ormer Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Warrick Dunn has continued to bring joy and stability to families in Florida long after his retirement from professional football. Through his nonprofit organization, Warrick Dunn Charities, and in partnership with Habitat for Humanity, Dunn recently gifted a fully furnished two-bedroom home to single mom LaToya Reedy and her 18-year-old son in St. Petersburg.
LaToya, 39, expressed her joy and relief to the Tampa Bay Times, saying, “Being a homeowner now, I can be at home.” Prior to receiving the keys to her new home, LaToya struggled to make ends meet as a nursing assistant. She and her son, AnTrez Reedy, had been sharing a single bedroom and rotating who got to sleep on the bed at her mother’s house.
The new home marks a significant change for LaToya and her son. “I can be at peace,” she told the Times. “I can bring sweet memories to my house and I can have my family and my friends over. I have a home now, and that’s something that I’ve always wanted for my son, and for myself. It’s been a long, hard journey. Struggle and sacrifices, but we made it.”
LaToya is the 173rd recipient of a home through Dunn’s foundation, a project that was inspired by Dunn’s personal history. His mother, Betty Smothers, was tragically shot to death during a robbery when Dunn was just days away from turning 18. This event compelled Dunn to take on the responsibilities of caring for his five siblings, gaining a deep understanding of the challenges faced by single mothers.
Reflecting on his mother, Dunn said, “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.” This admiration and respect for his mother’s sacrifices and strength have fueled Dunn’s dedication to helping other single parents achieve the dream of homeownership. Through his charitable work, Dunn continues to honor his mother’s legacy and support those in need.