Tunnel to Towers Foundation Breaks Ground on Four Veterans Villages and Provides Mortgage-Free Homes to 40 Families in Honor of Veterans Day  

Tunnel to Towers Supports Veterans and Gold Star Families Across America

STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK [November 11, 2024] — This Veterans Day, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation is making a difference in the lives of veterans and their families by breaking ground on three Veterans Villages, and by delivering 40 mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families.

The foundation remains committed to supporting the memory of those who make the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

In Carrollton, Georgia, Tunnel to Towers fulfilled the mortgage for the family of Army Sergeant William Rivers, who was killed in a drone attack in Jordan on January 28, 2024. 

His wife, Darlene, shared, “This gift from Tunnel to Towers has lifted a huge financial burden off my shoulders and given us much-needed stability. Knowing that we get to remain in the home we shared with him makes me look forward to the future.”

In Lantana, Texas, Tunnel to Towers paid off the mortgage on the home of Marine Corps Sergeant Michael Carnell II, who passed away on February 2, 2024, after a three-year battle with service-related cancer. 

Sgt Carnell II joined the Marine Corps and was on active duty and in the reserves from 1998 until 2006. He achieved the rank of Sergeant before his Honorable Discharge on February 23, 2006. 

He continued to serve his country and fellow servicemen and women through his active participation and assistance with multiple Veteran service organizations. For many years Sgt Carnell II wore a 22-link chain around his neck symbolizing the 22 veterans who die of suicide every day. 

Sgt Carnell II is survived by his wife Gabriella and their three children, Liam, Natalya, and Alexa. 

The Tunnel to Towers Gold Star Family Home Program honors the legacy of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country by paying off the mortgage or providing the surviving spouses and young children with mortgage-free homes. The other families receiving homes this holiday include: 

• Navy Petty Officer First Class Christopher Chambers
• Navy Chief Petty Officer Delfin Dulay
• Marine Corps Corporal Ricardo Todd Wasco
• Air Force Staff Sergeant Benito Ivan Granillo
• Marine Corps Lance Corporal Jeremy Lasher
• Army Master Sergeant Barry Brill
• Army Sergeant Anselmo Martinez III
• Army Sergeant Conrad Alvarez
• Army Private First Class Christopher Pfeifer
• Navy Aviation Ordnanceman Chief Petty Officer Charles Thacker Jr
• Army Sergeant First Class Shawn Michael Suzch
• Army Sergeant Brad Wentz
• Army Sergeant Andrew Southard
• Army Sergeant First Class Matthew Sluss-Tiller
• Army Warrant Officer 1 Stewart Duane Wayment
• Army Sergeant Adam Robinson
• Army Sergeant First Class John Jarrell
• Army Staff Sergeant Kevin Pape
• Army Sergeant Kent Montgomery
• Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Mettler
• Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 4 Derek Abbott
• Army Colonel Mark Glenn
• Army Staff Sergeant David Whitcher
• Army Medical Corps Colonel Keith Scorza
• Army Staff Sergeant Michael Robert Stansbarger
• Fire Captain Nathan Burgess
• Army Staff Sergeant Keith Robert Mitchell
• Army Sergeant First Class Benjamin Montes
• Army Staff Sergeant Nathan Lee Wyrick
• Army Specialist Bernard Hill Jr. 
• Sterling Volunteer Firefighter Trevor Brown
• Tampa Police Corporal Michael Roberts
• Army Captain Darrell Cornelius Lewis
• Army Specialist Christophe Marquis

“This Veterans Day, Tunnel to Towers is honoring the memory of those who never got the chance to become veterans, who lost their lives protecting us overseas like Sergeant William Rivers and Petty Officer First Class Christopher Chambers. As these families grieve the tremendous loss of a husband and father, I know being able to stay in the homes they shared can bring some peace of mind, and stability to their lives,” said Tunnel to Towers CEO and Chairman, Frank Siller.

The foundation’s newest program to help homeless veterans across the country has made huge strides this past year. 

On November 7, Tunnel to Towers broke ground on its newest Veterans Village in Denver, Colorado. The Foundation will renovate a hotel into 120 units of single occupancy affordable housing for Veterans. 

In October, the Foundation broke ground on Veterans Villages in Buffalo, New York, Detroit, Michigan, and North Charleston, South Carolina. These four projects will create over 400 homes for veterans in these metro areas. Each Tunnel to Towers Veterans Village will offer comprehensive 24/7 supportive services, ensuring veterans live comfortably, with dignity and hope, as they work towards financial stability and independence to break the cycle of homelessness. 

Tunnel to Towers’ Homeless Veteran Program will provide housing assistance to over 10,000 veterans by the end of the year. 

“This Veterans Day, we honor those who served by extending a hand to those who have struggled since they returned home. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation wants to deliver a clear message – that you have not been forgotten, and we will not stop until every veteran who served this country is off its streets,” said Siller.

You can join Tunnel to Towers on its mission to support America’s veterans, Gold Star families, and fallen first responder families by going to T2T.org and donating $11 a month.