Family hit by Harvey receives $10,000 worth of furniture

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Many are still working to rebuild from Hurricane Harvey as many others are doing what can be done to keep that burden from ruining peoples' holidays. And for one family, who lives in Old Katy, they're feeling the generosity of the season.

"We thought we'd be gone for two or three days and be back because it'd be over with," said Chris Ustruck when discussing his family's plan to evacuate their home ahead of Hurricane Harvey.

"The kitchen, it's the heart of our home," said a tearful Simeon Ustruck.

The kitchen and entire first floor flooded as Harvey's relentless rains pounded, forcing this family of ten to move upstairs and live in a shared space. That's been the case for the last four months.

"Before the hurricane, we would go downstairs and watch the TV on the couch and stuff like that," said Brandt Crowell.

"It's way more crowded up here because before it was just like, us kids but now our parents are up here so it's kinda crowded," said Madeleine, who has been accustomed to her own space upstairs, until Harvey forced the whole family up there.

Crowded, yes, however a tree stands in the makeshift living room across from the family's shared microwave and pantry. But in the midst of this hardship that's still months from complete, a call came in to Ustruck.

"I said, 'Thank you so much for everything you all are doing for us,' and she said, 'You need to thank The Man Upstairs,'" recalled Ustruck after learning that her family was picked for quite the giveaway. The Christmas Giveaway to be exact.

A co-worker of Ustruck nominated her family for the Christmas Giveaway at Gallery Furniture. Jim McIngvale, known as 'Mattress Mack,' allowing the Ustruck family to come into his Gallery Furniture store on the North Freeway and spend $10,000 on new furniture as well as $2,600 on accessories.

"That can get a lot done with the whole house," said Naasson Crowell. "I mean that's like the whole downstairs that can be redone."

The family, minus three of the children, spent the afternoon on Tuesday searching for some new furniture.

"It's a joy to us to be able to help them," said McIngvale. "You know the season of Christmas is about giving."

"We hadn't even gotten to that point of thinking about furniture and how we're going to make this all happen," said Ustruck. "Just one day at a time. That's kinda been our motto. Fake it 'til you make it. Keep smiling. Push through it. Keep being kind to people and we'll make it one way or another."