Natalie Citarella and Katie Wyatt

In KD and Beyond

Home for the holidays: What does the phrase mean to you? Perhaps it calls to mind the glow of candles, holiday lights and a warm fire; a potpourri of scents – freshly baked cookies and pies, turkey and dressing, cinnamon and sage; and the excitement of reconnecting with family and the feeling of love and security that comes with everyone gathered under one roof.

For many, these holiday images are found only in movies – or dreams. For some fortunate families, KDs Natalie Citarella Boe, Beta Pi-Florida, and Katie Wyatt, Zeta Sigma-Charleston, are helping turn dreams into reality through the Warrick Dunn Foundation where Natalie serves as executive director and Katie works as a project coordinator.

Established by Warrick Dunn, a running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the foundation’s primary endeavor is its Homes for the Holidays program that provides down payment assistance and furnishings for homes of single-parent families who have qualified for a home through partner organizations such as Habitat for Humanity. Warrick created the program to honor his mother, Betty Smothers, a single mother of six children who worked as a Baton Rouge, La., police officer and held several off-duty jobs to make ends meet. During Warrick’s senior year of high school, his mother was killed in the line of duty, and although she worked hard throughout her life, she never realized her dream of homeownership.

On his foundation Web site, www.warrickdunnfoundation.org, Warrick says, “I did not grow up with many material things, but I was surrounded by the love of my family, friends and coaches. My mother worked overtime to put food on the table and a roof over our heads. Although we did not have much, she taught me how to give of myself and to be generous to those in need … The Warrick Dunn Foundation strives to help those who are helping themselves. I learned a long time ago that you cannot be all things to all people. However, each of us can do our part to help in some small way to make our community a better place to live. I believe that homeownership is the foundation for establishing a stable and productive family environment, an environment in which children can thrive educationally, socially and economically.”

Warrick established the Homes for the Holidays program in Tampa, Fla., in 1997 after he was drafted by the Buccaneers. A year later, he introduced the program in his hometown of Baton Rouge, and in 2002, his first year with the Atlanta Falcons, he brought the program to Atlanta. Warrick is back in Tampa again with the Bucs, but he continues to support the program in Baton Rouge, Atlanta and also Tallahassee, Fla., where he graduated from Florida State University. Since 1997, Homes for the Holidays has helped make the dream of homeownership come true for more than 75 single parents, and Warrick has received several awards for his community service, including the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

As the foundation’s only two employees, Natalie and Katie are instrumental in making dreams come true. Their work entails fund development, event planning, donor stewardship, accounting, public relations, securing the down payment assistance and furnishing the homes. “We definitely wear a lot of hats,” Natalie says, adding, “It’s extremely rewarding.”

Before signing on as the foundation’s executive director in 2007, Natalie worked as an account executive for a Tampa public relations agency, and the foundation was one of her clients. While working at the agency, she helped develop the foundation’s mission statement and strategic plan. She also began volunteering for the organization and traveled to Baton Rouge for a home presentation that inspired her to do more. Natalie says, “The more I heard about [Warrick Dunn’s] story, the more I felt connected. My parents were divorced, so I understand the difficulties a single parent faces.”

In 2007, the Warrick Dunn Foundation assisted its first single father – a 50-year-old man who had a full-time job but still struggled to put a roof over his family. His four children were living with his sister, and he was sleeping in a homeless shelter in an effort to save enough money to build his home through Habitat for Humanity, which also required him to contribute 400 hours of sweat equity. The single father was aware that the foundation provided $5,000 toward his down payment, but he had no idea of the gifts that were to come.

Through title sponsor Prudential Tropical Realty and in-kind sponsor Aaron’s Sales & Lease Ownership, the foundation completely furnishes each new home, including kitchen appliances, washers, dryers, lawn equipment, linens, home décor items, cleaning supplies and a fully stocked kitchen with dishes, utensils and food. Natalie and Katie speak with other family members and friends to find out exactly what the family wants and then find volunteers who can do the shopping and keep it a secret. Natalie and Katie are there on move-in day to help turn the new house into a home. “We do all of this undercover!” Natalie says.

On the December day the home was presented to the single dad, the ruse was that he needed to come for a home inspection – and what an inspection it was! He arrived to find his newly constructed house transformed into a comfortable home for his family – just in time to be home for the holidays. “He felt sure that they would be sleeping on the floor,” Natalie says. His joy is Natalie’s most memorable experience since she began working with the foundation. Being involved in all aspects – from securing the donations to helping arrange the furniture – heightens the anticipation she and Katie feel when it’s time for the big reveal. “It is physically and emotionally draining by the time the presentation comes,” Natalie says. She is quick to emphasize that the end result is worth it. “The foundation provides recipients with hope for success and a bright future.” Katie adds, “It’s a great program. I love it because it rewards them for their hard work.” The foundation calls its work a hand up, not a hand out.

Homes are typically presented during the holiday season; however, the foundation will add a home presentation to coincide with the 2009 Super Bowl that will be held in Tampa. Natalie and Katie also are launching the inaugural Brooks and Dunn Golf Classic that will be held in Florida Jan. 29-30, 2009. The Warrick Dunn Foundation is joining forces with Derrick Brooks Charities, headed by Tampa Bay Buccaneer and FSU graduate Derrick Brooks. The two-day event includes a live and silent auction, pairings reception, raffle prizes, golf event and awards dinner to raise funds for their charities.

This past October, Natalie and Katie planned the Sixth Annual Warrick Dunn Foundation Gala in Atlanta, which included musical performances, a live and silent auction, Macy’s Fashion Extravaganza and a guest list that boasted numerous NFL stars. To help locally with this event the KDs turned to another KD: Austin Mahler, an Atlanta public relations professional who was in the Natalie’s new member class at Beta Pi-Florida.

Another Beta Pi was the connection that led to both Natalie and Katie working for the Warrick Dunn Foundation. Kelli Chestnutt Gebbia helped her best friend, Natalie, secure her first job at the Tampa PR agency, and four years later Kelli recommended her co-worker, Katie, for the foundation’s project coordinator position.

In addition to career networking, Natalie and Katie credit Kappa Delta for helping them in other ways. Both women served their chapters as Panhellenic representatives, and Katie felt a push toward her career from her Greek involvement. She remembers a day when she was studying for the LSAT (law school entrance exam) and it occurred to her that the work she was doing through Panhellenic – event planning, fund-raising and philanthropic service – was the career direction that would bring meaning and fulfillment to her life. Natalie keeps a graduation gift from her Beta Pi sisters in her office. It is a plaque that reads: “Let us strive for that which is honorable, beautiful and highest.” “It always inspires me to be my best,” Natalie says.