Eric Thomas

 Thomas was born in Chicago and grew up in Detroit. Thomas was the only child of a teenage mother. He was forced to quit high school following an argument with his aunts and parents. For the next two years, he walked the streets of Detroit homeless. He was homeless when he met a pastor, who urged him to go back to school and change his life. He also got a job at the Olive Garden in Detroit's west side. Thomas and De-De met in the Detroit Center Seventh-day Adventist Church in the early years of. After moving to Huntsville, Alabama, they were enrolled at Oakwood University and were then married while college students. Thomas was a student for twelve years, working towards a bachelor's degree at Oakwood and was awarded his degree in 2001.While in Huntsville, Thomas preached and created a program that would aid children who were in need.