Warrick Dunn, once a star player for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has found a new way to make a difference long after his football career ended.
Recently, Dunn provided a fully furnished two-bedroom home in St. Petersburg to single mother LaToya Reedy and her 18-year-old son, AnTrez, through his nonprofit, Warrick Dunn Charities, in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity.
LaToya, 39, shared her immense joy with the Tampa Bay Times, stating, “Being a homeowner now, I can be at home.”
Before receiving the keys to her new house, Reedy had been struggling to make ends meet as a nursing assistant.
For two years, she and her son had to take turns sleeping on the bed they shared in her mother’s house.
“I can be at peace,” she said, reflecting on the moment. “I can bring sweet memories to my house and have my family and friends over. I have a home now, and that’s something I’ve always wanted for my son and myself.”
She continued, “It’s been a long, hard journey. Struggle and sacrifices, but we made it.”
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This act of kindness is part of Dunn’s long-standing mission to help single mothers. LaToya is the 173rd recipient of a home from Dunn’s foundation.
His motivation to support single mothers comes from his personal experience.
His mother, Betty Smothers, was tragically shot to death at age 36 during a robbery, just days before Dunn’s 18th birthday.
After his mother’s death, Dunn took on the responsibility of caring for his five younger siblings.
He shared with PEOPLE, “You have no choice but to mature. It wasn’t just about going to school and playing football anymore. My life became about five people.”
He fondly remembered his mother, saying, “She was compassionate, she was kind, she was helpful, thoughtful. She was everything that I would want in my wife. I consider my mother to be superwoman.”
As a tribute to his mother, Dunn leaves a memento in each home he donates – an apple pie, which was her favorite.
“I’ve used this program as therapy,” Dunn told the newspaper. “Every time I hand over those keys there’s a little piece of my mom and the things she wanted.”
Through his charitable work, Warrick Dunn continues to make a significant impact, bringing hope and stability to families in need.