Father, Son Surprised With Fully Furnished New Home In Clearwater

CLEARWATER, FL — Up until this week, single father Nate Johnson and his 9-year-old son, Nathan, had lived in a series of apartments, paying rents that seemed to increase every year.

"I have a vision board and on that board is a house, and I badly wanted that vision to come true," said Nate Johnson. “Being able to have our own home will end the cycle of renting, moving, renting, moving. We needed a forever place."

He decided to apply to Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties in the hopes of qualifying for an affordable home with a zero percent mortgage rate.

"I wanted to lay down a permanent foundation for Nathan," he said.

Johnson said he felt a wave of relief when he was accepted into the Habitat program.

“The first thought that went through my mind was, ‘Is this real?’" he said. “I was smiling so much the day I got my certificate of acceptance into the program.”

On Tuesday, Johnson and his son not only received the keys to a new home on LaSalle Street in Clearwater, but there were some major surprises awaiting them inside the home.

For the 219th time, Warrick Dunn Charities partnered with Habitat for Humanity to surprise the Johnsons with a fully furnished home as part of the charity's "Home for the Holidays" program. The charity was founded by Dunn when he retired from the NFL after 12 seasons, ending his career as a running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Also helping to surprise the Johnsons were the Milkey Family Foundation, which sponsored the home, its second sponsorship with Habitat for Humanity, and Aaron's, which donated the furniture for the home.

Johnson is a youth specialist at Ready for Life in Largo, a solution-based skill center supporting former foster care youth in Pinellas County in homelessness prevention, education and employment.

While his work is rewarding, the salary working at the nonprofit would never have allowed Johnson to make a down payment and monthly mortgage payments on a traditionally purchased home.

Johnson said the new zero percent mortgage home he helped to build with Habitat for Humanity volunteers will help ensure a bright future for his son.

"My son is high-energy and bubbly, a very loving kid," said Johnson."This is a place where he can put down roots, have a back yard to run free and have a place to come back to when he comes home from college."

He said he and his son spend a lot of time together, playing UNO and board games.

“Nathan is really into Hot Wheels and the Mario Cart characters," he said.

With that in mind, Warrick Dunn Charities had some special gifts awaiting the 9-year-old in his new bedroom.

In addition, the home came fully furnished, including a washer and dryer. The refrigerator and kitchen cabinets were fully stocked and there were even tools for maintaining the yard in the garage.

Johnson said the hard work required by Habitat for Humanity including taking homeownership classes and putting in sweat equity hours building the house was well worth the effort.

He added that he had a lot of help along the way from the Habitat for Humanity staff who walked him through the process and the volunteers who rolled up their sleeves and helped him build his new home.

Now he hopes to give back to the program by becoming a volunteer.

“Being a volunteer brings smiles to so many families that you help along the way," he said.

To learn more about volunteering on one of our construction sites, visit the Volunteer Page on Habitat for Humanity for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties website.