WATCH: Texas Army Veteran Gifted $10,000 Home Depot Gift Card: ‘I Cannot Believe It’

A Texas veteran was surprised with a $10,000 Home Depot gift card after Winter Storm Uri severely damaged her home in February.

Army Veteran Dezba Terry of Killeen spent time serving her country in Iraq and Germany before her service ended in 2010, according to KCEN-TV.

“Giving back just a little bit of your time helps you get rooted in your community helps you have a sense of family,” Terry said per KWTX.

Fort Hood Habitat for Humanity assisted Terry with home repairs after the storm, and on Thursday, they partnered with Home Depot Foundation and Home Builder’s Insitute (HBI) to ensure she had the funds for any future work the home may need.

Terry’s home was significantly damaged when Winter Storm Uri rocked Texas in February. Pipes froze, causing water to leak through the house, cabinets were destroyed, and black mold surfaced in the bathroom.

“Being a single parent I cook at home a lot. I was like, ‘ok, I don’t even know what to do now’. Not to be able to wash you [sic] dishes in the sink. Not be able to prep a meal,” said Terry, per KCEN-TV. 

Contractors would travel to her residence and provide her with estimates, but they would tell her that because of the enormous demand following the storm, it would take time before they could start repairs.

“I even had a contractor come out to work on the house but he ended up bailing on me, and I was left in a jam,” she recalled, per the Killeen Daily Herald. 

“I was almost going to give up,” Terry said.

While volunteering with Bring Everyone In The Zone, a veteran nonprofit, other volunteers recommended Terry reach out to Fort Hood Habitat for Humanity. She heeded their advice and qualified for the organization’s critical repair program, KCEN-TV reports. 

Another veteran “who had gone though [sic] a local residential construction program” with HBI repaired many of her home’s issues.

“I was impressed by all the work he did. It made me feel better about my home and we even talked about the time we served in the military. I felt comfortable in that environment,” Terry said, according to KCEN-TV. 

On Thursday, Terry attended a meeting with other veterans in HBI’s program to speak on her experience with the residential construction program. Terry was unaware that HBI and Fort Hood Habitat for Humanity worked with the Home Depot Foundation to provide her with a $10,000 Home Depot gift card for future repairs, KCEN-TV reports. Terry was shocked to receive the gift.

“I cannot believe it,” Terry said after receiving the card, per the Killeen Daily Herald.

“Wow. This is really going to be very helpful to me and my kids. We’ve been down a long road this year,” she said. “This is amazing.”