Latest news with #Raintree
West Australian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Denmark screening of Just A Farmer film opens conversation about mental health in rural communities
Denmark restaurant The Dam screened new film Just A Farmer on Monday night, with the evening presented by Black Dog Ride and aiming to open conversations about mental health and suicide in rural Australia. An Australian farmer takes their own life every 10 days. This was the eye-opening statistic presented to the gathered audience at the end of the film, as the room full of more than 100 people sat in sombre silence after watching the deeply moving film. Just A Farmer follows main character Allison and her young farming family in rural Victoria and their journey of grief and healing after she loses her husband Alec to suicide. Leila McDougall wrote, produced, and starred in the film, with she and her husband mortgaging their cattle farm in Victoria to finish the $2 million production. She attended the screening at The Dam and said growing up and living in farming communities opened her eyes to the devastating and growing impacts of the mental health crisis in rural Australia. 'It is still quite taboo in a farming community, but it's time we started having those conversations,' she said. 'Making a movie was my a way of subconsciously getting people to see what's going on in farming communities, and I honestly don't regret a single minute or dollar we spent doing it.' Raintree property owner Stephen Birkbeck gave the evening's opening address, and shone a light on the hardships WA farmers have faced in the past five years and beyond, how important it was to come together to support farmers and have conversations around mental health. 'Experts will give you insights into farmers' suicide, what worries me is that the rates have always been high but they have increased by 50 per cent in the last 10 years. 'I have never seen anything like the stress our farming community face today,' he said. 'We need an SOS to go out, farmers need help if you want us to keep growing your food. 'We need help and we need to be listened to. 'I conclude by asking for society to put a higher value on our farming community and its vulnerable souls.' Black Dog Ride director Bev Seeney said the film was a perfect opportunity to bring WA communities together to talk about mental health. 'I believe telling our stories gives us a sense of empowerment with our stories,' she said. 'If we keep quiet about our own experiences, nobody else knows that there is a way through. 'So many people come up and just start sharing, and for many of them it's the first time they have, and then we can encourage them to go and get support, it's a very powerful thing.' Lifeline: 13 11 14.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rent-A-Center Opens New Store in Harlan, Kentucky; Grand Opening Celebration Scheduled on May 30
PLANO, Texas, May 23, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Upbound Group, Inc. (the "Company" or "Upbound") (NASDAQ: UPBD), a technology and data-driven leader in accessible and inclusive financial solutions that address the evolving needs and aspirations of underserved consumers, has announced the opening of a new Rent-A-Center franchise store in Harlan, Kentucky. The new Rent-A-Center store is located at 168 Village Center Rd., Suite 163, and is open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturdays. To celebrate the addition of the new Rent-A-Center location, area residents are invited to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening celebration with store staff, company leaders and members of the Harlan County Chamber of Commerce on Friday, May 30, at 12:30 p.m. During the event, the public will have the opportunity to shop the store's merchandise. Additionally, a donation will be presented from the store to Christ's Hands, Inc., a local organization that provides aid to those in Harlan County with food insecurity. The Harlan Rent-A-Center store will also hold prize drawings at the grand opening to win an Ashley Furniture recliner chair and a Sony PlayStation 5. To enter the drawings, simply visit the store during the grand opening event; no purchase is necessary. The new Rent-A-Center store in Harlan is operated by Raintree, a major Rent-A-Center franchisee based in Lexington, Kentucky. Raintree-franchised Rent-A-Center stores serve customers throughout Kentucky and Virginia. "We're excited to further expand in Kentucky with the opening of the new store in Harlan," said Kevin Webb, Raintree's president. "We are looking forward to offering name-brand home furnishings to customers in this wonderful community under flexible lease-to-own agreements with no long-term debt obligations." Rent-A-Center helps elevate financial opportunity for all by leasing high-quality furniture, appliances, electronics and other durable goods to customers on a lease-to-own basis through its stores, the website and the Rent-A-Center mobile app. There are currently approximately 2,300 company-owned and franchise Rent-A-Center locations throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Mexico. About Upbound Group, Inc. Upbound Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: UPBD), is a technology and data-driven leader in accessible and inclusive financial solutions that address the evolving needs and aspirations of underserved consumers. The Company's customer-facing operating units include industry-leading brands — such as Acima®, Brigit™ and Rent-A-Center® — that facilitate consumer transactions across a wide range of store-based and digital channels, including approximately 2,300 company branded retail units across the United States, Mexico and Puerto Rico. Upbound Group, Inc. is headquartered in Plano, Texas. For additional information about the Company, please visit our website at View source version on Contacts Media Contact Michael LandryVice President – Sign in to access your portfolio
