Through his foundation, Warrick Dunn has been helping single-parent families become first-time homeowners for nearly 25 years, so his story has been told many times. But considering the way Dunn has changed so many lives for the better, the story hasn't been told enough.
We're happy to share the latest chapter of success and inspiration.
Warrick Dunn Charities reached the major milestone of its 200th home a few days before Super Bowl LVI, just a few miles from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Check out this video to see how Fellicia Miller and her 13-year-old son Raymond react when they see their new home. They knew they would be moving into a new house but were stunned to see it completely furnished.
A point of emphasis for the foundation is that it provides a "hand-up – not a handout." The family is responsible for the mortgage, which does have a zero interest rate, thanks to the foundation's partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles.
This was the first house in California, the 16th state for the foundation. Dunn said his long-term goal is to hit every NFL market. Most of the previous homes were in the Atlanta area, where Dunn is based as a part-owner of the Falcons, and Florida, where he won a national championship with the Seminoles and began his NFL career with the Buccaneers.
Another state with multiple homes is Louisiana, which is where this story really begins.
When Dunn was 18, his mom was killed in the line of duty as a police officer in Baton Rouge. A single mom, Betty Smothers had always dreamed of owning her own home. Dunn, the oldest of six siblings, turned that unfulfilled dream into reality for 200 -- and counting -- other families.
"The reactions never get old," Dunn said. "This opportunity will never get old, because when you see the family actually walk into their home, that's a moment that will last with me forever."
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