Working with Warrick Dunn Charities, Aaron’s altruistic arm is helping turn new houses for single-parent families into real homes
Aaron’s, LLC, has been a leader in the lease-to-own industry for almost 70 years, and its involvement in community giving is almost as long. Supporting organizations large and small, often selected by Aaron’s team members, the company is dedicated to being a responsible corporate citizen and making a positive impact in the communities it serves.
Standing strong in its commitment to provide high-quality products at affordable payments with excellent customer service, Aaron’s also understands it is important to be more than a lease-to-own retailer in the community; it is imperative to be an active contributor to those communities by bettering the lives of those who live within them. To achieve these goals, the company provides monetary, in-kind, and team-member resources through several channels, collectively known as Aaron’s Gives.
The Aaron’s Gives program was born from the company’s philosophy to Give Hope, Give Respect, and Give Back. This program includes the Aaron’s Foundation and its Matching Gift Program, and is focused on improving the life prospects of underserved youth. The company has a goal of contributing 1% of its annual, consolidated pre-tax profits through the Aaron’s Gives program each year and, for the year ending December 31, 2023, the company contributed more than $800,000 in cash and in-kind donations to approximately 150 individual organizations. In pursuit of its mission to give back to the community, Aaron’s has established many longstanding relationships with community organizations doing vital work across the country, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Warrick Dunn Charities (WDC).
In 2023, Aaron’s celebrated its 20th year of partnership with WDC, one of the longest-running philanthropic initiatives in the company’s history. Over those two decades, Aaron’s has provided pivotal support to WDC by helping Warrick Dunn, – a former professional football player turned philanthropist – make single parents’ dreams of homeownership come true. Through the organization’s “Homes for the Holidays” program, Aaron’s works alongside WDC and local Habitat for Humanity affiliates to deliver $10,000 worth of furnishings to each home built by Habitat’s team, their volunteers, and the future homeowners. The families are told they are doing a walkthrough of their new home following closing, so the home furnishings from Aaron’s and the $5,000 down-payment assistance check from WDC are wonderful surprises.
MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE TOGETHER
How did this philanthropic partnership begin? At the turn of the 21st century, Aaron’s executive leadership team sought ways to make a philanthropic impact beyond simply writing checks. The Chief Operating Officer at the time saw an article about NFL star Warrick Dunn’s work dedicating homes to single-parent families across the country and knew Aaron’s could make a tremendous contribution to his program through furniture donations. At the time, Aaron’s slogan was “We Make Dreams Come True,” and that’s exactly what Dunn’s initiative was all about.
WDC was also a natural partner in other ways. The charity was operating in markets where Aaron’s already had stores, meaning it had a national network already in place to help Dunn expand his program to more cities. Also, many of the participants in the Homes for the Holidays program were previous Aaron’s customers, making it easy for the team to identify their home needs. Additionally, this partnership alleviated the burden on the WDC team to shop at multiple stores to collect all the home furnishings for a surprise reveal, and once Aaron’s business model integrated electronics into its product line, it was able to cover all their home furnishing needs.
WDC believes housing is the key to reducing generational poverty and advancing economic mobility, a sentiment Aaron’s profoundly understands and supports, as the company’s mission is focused on providing underserved communities with the tools, resources, and skills to achieve their goals and dreams. Housing is a key element in making this mission a reality – and providing a fully furnished home at no additional cost is a monumental step in easing the financial burden of homeownership and giving families the “hand up” they need to thrive.
Dunn’s background plays a pivotal role in his drive to make a difference in single parents’ lives. Raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dunn was the oldest of six children to Betty Smothers, a single mother and police officer who worked hard to provide for her family. In January 1993, Betty was ambushed and, sadly, killed on the job while escorting a businesswoman to make a night deposit. His mother’s sudden and tragic passing forced Dunn into an unexpected role as head of the household at only 18 years old. With a maturity beyond his years, he used what he had from Betty’s life insurance and purchased a home for his siblings to provide them with shelter and safety while he went on to play football at Florida State University and graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Information Studies, fulfilling one of his late mother’s dreams.
Today, Dunn is known as one of the best running backs in FSU Seminoles history, as well as an NFL legend who played five seasons for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and six with the Atlanta Falcons. Despite his athletic accomplishments, he may be best known for his philanthropic legacy. In 1997, while playing for the Buccaneers, Dunn founded the Homes for the Holidays program, his philanthropic endeavor to support single parents striving for homeownership – a goal that had evaded his mom during her lifetime. Since its inception, Homes for the Holidays has furnished 236 homes, providing over $1,180,000 in down-payment assistance for more than 618 dependents.
