Woodforest to Soon Have True Hometown Hero

We think all of our residents are special, but you’ll probably agree that one who will make their home in Woodforest later this year is particularly fantastic — U.S. Army SFC Demitra Jarrett.

Jarrett discovered she would be the recipient of the mortgage-free home as part of the Operation FINALLY HOME program, to be built in Woodforest by Coventry Homes, in a special surprise ceremony held in our community May 18. She believed she was coming to Woodforest to meet with representatives of Operation FINALLY HOME and Coventry Homes as part of the application process.

Jarrett served two years in the Army Reserve before going on active duty in 2002. She has been deployed overseas multiple times — including twice to Iraq and once to Kuwait — and suffered serious injuries during her first deployment in 2003. After being diagnosed with lupus, Jarrett returned to duty in 2005. In 2012, she was accepted into Army Officer Candidate School (OCS), but was unable to attend due to her deteriorating condition. She served as a squad leader and platoon sergeant for the Fort Belvoir Wounded Warrior Battalion before she medically retired from the Army in 2013. Jarrett has earned a multitude of awards during her time in the Army, including the Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal and many more.

Today, Jarrett suffers from PTSD, traumatic brain injury, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. Coventry is building Jarrett’s new home to accommodate the wheelchair she uses on occasion.

Jarrett, who holds a bachelor’s degree in human resources management and an associate’s degree in management studies, is continuing her education studying for a master’s degree in psychology. She said she plans to finish her Ph.D. in endocrinology/rheumatology and hopes to study her own illness and provide coping skills to fellow veterans suffering from PTSD.

Operation FINALLY HOME first selects a builder for each project and then moves on to choosing a veteran and location. Partnering with builders, developers, corporate sponsors, builder associations, individual contributors and volunteers, the organization is able to deliver a custom-built home mortgage free to selected military heroes. The announcement of the recipient is a surprise.

Operation FINALLY HOME was founded in 2005 by Texas custom homebuilder Dan Wallrath. Today, Operation FINALLY HOME has over 200 homes in 33 states that have either been completed, under construction or are currently in the planning stage. This is Coventry Homes’ second partnership with Operation FINALLY HOME. Woodforest developer Johnson Development also partnered previously with the organization on several projects.

We are proud to have Demitra and her family as residents of Woodforest!