NFL Star Warrick Dunn Gives 241st Home to Single-Parent Family, Honors Late Mother

Through his charity work spanning nearly three decades, former NFL star Warrick Dunn just made another family's dream come true. His organization passed the keys to home number 241, marking another milestone in his mission to support families in need.

In Largo, Florida, Falicia Hill stood with her three kids as she stepped into their new house. The gift came through a joint effort between Dunn's group and Habitat For Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside. "It's going to help me in ways I never could've imagined," Hill said per ABC Action News.

Inside, they found much more than empty rooms. The house came stocked with $10,000 in furnishings, full pantry shelves, and a $5,000 check for the down payment. Hill could barely speak when she walked in. "My heart sunk right into my stomach. When I walked inside, they blew me away. It was more than I ever imagined."

Tampa Bay holds special meaning in this work: 63 families in the area now own homes thanks to these efforts. "I was always taught you give a hand-up, not a hand-out. Everything I had to work for, I try to lead by example," Dunn said.

Each new home gets an apple pie: a sweet touch that started as a tribute to Dunn's mom, Debby. She raised him alone while working as a police officer until her death during an off-duty shift. "Every home, we put in apple pies. Going on 28 years. It would be apple pie in 200-plus homes. It's a treat. I tell them, if you guys don't eat that apple pie, I'll take it," he said.

The ex-Buccaneer stays close to his roots through this work. His voice filled with emotion as he shared, "This is what it's about, impacting the community that helps me get through life a lot of time. I can revert back to these memories when you hand them the keys, they walk through the door, and their expressions, and the kids going to their rooms. How emotional."

With a ready-to-live-in home, Hill won't need to buy extra items. She plans to put her Habitat program savings toward other needs.