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'I feel like the rest of the world probably doesn’t think of us,' local veteran gets big surprise

She’s a veteran who fought for her country but returned home struggling to make ends meet as a single mother. Now a local investor plans to help an Atlanta woman, get her life back on track, one month at a time.

Nicole Thomas served two tours in Afghanistan. She said it was no joke.

“The first time around I was guarding planes, flight lines and the second time around, I was in towers guarding the base perimeter from Afghanistan itself,” she said.

But when Thomas came home, she faced other hurdles as she struggled to make ends meet and raise her young daughters, Aniyah and McKenzie.

“I feel like the rest of the world probably doesn’t think of us too much,” Thomas said.

But on this Veterans Day, an Atlanta investor thought of her. Tom Lowry with Georgia Wealth Management will pay Thomas' rent for a year and help her manage the extra funds she'll have.

Her rent is about $600 a month.

"Out of dozens of folks, we selected you,” Lowry said to a surprised Thomas as she exited the elevator leading to his office. She thought she was being interviewed as a finalist for the payments, when it fact, she was the finalist out of more than 30 submissions.

“You’ve shouldered some work for us in the military so we wanted to take some work off of your shoulders.,” he said.

Thomas was also presented with a $150 gift card to spend it out she wanted. She couldn’t contain her excitement or tears.

She was handpicked after the Veterans Empowerment Network submitted her name, along with other veterans to Lowry’s office.

Kimberlyn Dixon is the Family Housing Case Manager with VEO and works closely with Thomas.

“We’re here to change lives. And I saw that today. This was a life-changing event for her,” said Dixon.

VEO is a nonprofit who serves homeless or struggling veterans get their lives back on track.

“We take them and get them settled first and then we asses and build a program around what their specific needs or problems are,” said spokesperson Dan Valentine.

And for Thomas, she said the honor is shocking. She says the large donation will help her pay bills, tackle debt and give her daughters a good Christmas.

In the long-term she says the donation will help free up money to put as a down payment towards home ownership, rebuild her life and look forward to her future.

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