There’s no doubt that you know where you were on September 11th, 2001. Those attacks on our country affected many people. I personally know someone who lost a person in the twin towers and can remember the sign that my wife added to her car which read, “United We Stand.” Those who died or were injured that day will be remembered for their sacrifice.
You probably know that on 9/11 Frank Sillers also lost his brother who was a New York City Firefighter that entered the Twin Towers but never returned. In his brother’s memory, Frank created Tunnel to Towers Foundation to help families of someone who died that day. Later, Tunnel to Towers started taking care of first responders which includes military, law enforcement and firefighters.
Recently, I attended a friend’s memorial service and spoke with some friends. Our discussion was about Frank Siller’s Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Each one of those friends told me if I contacted them to see how they could help, then they would be all in. That was music to my ears because the rest is history. Here are the details as we discussed that day.
This past month, Tunnel to Towers Foundation unveiled plans for their newest Veteran’s Village located in Memphis, Tennessee. Their foundation has plans to eradicate veteran homelessness. As I explain the details, I hope I have your heart too.
Tunnel to Towers has purchased the shattered hotel on Riverdale Bend in Memphis and will transform it into housing for America’s veterans. Tunnel to Towers will renovate every dorm room, install new flooring, add furniture, fixtures and appliances which will make each room an independent living space for America’s veterans. The Memphis Veterans Village is scheduled to be completed in 2025 and will provide housing for over 100 formerly homeless veterans.
The Veterans Village is much more than just housing. The first floor will offer on-site comprehensive support services for residents, including job training, benefits assistance, education assistance, medical care access, mental health support, PTSD counseling, and addiction treatment. So, they will offer more than housing.
In 2023, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation launched its homeless veteran program with a very ambitious mission of eradicating veteran homelessness nationwide. As of the writing of this article, T to T has provided housing assistance and services to more than 5,000 veterans. It’s a huge undertaking, but here’s the plan.
There are currently Veteran’s Villages opening in Houston, Texas; Riverside, California; West Los Angeles, California; and Phoenix, Arizona. They’re moving forward because they have broken ground on the next two locations in Bradenton, Florida and Mableton, Georgia about an hour’s drive from me.
Before the end of this year, Tunnel to Towers will start additional Veterans Villages in Denver, Colorado; Charleston, South Carolina; Buffalo, New York and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania because new locations keep coming for these deserving veterans. With locations being added across this country, here’s how you can help. Darian Weaver, President and Publisher of this magazine listened to my concerns and promised to join my committee. Tow Professional Magazine and the podcast will help me and lead with the towing industry’s assistance.
I contacted T to T and asked what we can do to assist with this tremendous need to help our homeless veterans. They could use vans to take the residents to doctor appointments, and special events during the year or maybe a weekly trip to Walmart for toiletries. See where I’m going with this request? If you can help in any way, I want you to have my contact information. My cell number is 770-301-4122 and my email address is dj@djsays.com.
As you can see, they could use our help to find a small shuttle bus, and we can clean it up, add a wheelchair ramp, and it would be from all of us in the towing business. Those of you reading this article care about homeless veterans in this great country. However, my sphere of influence doesn’t go far enough.
So, I am looking for people to join my committee to help with this project. We need vans, used wheels, maybe an engine or transmission now and then. You might have these things in your yard. We will need wheelchair ramps and someone who could install the wheelchair ramp into a van that was donated. What I really need are people that have heard the call and are willing to help. Donate a van or just sign up to give $11 a month to Tunnel to Towers. To donate, go online to T2T.org. It is very simple to do. Or make one call, that’s all!
Please let me know if you know someone with a van or want to help me put this program together. Nothing would please me more than to donate 2 vans to Tunnel to Towers for homeless veterans. With your help, I know we can do this.
Thank you in advance for hearing my request and acting upon it.
See you on the next podcast.
