Ellen Rewards a Chef Who Transformed His Life to Give Back to Others

In February, we discovered Derrick Walton, a chef in Des Moines who was once homeless, worked his way off the streets, and now owns a restaurant in Iowa; Chef D's Rock Power Pizza. Once a week, Walton, 47, closes his shop to serve those in need, and when Ellen found out about it, she had to not only share his story with the world, but also give him a reward.

After surprising Walton on the show, Ellen offered him $10,000 to help support his weekly act of kindness. Walton was moved to tears, and says that the money will be well spent.

"I didn't know where the money was going to come from," Derrick said afterwards. "This is going to help me keep these doors open."

Previously, Walton told us about growing up in Detroit, ending up homeless, and learning the value of lending support when possible.

"It put me in a position where I needed help from others, but the doors were always closed, I heard a lot of 'no's," he recalls. "I made a promise that if I ever got in a position where I could help somebody, I would give something back."

Needless to say, he did! And accordingly, Ellen did too.

To learn more about Walton's inspiring story, read here! And find out about his restaurant on his Facebook page.