A single mom working two jobs to provide for her two children, US Army veteran Trista Hopkins got the surprise her life during a normal afternoon as a cafeteria worker in a Dallas middle school.

Hopkins knew something special was happening when media began arriving. She then realized the focus was on her when a man from the non-profit Rebuilding Together put his arm around her and announced that she was the recipient of their Homes 4 Heroes program, and her dilapidated home would be completely remodeled and rebuilt.

(WATCH the video below or READ the story, w/ photos, from WFAA-TV)