By Kim Hilsenbeck.
After nearly ten years of personal and financial troubles, including not having a place to live for a while, Adria Garcia finally has a place to call home. The best part? It was free.
Garcia, a former U.S. Army National Guard sergeant, was wounded in an attack in Iraq on Sept. 11, 2004, four years after she enlisted in the military.
That blast left her wounded, both physically and emotionally.
It took years for her to come to grips with what she experienced in combat. To this day, she still occasionally has to retreat inside herself and get away from people – even her own family – just to clear her head.
| Here, the new home of Sgt. Adria Garcia, a wounded veteran who served in the U.S. Army National Guard, was donated through Operation Finally Home. It was built by Pulte Group in the Sunfield neighborhood of Buda. At top, Sgt. Adria Garcia, a wounded veteran, hugs a friend in the driveway of her new home in Buda. She and her family received the house from the nonprofit Operation Finally Home. More than 100 people turned out to welcome Garcia home, carrying tiny American flags with hand-written notes. (Photos by Kim Hilsenbeck) |
The Purple Heart recipient, who earned an honorable discharge, received a new house through the Operation Finally Home organization. Its building partner for this project, Pulte Homes, has so far built seven homes in Texas for deserving veterans.
Garcia’s is the first in Hays County. She and her daughter, Ericka Nicole, knew about the house, but Monday’s reveal offered several new surprises.
It began with an emotional arrival to a street lined with about 100 people waving tiny American flags. Each flag bore a hand-written message from a friend, family member or one of many employees from the various organizations and companies involved in making the new house possible for Garcia.
Members of one of those groups, Fabulous Working Ladies of Austin, were there to support Adria, a member of the networking organization for two years. The group’s founder, Sherri Arnold, held her American flag as she awaited Adria’s arrival.
“We brought toys and presents,” she said. “And a bottle of wine.”
Sgt. Garcia cut the red ribbon, then, along with her father, Angel, her daughter, and her granddaughters, walked into their new house to find a Christmas tree decorated with presents underneath, a fully stocked pantry courtesy of H-E-B and furniture in every room. Garcia’s granddaughters’ room featured new bedding and stuffed animals.
Several times during the tour, Garcia stopped to wipe tears from her eyes. Her smile, huge and genuine, lit up the rooms as she encountered each new surprise.
The entire event was captured on film for Operation Finally Home, the nonprofit founded by veteran Dan Wallrath.
Queen Latifah featured Sgt. Garcia and Operation Finally Home on her show in late November to surprise Garcia with the news that she would be receiving the home. For more than 30 minutes, photographers and videographers followed her around the new home.
Garcia, who until Monday was living in Killeen but driving two hours each way to a job in south Austin, said the house and everything in it was all very unexpected.
Her father, Angel, who lives in Puerto Rico and is also a veteran, said they didn’t know the house would be ready to move in that day. When he pulled up in the minivan with Adria, he saw all the people and the 18-wheeler in front of the house.
“I said, my goodness, she’s getting all this? I thought they were just going to hand her a key,” he said. “She knew they were giving her money for furniture and food, but this ... I didn’t know it was furnished already. I didn’t know all this was going to happen.”
He looked around, tears brimming his eyes.
“I’m real proud of my daughter,” he said, emotion choking off his sentence.
Ericka Nicole, who will live with Garia, was also overwhelmed. Watching her young girls, Ivy (pronounced EV) and Glori, play on the bunkbed, she said, “I’m still in shock. I can’t believe this happened. I was taken back by the crowd.”
Out in the main room of the house, Adria said, “I feel like I can breath better now. Having this home is a security for my girls,” she said.
She was also happy about getting back four hours of her day because of not having to commute in from Killeen.
Walking back outside, Adria again wiped tears from her eyes. She took a moment to thank Cassaundra St. John, executive director of the Austin-based F7 Foundation, who nominated Adria to Operation Finally Home.
F7 provides resources, support, training and mentoring to female veterans and women in military families.
“She is amazing,” Adria said of Cassaundra.
Stephen Teodecki, Central Texas division president for PulteGroup, thanked Adria for her service.
“The thing that impressed us when we met you was your courage, your humility and your selflessness,” he said. “Not only did you represent our country with honor, but you continue to ... dedicate your time and resources to many charities throughout the community. You are truly an example of courage and selflessness.”
