Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Aaron’s Donates $10K to Atlanta Fund Providing Affordable Housing
December 11,
2020 by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Industry 
The Aaron's Company, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a leading omnichannel provider of lease-purchase solutions, has announced a donation of $10,000 to the Westside Future Fund, an initiative that aligns the efforts of the public and private sector to provide affordable housing in one of Atlanta's most impoverished communities.
The donation comes amidst a new push by the Westside Future Fund to raise $500,000 by the end of 2020 to help alleviate additional hardship caused by the coronavirus pandemic, specifically food insecurity.
"Access to affordable housing is one of the most important needs in our city, especially for those struggling to make ends meet in and around the Historic Westside community," said Douglas Lindsay, CEO of Aaron's. "The negative economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have heightened the needs of vulnerable populations, and the Westside Future Fund is a critical tool to help level the playing field for these individuals."
Specifically targeting the neighborhoods of English Avenue, Vine City, Ashview Heights and the Atlanta University Center, the Westside Future Fund is addressing the urgent need coming as 52% of residents currently live below the poverty line and 40% of all housing is vacant. In addition to Aaron's, the campaign has brought together leaders from Georgia State University, Jackson Spalding, Ernst & Young, The Coca-Cola Company, Ameris Bank and more.
The contribution from Aaron's Foundation, Inc. was facilitated by Aaron's Black Leadership Exchange (ABLE), an internal committee formed in 2019 to exchange information and ideas that create a path for personal and professional development of Black team members, while strengthening connections with customers and others in the community. ABLE is guided by three core principles: fostering self-improvement, developing those around them and building their communities.
"ABLE has created a tangible way for our Black team members to come together in support of essential causes that are impacting our people and our community," said Chris Cottrell, president of ABLE. "By identifying this opportunity to unify both our Black employees and advocates from other racial backgrounds, we can affect meaningful change that lifts our entire organization."