Tunnel to Towers Foundation Welcomes Bakersfield Police Officer and Navy Veteran into their New Mortgage-Free Smart Home

Home dedication ceremony set for September 4 at 11:00 AM 

BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA [September 4, 2025] – On September 4, join the Tunnel to Towers Foundation as it hosts a home dedication ceremony for Bakersfield Police Officer and Navy veteran Jason White and his family to welcome them into their new mortgage-free smart home. 

A native of Bakersfield, Officer White served in the U.S. Navy for eight years before joining the Bakersfield Police Department in 2005. 

In 2022, while on duty, Officer White suffered the first of multiple strokes, leaving him fighting for his life. He spent 40 days in the ICU, months in a coma, and has spent years in and out of the hospital as part of his recovery and rehabilitation. 

Diagnosed with spastic quadriplegia and severe contractures, Officer White is now unable to walk and has limited hand mobility. His prior home had narrow hallways, walkways, and carpet, making it difficult to navigate in a wheelchair. 

To help him live more independently, Tunnel to Towers purchased the White family a home in Bakersfield, renovated it to make it accessible, and delivered it to the family mortgage-free. 

“This has been the greatest gift and an unbelievable blessing to my family…It will provide a forever home where I can be more independent,” said Officer White. “To not worry about a mortgage is humbling…I can’t even put into words what it means to us.” 

“When we got the call from Tunnel to Towers, we considered where we might want to move,” said Nicole White, Officer White’s wife. “But we can’t do snow, we don’t like humidity, and all our friends and family are here. So, we moved just 20 minutes away. It’s like a new town, but we still have our support system.”

The Tunnel to Towers Smart Home Program builds specially-adapted, mortgage-free smart homes or renovates existing homes to help our most catastrophically injured veterans and first responders reclaim their day-to-day independence.

Officer White’s new smart home features an open layout, flooring, automatic doors, a fully ADA-compliant bathroom, and smart controls for lighting, temperature, and security. A whole-house generator will keep these systems running during power outages and other emergencies.

“We used to cook together, but in our old home, the kitchen was so small that he couldn’t participate. I’m looking forward to getting him back into the kitchen,” said Nicole.