A true DREAM HOME

God works in mysterious ways.

A plan came together in the past few months that only God could have aligned.

Cliff and Amy Gunstanson needed a miracle and God provided.

But first was the test.

“Cliff and I got married in June of 2022 and we moved into a rent home in Atlanta that has its own share of problems,” Amy said. “So, we began looking elsewhere for another home to call our own.”

The excitement of being a new homeowner quickly turned into a nightmare.

Cliff and Amy bought a house last year through a for-sale-byowner deal.

It wasn’t until they started stripping away at the top layers that they found a myriad of problems.

“The more we uncovered the worse it was,” Amy remarked. “There were broken pipes and standing water under the floors. The leveling was terrible and we found one wall that wasn’t supported at all.”

“Cliff fell through the floor several times, had a beam under the house fall on him and pin him down and we just thought this was an impossible task,” Amy added.

The couple prayed and God started to move for them. Amy is a Managing Insurance Agent who knows the ins and outs of Medicare better than most.

She was invited to the Atlanta Lions Club where she met Deanna O’Malley.

Some would say this was by chance. Amy says, “it was God moving on my behalf.”

Cass County Judge Travis Ransom had invited O’Malley to speak to the club about her job and what they do.

O’Malley is the Area Director for Field Operations on the Community Sustainability Team for Communities Unlimited who serves seven states in the southern United States, an area with many rural communities, a high minority population, high poverty and food insecurity.

O’Malley and Amy hit it off straight away and over the course of a few weeks, things began coming together.

“We talked about a few different things but the problems she was having in her life didn’t come up right away,” O’Malley said. “But then one day Amy mentioned a “money pit” problem and my ears perked up. The more she talked about it the more I wanted to try and help this sweet couple.”

“She showed me photos of the damage and I was heart broken but even more determined to help her and Cliff,” O’Malley added. “I kept trying every resource I could find, but there was always a box they couldn’t check. I was preparing myself for defeat.”

What seemed like another roadblock, God opened a door.

O’Malley spoke with Daniel Guerrero, store manager at the Texarkana Home Depot. Guerrero brought the story to the Home Depot Foundation, which approved a $16,730 grant to supply renovation materials.

“We were asked to come to Home Depot in Texarkana and they surprised us with a check presentation,” Amy said. “We were overwhelmed by the generosity and very thankful.”

Then things really took off. “We put everything in God’s hands and He provided,” Amy said.

From there Jason Butler, owner of TXK Make Ready and a member of the Texarkana Contractors Alliance, was called and asked if he would take a look at the home.

“When I saw the shape, the home was in I immediately said, ‘we’re doing this,’” Butler said.

“Our communities in Bowie and Cass counties have such giving hearts. We have plenty of people in this area that care.”

Owner of the Texarkana Contractors Alliance and his own roofing company, Tony Langford stepped in as well.

“Jason asked me to get involved and I didn’t hesitate,” Langford said. “I had some guys check out the situation and the situation was dire.”

Not only was everything coming together, the group found out that Amy was a U.S. Navy Veteran.

“The wheels in my head started spinning and I thought ‘let’s do this on Veteran’s Day,” Butler said. “Our Veterans are overlooked and at some point, this lady gave up part of her life to make ours better.”

“That makes it worthwhile.” So, on Veterans Day, volunteers from eight regional Home Depot stores spanning from Shreveport, Louisiana to Tyler to Lufkin joined forces with contractors from the Texarkana area to make this a reality for the Gunstansons.

“We had The Home Depot Foundation, Communities Unlimited, Restoration of Hope, Tony Langford Roofing, Contractor Alliance Group, and TxK Make Ready involved,” O’Malley said. “With the several local contractors and volunteers, the project made major progress. On Veteran’s Day, 70 to 80 volunteers from eight Home Depot helped out along with several local businesses providing food and materials.”

The one goal they shared was to rebuild the home from the inside out and have the Gunstansons in their renovated home by mid-December.

“Deanna worked very hard with Daniel from Home Depot to get us this grant and to have Jason and Tony and all of the volunteers working together it was amazing,” Amy said. “God has amazed us with this encounter. I’m in utter awe and on your face grateful.”

Butler said that there is still more work to do to get the couple into their home by mid-December and if anyone wants to volunteer their time to give him a call.