Mission

Warrick Dunn Charities improves lives through innovative programming inspired by its founder's life journey.The Homes for the Holidays program provides opportunities to economically- disadvanted single parents and their children who have demonstrated a commitment to achieving financial indepdence and stability.The Betty's Hope program empowers youth to manage grief in a responsive environment to heal and enhance their quality of life.

Category

Family Support

Additional Information

A native of Baton Rouge, La., Warrick Dunn grew up the oldest of six children, experiencing all the struggles of a single-parent family. His mother, Betty Smothers, a local police officer, worked tirelessly to provide for her family and to one day realize the American dream of homeownership. Tragically, Dunn’s mother was killed during an armed robbery when he was a senior in high school. Faced with the challenge of raising his five siblings, he was grateful to the Baton Rouge community for the support his family received. Friends and neighbors banded together to create a memorial fund for his family in honor of his mother’s selfless public service to the city of Baton Rouge. Through his mother’s example in life and death, Dunn was provided the tools to become a pillar of hope and strength; not only for his family, but also for the communities he has called home. Touched by this outpouring of community support, Dunn set a goal to give back to the communities that had given so much to him. Since his rookie year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dunn realized the impact he could have through a positive image and community involvement. Challenged by Tony Dungy to become a vital part of the community, Dunn established the Homes for the Holidays program. To date, the program has rewarded 111 single parents and 295 children and dependents for achieving first-time homeownership in the Atlanta, Ga., Baton Rouge, La., Tampa and Tallahassee, Fla. areas. Although the Homes for the Holidays program has existed since 1997, Warrick Dunn Charities, Inc. was created in 2002 as a way to grow programs and services for single-parent families. In 1998, Homes for the Holidays began to facilitate homeownership in Dunn’s hometown of Baton Rouge, La. When he signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 2002, the program was brought to the Atlanta, Ga. market. Most recently, Homes for the Holidays expanded to single-parent families in the town of Dunn’s alma mater, Florida State University. The first Tallahassee, Fla. Homes for the Holidays home presentation in 2007 was also the first time a single father had been included in the program. Homes for the Holidays not only provides uplifting support for these communities, it also is a way for Dunn to extend his mother’s dream of homeownership to other struggling single parents. As Warrick Dunn Charities, Inc. continues to pursue its mission of providing opportunities for single-parent families, the Charity is researching ways to improve and expand the scope of service for its target population.  As a result of working with a therapist and learning more about child bereavement programs, Dunn realized a vision to try to help others. A firm believer in the power of service as a part of his vision for his own healing, Dunn decided to bring the same sense of hope to his hometown, where he first learned the value of community support. In 2012, Betty’s  Hope  was  born  to empower youth to manage grief in a responsive environment to heal and enhance their quality of life.