ATLANTA, Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Teams of volunteers from the Aaron's Rental Purchase division of Aaron Rents, Inc. (NYSE: RNT) are building two houses simultaneously this week in Houston, Texas and Tampa, Florida in partnership with Habitat for Humanity International.
The Company has also donated the $102,000 cost of materials for the two houses as part of the Aaron's Community Outreach Program (ACORP) which provides grants for local charities and community organizations selected by the employees of Aaron's Rental Purchase stores.
The Aaron's volunteers in Houston are competing with the Tampa volunteers to finish first in the inaugural Corporate Challenge sponsored by ACORP. Construction began on Saturday, with Sunday off, and the houses must be completed by Friday, October 8. In each city there are three teams of 25 volunteers working two-day shifts, a total of 75 Aaron's employees for each house.
"We are very pleased that so many employees of our Company volunteered to take part in these home-building projects as partners with Habitat for Humanity," said R. Charles Loudermilk, Sr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aaron Rents. "This is an organization that is doing outstanding humanitarian work, and Aaron Rents is proud to be involved in helping provide decent housing for people in some of the communities we serve."
Habitat for Humanity is the first national partner of ACORP since its start-up in 1998 under the direction of Ken Butler, President of the Aaron's Rental Purchase division. During Habitat's Easter Morning Build '99 in Americus, Georgia, Aaron's participated as a sponsor, donating ranges and refrigerators for 25 houses constructed in that project. Fifteen volunteers from the Company helped in the home building.
Habitat for Humanity on September 19 celebrated the construction of its 80,000th house, located in the Mezquital Valley near Mexico City. The home was for a mother and her four daughters, among more than 400,000 people who have been provided houses in more than 2,000 communities around the world. HFHI is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry, which seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness.
Aaron Rents, Inc., based in Atlanta, has a total of 458 Company-operated and franchised profit centers in 36 states for the rental and sale of residential and office furniture and accessories, consumer electronics and household appliances. The Company manufactures furniture, bedding and accessories at eleven facilities in four states.
SOURCE Aaron Rents, Inc.