability.

About Aaron's, Inc.
Aaron's, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, currently offers its services through more than 2,100 Company-operated and franchised stores in 48 states and Canada. Aaron's was founded in 1955, is headquartered in Atlanta and has been publicly traded since 1982. For more information, visit www.aarons.com.  Aaron's, Inc. includes the Aarons.com, ShopHomeSmart.com and ProgFinance.com brands. Progressive Finance, a wholly-owned subsidiary and leading virtual lease-to-own company, provides lease-purchase solutions through over 15,000 retail locations in 46 states.

About Warrick Dunn Charities
Warrick Dunn Charities 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 rewarded 138 single parents and 380 children and dependents that have achieved first-time homeownership in Atlanta, GA, Baltimore, MD, Baton Rouge, LA, Dallas, TX, Jacksonville, FL, Tallahassee and Tampa, FL Serving single-parent families nationwide, WDC and its partners have combatted poverty, hunger and ensure families have basic necessities and comfortable surroundings to improve their quality of life. Betty's Hope, a mobile children's bereavement program provides students aged 5-18 with a safe and responsive environment for them to heal and enhance their quality of life after experiencing a loss.  For more information, visit www.wdc.org.

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SOURCE Aaron's, Inc.