Rent-to-own News - Rent-A-Center commits $250,000 to National Hunger Relief Program

In challenging economic times when many companies are reducing or curtailing community service initiatives, Rent-A-Center (RAC) is donating $250,000 to food banks across the country in September, national Hunger Action Month. This is part of the national Rent-A-Center Soup to Nuts campaign, designed to help food pantries across the nation continue to meet the increasing demand for their services.

Regional food banks receiving $20,000 donations are located in major cities including Atlanta, Lexington, Ky., Kansas City, Mo., Pittsburgh, Shoreline, Wash., (near Seattle), Phoenix, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C. The North Texas Food Bank, located near Rent-A-Center headquarters, received $50,000.

Also during the RAC Soup to Nuts campaign, all 3,000 stores will act as collection points for cans of soup, jars of peanut butter and other canned goods to help local food relief partners such as senior centers, homeless shelters, daycare centers and/or churches.

Food insecurity is defined as a family being uncertain of having, or being unable to acquire, enough food for all household members because they have insufficient money and other resources for food.

According to the latest available statistics from the USDA, 49.1 million people live in food-insecure households, including 16.7 million children. Some other staggering statistics include:

    •    98% have worried that their food would run out before they got money to buy more.
    •    96% report that the food they bought just did not last and they did not have money to get more.
    •    97% say an adult cut the size of meals or skipped meals because there was not enough money for food.
    •    66% of respondents report that they had been hungry but did not eat because they could not afford enough food.

"In the midst of this economic downturn, it is critical that we continue our commitment to supporting the communities where our co-workers and customers live through the outstanding work of food banks," said Mitch Fadel, president and COO of Rent-A-Center. "This effort enables our co-workers to be engaged in a meaningful and important way in supporting our neighbors and our community."

Through national and local partnerships, hunger relief has been an area of involvement for Rent-A-Center since 2002.