TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Warrick Dunn was a stand-out football player at Florida State, but his work after his college and NFL career is what's impacted people the most. Tuesday in Tallahassee, Dunn helped not one, but two single moms achieve first-time homeownership.
For Eureka Rosier, the dream of being a homeowner came true Tuesday, but there was something extra waiting for her.
"When he said his name and everything, I was like, 'wait, this is the dude that be furnishing houses,'" she laughed as she recalled the moment Dunn approached her.
Rosier, surprised by the former Florida State stand-out. Her new home, built by Big Bend Habitat for Humanity, but also, furnished by Aaron's, while also receiving $5,000 towards a down payment through Warrick Dunn Charities.
"Everything was really amazing and so pretty," she said of the inside of the home. "They did awesome with the colors!"
"Why not help individuals that are trying to help themselves?" said Dunn of his charity work. "We're helping them continue to move forward in their lives. Really, it's an honor for me to do it."
Dunn is inspired by his mother, a Baton Rouge Police Officer who was shot and killed in the line of duty. She always dreamed of being a homeowner.
"When you hand the keys over, I always think about my mom and how she would have felt," he said. "To me, that's why this program is so important."
Rosier wasn't the only one receiving keys Tuesday, as Latoria and her son Evan, who has cerebral palsy, also moving into a new, furnished home.
"Just shocked. Shocked," she said of the surprise from Dunn.
A home for new memories.
"I just want to be safe, got space, be able to relax," said Rosier.
"This is my home, my forever home," added Latoria.
"I have a really good team of individuals who are really about breaking generational poverty," said Dunn. "We have to start with the simple things of homeownership. Creating stability for families, giving kids the opportunity to grow up and experience things they wouldn't be able to experience if they didn't have their own home."
A home for two Tallahassee families is a dream come true.
Latoria and Rosier's homes are numbers 187 and 188 nationwide by Warrick Dunn. He said the fact that they're in Tallahassee means a little more because Tallahassee meant so much to him.
