Call it a Christmas miracle or just a charming true story – a single mother of four young children was on the verge of losing her home in the middle of the holiday season when a group of local veterans saved the day. The Dale K. Graham Veteran's Corner in Norman, Oklahoma considers it its mission to help around 150 former servicemembers with their veterans benefits on a weekly basis, but Army reservist Rosa Florence was a special case.
For the last five years, Florence has been with the 401st Engineer Company based in Mustang. In a run of bad luck, she lost her day job, her car and her utilities within a short time frame. All this, and she hadn't even had the money or opportunity to purchase her children's Christmas gifts.
"It took a lot from me to actually admit that I needed help, mainly because when you are in the military you are told, you know, man up," Florence told News On 6. "So I had to hit rock bottom before I actually admitted I need help."
Florence's situation grew so bad that she was considering moving into homeless shelter. But she was hopeful that something good was just around the corner. She was right. The Veterans Corner helped Florence catch up on her rent and paid for her utilities. But that wasn't all. A generous local couple donated $500 for Christmas and a veteran couple in Moore gave Florence her very own truck.
"It'll actually be the best Christmas that any of us have ever had," Florence exclaimed.
Stephanie Maxwell, a reservist in Albany, New York, shared those feelings for a similar reason. News 10 reported that the mother of two wanted to make sure that her children had a great Christmas, but was worried that her recent financial hardship would keep that from happening.
Once again, veterans turned out to help. The Veteran's Miracle Center provided Maxwell with a decorated tree and enough presents to ensure that her kids had an unforgettable holiday.