Aaron’s And Warrick Dunn Charities’ Homes For The Holidays Surprise Houston Family With Furnished Home
Warrick Dunn, Terorah Davis, and daughter Londyn Davis pose in front of the family’s new, fully-furnished home made possible thanks to furniture and electronics donations from Aaron’s.
Aaron’s, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, provided the home furnishings for a surprise home presentation this week to Houston resident Terorah Davis and her daughter as part of Warrick Dunn Charities’ (WDC) Homes for the Holidays (HFTH) program.
“Thanks to the tireless work from Warrick Dunn Charities’ Homes for the Holidays, we are celebrating 149 families who now have a home where they can feel safe and build the lives they deserve,” said John Robinson, CEO of Aaron’s, Inc. “Aaron’s is proud to continue this partnership that benefits single parents across the country like Terorah. We’re happy to provide her with furnishings helping make her house a home for her and her children to enjoy for years to come.”
Warrick Dunn Charities’ Homes for the Holidays assists single parents in becoming first-time homeowners by providing the materials necessary for long-term stability and the provisions required to ensure that both parent and children can thrive educationally, socially and economically. To date, in partnership with Aaron’s and Habitat for Humanity affiliates, WDC and its sponsors have rewarded over 149 single parents and over 400 children and dependents with the American Dream of first-time homeownership in 15 cities across the nation.
On Tuesday, October 11, Aaron’s helped surprise local Houston resident Terorah Davis and daughter, Londyn, by donating home furnishings and electronics as part of Warrick Dunn Charities’ Homes for the Holidays program.
Aaron’s has been a longtime supporter of Warrick Dunn Charities initiatives and began contributing home furnishings, appliances and electronics to the Homes for the Holidays program in 2003. Warrick Dunn Charities was founded in 2002 by former NFL star Warrick Dunn.
“We’re so thankful to have this partnership with Aaron’s which fills these homes with furniture, electronics and appliances and supports our goal of helping single parents achieve financial freedom and stability,” said Warrick Dunn. “It always brings me so much joy to know we have positively impacted these families’ lives and see the new homeowners full of gratitude and amazement as they walk through their fully furnished home.”
The Davis family was joined by Warrick Dunn Charities Founder Warrick Dunn, Aaron’s Vice President of Southwestern Operations Ryan Malone and Habitat for Humanity of Houston Executive Director Allison Hay.
About Aaron’s, Inc.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Aaron’s, Inc. (NYSE: AAN) is a leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, and currently has more than 1,930 Company-operated and franchised stores in 47 states and Canada. Progressive Leasing, a leading virtual lease-to-own company, provides lease-purchase solutions through approximately 16,000 retail locations in 46 states. Dent-A-Med, Inc., d/b/a the HELPcard®, provides a variety of second-look credit products that are originated through a federally insured bank. Aaron’s was founded in 1955, has been publicly traded since 1982 and owns the Aarons.com, ProgLeasing.com, and HELPcard.com brands. For more information, visit www.aarons.com.
About Warrick Dunn Charities
Warrick Dunn Charities provides hope and healing to communities through innovative programming inspired by our Founder’s life journey. Since 1997, the Homes for the Holidays program has rewarded 149 single parents and 380 children and dependents that have achieved first-time homeownership in Atlanta, GA, Baltimore, MD, Baton Rouge, LA, Dallas, TX, Jacksonville, FL,Tallahassee and Tampa, FL Serving single-parent families nationwide, WDC and its partners have combatted poverty, hunger and ensure families have basic necessities and comfortable surroundings to improve their quality of life. Betty’s Hope, a mobile children’s bereavement program provides students aged 5-18 with a safe and responsive environment for them to heal and enhance their quality of life after experiencing a loss. For more information, visit www.wdc.org.
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.
