Aaron's furnishes new home for needy family

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, November 8, 2012

Baltimore single mom Cleo Williams and her children are joined on the steps of their new home by former NFL player Warrick Dunn, members of the Homes for the Holidays program, and representatives of Aaron’s, which furnished the home.

BALTIMORE — Aaron's has provided the home furnishings for a house that was presented to single mom Cleo Williams and her six children here as part of the Warrick Dunn Charities Homes for the Holidays program.

Aaron's, the Atlanta-based rent-to-own retailer, made the contributions via ACORP, the Aaron's Community Outreach Program, which supports neighborhoods and communities around the country in cities where Aaron's stores are located. Among the donated items were living and dining room sets and bedroom furniture.

Homes for the Holidays aids single parents in need by providing the materials necessary for long-term stability and to ensure that parents and children can thrive educationally, socially and economically. To date, the program has assisted 118 single parents and 317 dependents in Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Baton Rouge, La., and Tallahassee and Tampa, Fla.

Aaron's has been a longtime supporter of Warrick Dunn Charities initiatives and began contributing furnishings for the Homes for the Holidays program in 2003. Dunn is a former NFL player and a current minority owner of pro football's Atlanta Falcons.

"It's so beautiful," Williams said of her family's new home. "The house, the furniture, it's the total package. The kids are thrilled with their rooms, and we're all just so thankful to everyone involved for this wonderful surprise."

Brock Roberts, Aaron's vice president of northeastern operations, added, "Through the ACORP program, it is vital for Aaron's to acknowledge the communities who support us and, in turn, support them through initiatives like the Homes for the Holidays program, which was able to make this Thanksgiving a very special holiday for the Williams family. Aaron's strongly believes in giving back to our customers, especially during difficult economic times.

"In the midst of all the fallout from Sandy, it's uplifting to be a part of the process that is changing at least one East Coast family's life for the better."