ATLANTA, Dec. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Aaron's
Company, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a leading omnichannel provider of
lease-purchase solutions, announced a donation of $10,000 to the Westside Future Fund, an
initiative that aligns the efforts of the public and private sector
to provide affordable housing in one of Atlanta's most impoverished communities. The
donation comes amidst a new push by the Westside Future Fund to
raise $500,000 by the end of 2020 to
help alleviate additional hardship caused by the coronavirus
pandemic, specifically food insecurity.
"Access to affordable housing is one of the most important needs
in our city, especially for those struggling to make ends meet in
and around the Historic Westside community," said Douglas Lindsay, Chief Executive Officer of
Aaron's. "The negative economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
have heightened the needs of vulnerable populations, and the
Westside Future Fund is a critical tool to help level the playing
field for these individuals."
Specifically targeting the neighborhoods of English Avenue, Vine
City, Ashview Heights and the Atlanta University Center, the
Westside Future Fund is addressing the urgent need coming as 52% of
residents currently live below the poverty line and 40% of all
housing is vacant. In addition to Aaron's, the campaign has brought
together leaders from Georgia State
University, Jackson Spalding,
Ernst & Young, The Coca-Cola Company, Ameris Bank and more.
The contribution from Aaron's Foundation, Inc. was facilitated
by Aaron's Black Leadership Exchange (ABLE), an internal committee
formed in 2019 to exchange information and ideas that create a path
for personal and professional development of Black team members,
while strengthening connections with customers and others in the
community. ABLE is guided by three core principles: fostering
self-improvement, developing those around them and building their
communities.
"ABLE has created a tangible way for our Black team members to
come together in support of essential causes that are impacting our
people and our community," said Chris
Cottrell, President of ABLE. "By identifying this
opportunity to unify both our Black employees and advocates from
other racial backgrounds, we can affect meaningful change that
lifts our entire organization."
About Aaron's
Headquartered in Atlanta, The
Aaron's Company, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), is a leading omnichannel
provider of lease-purchase solutions. Aaron's engages in the sales
and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer
electronics, home appliances and accessories through its
approximately 1,400 company-operated and franchised stores in 47
states and Canada as well as its e-commerce platform,
Aarons.com. For more information, visit investor.aarons.com or
Aarons.com.
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SOURCE The Aaron's Company, Inc.