Rent-to-own News - Rent-A-Center's 12th Random Act helps military families in need

Rent-A-Center representatives donate 120 Hannaford Supermarket gift cards to military families in need at Fort Drum.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving through the Random Act of Caring initiative, Rent-A-Center has donated 120 Hannaford Supermarket $50 gift cards to military families in need to make their next trip to purchase groceries a little easier.

Working with Army Emergency Relief at Fort Drum, military families in need of assistance will be provided with gift cards to help them with the rising costs of groceries – in hopes of making this year’s Thanksgiving celebration one to remember.

“Priority for the gift cards will be to families who come or call Army Emergency Relief for assistance to provide a holiday meal,” said Ms. Diane Hupko, Army Emergency Manager. “Requests have already been received and will continue throughout the holiday season."

Rent-A-Center’s entire business model is built on showing respect to people who don’t always receive the respect they deserve. The company’s Random Acts of Caring initiative is now broadening that ideal beyond the doors of Rent-A-Center’s more than 170 stores throughout New York.

“Rent-A-Center commends the men and women currently serving our country in military service and recognize the commitment and dedication they and their families have made to the United States of America,” said Bill Monnat, regional director for Rent-A-Center. "This random act is a small way of saying thank you to military families. This corporate initiative lets us surprise people, who weren’t expecting the day to be any different from any other day, with something that enhances their lives because someone cares.”

This is Rent-A-Center’s 12th “Random Act of Caring,” having launched the statewide initiative 11 months ago.  Among the Random Acts include:

•    In February, Rent-A-Center coworkers went door-to-door in Elmira, N.Y., providing 400 families with $50 credits on their home heating bills.

•    In March, Rent-A-Center coworkers handed out 10,000 RGRTA Freedom Passes in Rochester, N.Y., to assist individuals and community groups with mass transportation needs. 

•    In April, Rent-A-Center coworkers provided $30 gas gift cards to several hundred community volunteers in Albany, Schenectady and Troy, N.Y., to say “thank you” during National Volunteer Appreciation Week.

•    In May, Rent-A-Center coworkers provided furnishing makeovers for three nurses’ lounges at Harlem Hospital Center in honor of National Nurses’ Appreciation Day.  The company also provided meals for the nursing staff.

•    In June, Rent-A-Center coworkers turned Friday the 13th into a lucky day for 1,000 Brooklynites who each received two tickets to a Brooklyn Cyclones game, and donated $1,300 to Camp Brooklyn to help sponsor camp attendees.

•    In July, Rent-A-Center coworkers hosted a group of underprivileged young people from the Syracuse Southwest Community Center for a night at the ball park, including a picnic dinner, Sky Chiefs baseball game and fireworks display.

•    In August, Rent-A-Center coworkers ensured that 120 nursing students – all students with a declared nursing major – at Clinton Community College in Plattsburgh received a $100 textbook credit to help off-set the high cost of textbooks.

•    In September, Rent-A-Center gave Buffalo’s Mayor $21,000 in scholarships and book gift cards for students who participated in his Reading Rules! 2008 Kids Summer Reading Challenge and $10,000 was donated to eight Buffalo library branches to purchase financial literacy materials and to provide financial counseling programs.

•    In October, three Staten Island Fire Department stations received new furniture and other furnishings to improve their living and training facilities and the FDNY Foundation received a $5,000 check to help promote fire safety in the five boroughs. 

In 2008, Rent-A-Center has dispatched coworkers to at least one community in the state to surprise people with something unexpected to brighten their day. Random is key in the Random Acts of Caring initiative because no one will know when, where or how Rent-A-Center will make a difference in a group of people’s lives. Big city or small town; up in the Adirondacks or down by the shores of Lake Erie; knocking on someone’s door on a cold winter morning or having a presence at a summertime street festival – a Random Act of Caring could happen anywhere, anytime in New York State.

“This is a fun, creative and, most importantly, useful way to say ‘thank you’ to the many communities where we serve residential and business customers,” said Mark Speese, Rent-A-Center’s chairman and chief executive officer. “And for our coworkers who understand and champion the importance of a mutually beneficial relationship with these very same communities, this is a great opportunity to walk the talk.”

Beyond Random Acts of Caring, Rent-A-Center continues its annual nationwide financial support for fighting hunger, providing positive role models for youngsters, giving boys and girls productive places to spend their free time and supporting financial literacy education programs. The company also has an annual program that awards $50,000 in scholarships to customers and coworkers.

In New York, Rent-A-Center operates 178 stores including two in Watertown. The company also operates a national product service center in Liverpool, where a team of specially trained technicians services merchandise on rent.

Rent-A-Center, headquartered in Plano, Texas, operates more than 3,000 stores in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada with a focus on home furnishings and financial services. The Company employs more than 18,900.

mevans@rtohq.org