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Aaron’s, in Partnership With Kurt Warner, Helps Give Arizona Family a Home-y Surprise 

A bearded man and blonde woman sit on a sofa with a brunette woman and two young girls, all smiling.
(L to R) Kurt Warner and his wife Brenda help welcome Amarissa, 10, Breena, 7, and their mom Dina to their new home.

APRO member Aaron’s, LLC recently helped turn a house into a home for a single mother and her family in Surprise, Arizona, continuing its longtime partnership with NFL Hall of Famer Kurt Warner and his First Things Foundation as well as with Habitat for Humanity. 

For the past 23 years, Aaron’s, First Things First, and Habitat have helped deserving families begin their next chapter with fully furnished homes through the Homes for the Holidays program. Homes for the Holidays celebrates single parents who are actively working to help themselves through first-time homeownership by alleviating the additional financial burdens that can come along with a new home. 

While the homes themselves are constructed and financed through Habitat for Humanity, the surprise comes when the families discover the houses are fully furnished and stocked thanks to Aaron’s, with the Foundation also providing down-payment assistance. 

Thoughtful Touches Turn a House into a Home 

This year’s Mother’s Day surprise was put together for Dina, a former foster-care kid who is now the single mom of two girls – Amarissa, 10, and Breena, 7. The trio had been sharing a one-bedroom apartment in a neighborhood where safety was a constant concern. Working with Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona, Dina reached her dream of homeownership, gaining a safe place for her family with an affordable mortgage. 

Aaron’s provided the furnishings to transform the empty house into a welcoming home, including furniture, a washer and dryer, and a laptop –offering the family not only comfort but also tools to thrive. Additionally, the reveal included some meaningful personal touches, such as Dina’s favorite flower – the cheerful sunflower – and themed bedrooms for the girls (ocean life for Amarissa, Hello Kitty for Breena). 

“Through this program, we’re thankful for the power of teamwork and dreams realized,” said Warner. “This could not have been possible without the incredible generosity of Aaron’s.” 

“I’ve walked in similar shoes as Dina,” Brenda Warner noted. “I remember working so hard and just wanting someone to give me a little boost. It’s wonderful that we can do this through Homes for the Holidays.” 

A woman wearing a floral dress with two young girls beside her, stands in front of a front door holding a blue sign shaped like a key that reads Habitat for Humanity Central Arizona | Thank You!
New homeowner Dina (C) accepts her new home, along with her children Breena (L) and Amarissa (R). 
A blue and white framed sign reading “First Things First thanks Aaron’s Rent to Own for 23 years of supporting Homes for the Holidays” sits on a wooden end table beneath a lamp next to a sofa.
Aaron’s has partnered with the Kurt Warner First Things First Foundation for more than 20 years to turn empty houses into homes. 
A blonde woman ushers a brunette woman and two young girls into a home through the front door, as the mother and daughters’ faces express shock and delight.
Dina (second from R) and her daughters (far L and far R) show their surprise at furnishings from Aaron’s as Brenda Warner (second from L) ushers them into their new home. 

A Long Tradition of Giving with Lasting Impact 

Since 2002, the Homes for the Holidays program has surprised 64 families, including 155 children, with fully furnished homes – creating lasting memories and lifechanging opportunities as the program’s impact extends well beyond moving day. 

Many new Habitat homeowners must wait months or even years to buy appliances, furniture, and other household essentials once they have a house. By providing those necessities immediately, Aaron’s empowers families to use their hard-earned savings toward education, healthcare, transportation, and other life-improving endeavors. 

“Revealing this home on Mother’s Day made the moment even more special, reminding us of the strength and resilience mothers and mother figures bring to our lives,” said Aaron’s Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, Corporate Secretary, and Aaron’s Foundation President Rachel George. “Giving back is part of Aaron’s DNA, and we’re honored to help create comfort, stability, and joy for families across our communities.” 

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Mike Lewis

Central Properties dba Premier Rental-Purchase

Mike Lewis is a Premier Rental Purchase franchisee with multiple stores and currently serves as Vice President of Operations. With 33 years of experience in the rent-to-own industry, he has spent the past 20 years working closely with franchisee owners and previously spent 12 years in Corporate RTO, gaining a strong foundation in the business.

For the past five years, Mike has been sharing his knowledge by teaching managers and franchisees at the company’s Training Center.

Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, kids, and grandkids, and appreciates the simple things in life – especially riding his Harley Davidson with the sun on his face. If you know, you know!

Lauren Talicska

Arona Corporation dba Arona Home Essentials

Lauren Talicska is an experienced multi-channel marketing specialist and the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Arona Home Essentials. She has found her home in the RTO community, supporting stores in branding, growth, and increasing traffic.

You may recognize Lauren as a former RTO vendor, including her time as a partner for Nationwide RentDirect, or her previous participation in the APRO Vendor Advisory Committee. Lauren calls Columbus, Ohio, home and spends her workday crafting and executing marketing promotions from inception to realization, all while supporting the branding and social media needs of all the Arona stores in 12 states (plus Puerto Rico!).

Charles Smitherman

APRO

Charles Smitherman, JD, PhD, CAE, became CEO of APRO in 2023, bringing years of legal and executive experience in the rent-to-own industry. 

Prior to joining the association, Charles served as COO, General Counsel, and Vice President of PTS Financial Services, where he played an active role in the rent-to-own industry by representing his company through PTS’s club program offering with APRO member dealers. Charles is an attorney with two decades of experience across a wide variety of areas, including RTO, consumer financial services, antitrust, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, franchise law, and privacy law. Following law school at the University of Georgia, Charles earned a Master of Legal Studies and PhD in Law from the University of Oxford in England.

Charles is credentialed as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) with the American Society of Association Executives, a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) with the International Franchise Association, and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals. As APRO’s sixth CEO in its 45-year history, he brings a collaborative, member-focused approach to association leadership, emphasizing transparency, advocacy, and value creation. Outside of work, Charles is an active ultra runner and open water swimmer.

Mike Kays

Ashley Furniture Industries

As VP of Rental Sales for Ashley Furniture Industries, Mike thrives on building relationships with our RTO industry veterans, and helping businesses grow through new product, new marketing, and new supply chain options.

Mike works to leverage a wide breadth of relationships and influence, intimate knowledge of market trends, and unique knowledge of what RTO dealers need from a supplier to be successful.

The saying goes that a high tide raises all boats, and our goal is to leverage the world’s largest furniture manufacturer to drive the continued growth of the RTO industry and all the suppliers.

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.