Aaron’s joined efforts with Dunn’s nonprofit team in 2003 and has proved to be an essential partner, providing first-class furnishings that turn new houses into warm, welcoming, and well-appointed homes.
KUTARA & GABRIEL’S STORY
Among the hundreds of stories illustrating the impact of Aaron’s partnership with WDC is that of Atlanta native Kutara and her 17-year-old son, Gabriel. Kutara gave birth to Gabriel while she was attending college and became focused on building a foundation for her family. She discovered Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, but the list of requirements to earn a house for herself took Kutara ten years of hard work and dedication to complete. Finally, when Gabriel was 12, Kutara was assigned a plot of land for her home and began to build it with the help of a diverse team of volunteers. While balancing a full-time career and single parenthood, Kutara and her Habitat team managed to complete her home after eight weeks of intense construction.
On November 5, 2019, coincidentally her birthday, Kutara expected to receive her keys and see her finished, empty house for the first time – yet she had no clue what actually awaited her upon arrival. Kutara was driven to her new home, and was shocked to see a crowd of family, friends, and Habitat volunteers out on the front lawn, all cheering for her and her son. Soon, Warrick Dunn escorted Kutara up to her porch, where she found an outdoor sofa, rocking chair, and lanterns. Dunn spoke about the mission of his charity, revealed the $5,000 in down-payment support from WDC, and graciously shared the microphone with key partners like Aaron’s.
Once Kutara received her keys and opened the door to her new house for the first time, she was stunned to see her home fully furnished with gifts from Aaron’s and additional donors, including electronics, a fully stocked kitchen and pantry, and rooms adorned with high-quality furniture – many in her favorite shade of green. Even Gabriel’s room had been furnished and decorated with his age and tastes in mind, helping him feel at home immediately. As Kutara puts it, she “walked into a whole new life for herself and her son” that day – and it was the best birthday gift of all.
Just before her home reveal, Kutara was set to graduate from college. At the time, she had been sleeping on a mattress on the floor for seven years and on an air mattress for almost two. Her main goal after graduation was to buy new furniture and technology for her and her son, so she had begun working multiple jobs to help turn this vision into a reality.
With the gift of a fully furnished house from WDC and Aaron’s, Kutara now had the financial reserves to pay for college working just one job and using the rest of her time to complete her final class credits. Relieving this financial burden bettered her and Gabriel’s future by helping them realize a lifelong dream, helping Kutara further her career, and giving them more time together as a family.
For Gabriel, born premature at seven months, this surprise gift provided him with resources he needed to perform his best at school. He has worked hard building the foundation for a successful life alongside his mother, and the compassion from Habitat, WDC, and Aaron’s showed him how much people care about his hopes and dreams.
Today, Kutara says her furniture still looks as good as the day she saw it for the first time. Her house is a community hotspot where she loves entertaining family and friends around her spacious dining table and letting out-of-town guests spend the night in her comfortable daybed. Gabriel also has a pull-out twin bed in his room, enabling him to have friend sleepovers. Additionally, Kutara was gifted an office with a computer desktop setup, which has helped her thrive in her post-secondary education journey and her career working for Atlanta Public Schools.
Kutara’s story is one example of how Aaron’s philanthropy goes beyond just supplying furniture to those seeking homeownership. Homes for the Holidays is helping give families the confidence and resources they need to improve their lives and create generational change.
A WIN-WIN-WIN-WIN SITUATION
During this shared journey of over 20 years with WDC, Aaron’s has gained a deep appreciation for how the company’s time and products can touch lives in new and wonderful ways. As a leader in the lease-to-own industry, Aaron’s has a responsibility to lead by example, using its resources to enrich the lives of customers beyond just basic services. In 2024 alone, the company donated $60,000 in furnishings to Homes for the Holidays recipients.
Aaron’s partnership with WDC – the company’s longest-standing philanthropic partnership to date – has solidified its company culture of rallying behind a shared purpose to improve the lives of the people it serves, and is a testament to how aligning around a shared purpose and a clear vision for creating positive change can lead to success and longevity. The Aaron’s team remains in awe of Dunn’s continued commitment to giving back and is honored to play a role in his mission, and the partnership has expanded the way Aaron’s views both giving back and community engagement.
Which is why the partnership with WDC remains a focal point of the Aaron’s Foundation today, serving as a shining example of the company’s aim to partner with charitable organizations that share natural synergies with Aaron’s mission. Aaron’s takes much pride in helping progress the work of WDC, assisting more hardworking new homeowners like Kutara, and impacting the lives of deserving families across America.
