Veteran’s family receives free gifts and decorations ahead of Christmas

Shireka Brantley served in the U.S. Army for eight years

Titusville, Fla. – It was a knock on the door Shireka Brantley and her family will never forget. A Christmas tree, decorations, and dozens of gifts were all placed outside her home for her children to see.

“This is a huge surprise. A huge help. Especially right now because my mom is in hospice care in the house and this is something we look forward every year,” Brantley said.

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Brantley served in the U.S. Army for eight years and is a mother of four who lives in Titusville.

On Friday, she was in tears when The Home Depot Foundation and Volunteers of America Florida showed up to her house with the surprise.

Home Depot surprises local veteran's families ahead of the holidays. (Image: Ezzy Castro/WKMG) (WKMG 2020)

“It’s a big help especially for the kids you know it’s amazing there’s people out there that care,” she said.

Kristen Price with Home Depot was one of the volunteers who helped set up on Friday.

“I’m a single mom myself with two boys and I think it’s great to cater to the moms and spoil them and show them how important they are as the role in their families being able to take care of them. They need that extra support too to feel special, so it’s amazing,” Price said.

Home Depot surprises local veteran's families ahead of the holidays. (Image: Ezzy Castro/WKMG) (WKMG 2020)

But despite the tears, Brantley and her family said Christmas is not just about gifts or giving, it’s something way more special than that.

“Love doesn’t cost anything, and you can get that any day,” she said.

The Home Depot Foundation and Volunteers of America Florida were able to donate gifts to two other veteran families in Brevard County.


About the Author

Ezzy Castro is a multimedia journalist on News 6's morning team who has a passion for telling the stories of the people in the Central Florida community. Ezzy worked at WFOR CBS4 in South Florida and KBMT in Beaumont, Texas, where she covered Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Being from Miami, Ezzy loves Cuban coffee and croquetas!

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