Warrick Dunn Charities Partners With Aaron’s & Atlanta Habitat for Humanity To Surprise A New Homeowner

In Celebration of Mother’s Day, Single Mother Receives Down-Payment Assistance and Complete Home Furnishings

Atlanta, GA (May 12, 2015) — Warrick Dunn Charities (WDC) partnered with Atlanta Habitat for Humanity and Aaron’s Inc. to surprise first-time homebuyer, Wanda Boykin, who is a working single mother of four.

Warrick Dunn, former National Football League (NFL) all-pro running back and philanthropist began the Homes for the Holidays (HFTH) program in 1997 during his rookie season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. HFTH was created in honor of Dunn’s late mother, Betty Smothers, a Baton Rouge police officer who was killed during an after-hours security shift, while seeking out her dream of homeownership.

Homes for the Holidays is a program designed to support single parents that are first-time homebuyers. Since 1997, HFTH has served 142 single parents and 388 dependents in 13 markets across the country. HFTH continuously works toward assisting single parents on their quest to homeownership by providing recipients with a fully furnished home as well as a completely stocked kitchen and pantry. In addition, support services such as education, financial literacy, and health and wellness are developed in order to create sustainable households.

Wanda Boykin received the ultimate Mother’s Day surprise as she walked into her new Atlanta Habitat home. Over the past week, Warrick Dunn Charities and several volunteers spent countless hours completely furnishing the Boykin home. In addition to the fully stocked and furnished house, Ms. Boykin received $5,000 in down-payment assistance.

The journey to homeownership has been trying for Boykin. After applying to Atlanta Habitat’s program in 2011, and not meeting the qualifications, Boykin was determined to better her situation. Since then, Boykin has completed sweat-equity hours and the necessary courses to reach her goal of homeownership, which serves as a long-awaited triumph after losing her mother at a young age. Boykin is proud to continue in her grandfather’s footsteps of homeownership, thus leaving a legacy for her children.

“Every home celebration changes a life! We are honored to have great partners like Aaron’s Inc., Delta Air Lines, Inc. and always our Habitat for Humanity family. Together, we were able to make a dream come true for The Boykin Family.” said Warrick Dunn, Founder of Warrick Dunn Charities.

About Warrick Dunn Charities‍

Warrick Dunn Charities, Inc. provides hope and healing to communities through innovative programming inspired by our Founder’s life journey. Since 1997, the Homes for the Holidays program has rewarded 143 single parents and over 340 children and dependents that have achieved first-time homeownership. Serving single-parent families nationwide, WDC and its partners have awarded single parents to combat poverty, hunger and ensure families have basic necessities and comfortable surroundings to improve their quality of life.

For more information, visit www.wdc.org.

About Aaron’s Inc.‍

Aaron’s, Inc. (NYSE: AAN), a leader in the sales and lease ownership and specialty retailing of residential furniture, consumer electronics, home appliances and accessories, has more than 2,130 Company-operated and franchised stores in 48 states and Canada. Aaron’s was founded in 1955, is headquartered in Atlanta and has been publicly traded since 1982. For more information, visit www.aarons.com. Aaron’s, Inc. includes the Aarons.com and ShopHomeSmart.com brands.

Contact‍

Lisa Chester, Warrick Dunn Charities, Inc.
Ph. 404.632.2893 Email: chester@wdc.org

On-site Contact:‍

Ashley Hamilton, Warrick Dunn Charities, Inc.
Ph. 404.632.2825 Email: ahamilton@wdc.org