Turning tragedy into triumph is a basic tenet of this country. One national nonprofit has made that practice its mission and is helping families of fallen military and first responders, including a widow from Peachtree Corners.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation (T2T) was founded after the loss of a young firefighter named Steven Siller. His heroism and sacrifice fueled a cause that helps families heal after the harrowing loss of a loved one.
On September 11, 2001, Siller had just finished his shift and was on his way to play golf with his brothers when he got word over his scanner of a plane hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
Upon hearing the news, Stephen called his wife Sally and asked her to tell his brothers he would catch up with them later. He got his gear and headed into the city.
The entrance of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel had been closed to traffic for security purposes, blocking his route to Manhattan. Determined to carry out his duty, he strapped 60 pounds of gear to his back and raced on foot through the tunnel to the Twin Towers, where he gave his life to save others.
He left behind a wife, five children and a devoted extended family.
Honoring a fallen hero
To remember his selfless act, Siller’s siblings along with T2T commemorate his run from the Brooklyn tunnel to the Twin Towers.
“We’ll have about 200 of our recipients come to this and it’s sort of like a self-healing type of thing because the young children get to see other children that have lost their mom or their dad,” said John Huvane, vice president of first responder engagement for T2T and a retired NYPD detective. “We keep them all together and they get to talk to each other, and they build these relationships with that in mind.”
He said besides the help with things like house payments, it’s important to provide free mental health services for the children, the spouses and the immediate family.
“It’s so they can work through their issues,” said Huvane. “We also provide financial advice so that they know how to move forward and what to do with the life insurance money.”
T2T doesn’t try to steer them toward any particular financial planner but helps them navigate tricky situations.
“We just give them key things to think about,” he said. “Do you have life insurance? Do you have a living and trust? Things nobody ever thought they would be doing alone.”
A family changed forever
Just weeks from her twins’ second birthday, Kami Kennedy got the news that no wife wants. Her husband, Army Major Thomas “TK” Kennedy was killed by a suicide bomber while serving overseas in Afghanistan in 2012.
Although Major Kennedy grew up in New York, the family had just moved to Colorado when he was deployed.
“He was two weeks in the country when he was killed,” said Kennedy. “We were in Colorado for all of eight or six months, probably.”
With no ties in the area and two small children, Kennedy decided to move back to Georgia. Her sister lived in Buckhead but put her condo up for rent and helped take care of the kids.
“I grew up there from seventh grade through college. I lived in what is now Johns Creek but
back then it was Alpharetta,” she said. “My sister is not married … so she decided to move in with me. It was going to be just kind of like a temporary thing … but she actually still lives with me to this day. She ended up selling her condo and she’s just been such a big help.”
Renewed hope
Peachtree Corners turned out to be central to her needs and is near friends and relatives.
Years later, Kennedy’s mother-in-law told her about the Tunnels to Tower Foundation and the myriad ways they help families of fallen heroes.
“I looked into that and what they do is just incredible,” said Kennedy.
Besides home mortgage assistance for gold star families, they do so much,” she said.
T2T launched the Gold Star Family Home Program in September 2018. It honors the legacy of those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country. The foundation provides a mortgage-free home to surviving spouses with young children.
Before finding out about the Gold Star program, Kennedy thought T2T only assisted wounded veterans and first responders.
“The paperwork was easy to fill out,” she said adding that a total of 36 military families from 20 different states had their mortgages paid off on Memorial Day.
Kennedy is currently battling breast cancer and although it’s not in remission, it’s stable right now.
“This takes the biggest weight off me so that I can try to stay ahead of everything else,” she said. “No matter what happens to me, I know that my children will always have a home.”
It takes a village
Although T2T partners with major corporations like Home Depot and GMC, it receives a significant amount of smaller donations from average citizens. It has a program where people donate $11 per month to the foundation to honor those lost on 9/11.
“We’re in the process of building right now about 100 smart homes for veterans,” said Huvane. “We’ll buy the land. We’ll do all the permitting. We’ll oversee construction, refurnish the rooms and give them a new start.”
He added that, unlike many other nonprofits, 95.1% of funds raised go towards recipients – not administrative fees or things like that.
Kennedy urged spouses of fallen heroes to investigate the Tunnel to Towers programs. “They’ve been so wonderful and they’re very cognizant of not being intrusive,” she said. “Some families might want privacy, but I do not mind telling my story because I think they are such a wonderful organization, and I would love for them to get more recognition.”
Photo caption: The family of Army Major Thomas Kennedy had their mortgage paid off by Tunnel to Towers, a national nonprofit that provides services to veterans as well as families of fallen heroes such as military personnel and first responders. From left: John Carroll, Battalion Chief, FDNY (Ret.), homeowner Kami Kennedy and her daughter Maggie Kennedy. Photo courtesy of Tunnel to Towers’
