Association of Progressive Rental Organizations

MRDA Serves the Community in Dexter

Holiday season is upon us, and our friends in the RTO community are warming their hearts by sending in stories of “paying it forward” in their communities. What a great holiday tradition!

Missouri Rental Dealers Association (MRDA) members Bill Wilkerson, Jeremy Phillips and Jerry Pinkley of Show Me Rent to Own, along with Shawn Robey, Melissa Lamar, Scott Houchins, Carolyn Barnett and Robert Lutes from Rent One completed a great community service project in Dexter, Missouri last Thanksgiving week. The MRDA tradition has been gaining momentum for the past four years.

This year the volunteer group partnered with Stoddard County Gospel Mission, a non-profit organization founded in 1990 that strives to help people in time of need. The organization relies entirely on donations and proceeds from a thrift store it manages, with which it feeds approximately 1,000-1,200 people per month. During the holiday season, the mission also puts together special food gift baskets for 1,100 families from its food pantry.

In addition to donating their time to the organization, the group donated a $1,000 MRDA check to the food pantry. According to MRDA, food pantries are usually able to leverage their relationships with food vendors to multiply the value of cash donations up to 21 times when purchasing food for the needy. That’s a lot of holiday gift baskets!

We at APRO wish you all a happy holiday season. Please keep sending us your stories of “paying it forward” in your communities.

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Mike Tissot

Countryside Rentals Inc., dba Rent-2-Own

Mike grew up in the rent-to-own industry under the guidance of his father, former APRO President and RTO legend Darrell Tissot. For nearly 25 years, Mike’s innovative leadership has helped expand the family business to more than 40 stores across Ohio and Kentucky while also shaping the industry as a whole.

He has served as President of the Ohio Rental Dealers Association, an APRO board member and Treasurer, and President and Treasurer of the TRIB Group. His contributions have earned him the APRO President’s Award of Excellence and the title of APRO Rental Dealer of the Year.

Outside of RTO, Mike enjoys time at the lake house or in Orange Beach, Alabama, with his girlfriend, Angela Strong McCool. A passionate Cincinnati Reds fan, he rarely misses a game, whether watching or listening alongside his parents. He also takes every opportunity to visit Arizona, where his daughter is currently attending Arizona State University.