About the Foundation
Warrick Dunn Family Foundation envisions communities coming together to support, inspire and instill self-reliance and hope.
As we continue working towards our mission of rewarding self-reliant single parents who purchase their first home, we are looking to enhance their experience through the Homes for the Holidays program as well as expand the program to other NFL cities and in partnership with EverFi, provide our recipients with follow up financial literacy education.
In addition to increasing our involvement with single-parent families, we will be expanding our reach to include a children's bereavement program in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 2012 named Betty's Hope. The program will target school-age children who, like our founder, have experienced the tragic loss of a parent/guardian/loved one to violent crime.
Join us as we embark on a pattern of growth to change and save lives!
A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Warrick Dunn grew up as the oldest of six children, experiencing the struggles of a single-parent family.
Dunn's mother, Betty Smothers, was a police officer who often worked security shifts to provide for her family. Her goal was to one day realize the American Dream of home ownership.
Tragically, Dunn's mother was gunned down in an armed robbery during an off-duty shift, leaving 18-year-old Dunn to care for his five siblings. The Baton Rouge community 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.
Grateful for this outpouring of support and 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.
During his rookie season in the National Football League (NFL) with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dunn realized the impact he could make through a positive image and community involvement.
Challenged by Coach Tony Dungy to become a vital part of the community, Dunn established the Homes for the Holidays program. Since 1997, Homes for the Holidays has rewarded single parents and children who have reached the American Dream of first-time homeownership in Atlanta, Ga., Baton Rouge, La., Tampa and Tallahassee, Fla.
In 1998, Homes for the Holidays began to enhance home ownership in Dunn's hometown of Baton Rouge, LA. Although the Homes for the Holidays program has existed since 1997, the Warrick Dunn Family Foundation was established in 2002 as a way to grow programs and services for single-parent families. When Dunn signed with the Falcons in 2002, Homes for the Holidays followed him to Atlanta, GA. In 2007, the Warrick Dunn Foundation Family expanded the program to serve Tallahassee, FL, where Dunn graduated from Florida State University.
Homes for the Holidays not only provides uplifting support for these communities, it is also a way for Dunn to share his mother's dream with single parents who have reached the goal of home ownership. As the Warrick Dunn Family Foundation continues to pursue its mission of providing opportunities for single-parent families, it is researching ways to further impact the community through the lessons and experiences of Dunn's life.
