A gift of home and hope

By Times Staff
Published November 30, 2005

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The scene has been repeated more than 50 times: NFL running back Warrick Dunn opening the doors of a brand new house to single mothers.

Tuesday, it was Yolanda Blount's turn to marvel at her house in St. Petersburg. Dunn began his Homes for the Holidays in 1997 to honor his mother, Betty Smothers, a law officer killed in the line of duty.

"I'm always blessed to be in this position to help people," Dunn said in Holiday, where he presented a home to Nancy Bevilacqua. "It keeps you humble."