Tunnel to Towers Foundation to offer job training, mental health treatment and other services on site
NORTHFIELD — The Tunnel to Towers Foundation held a groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 28 for one of its signature Veterans Villages in Northfield.
The organization was founded in December 2001 to honor New York City firefighter Stephen Siller, who lost his life on Sept. 11, 2001, after running through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel to the Twin Towers to help save victims of the terror attacks.
The organization, which goes by T2T, is planning a complex with 99 rooms in one three- or four-story building and 22 single homes along the bike path between Tilton and Mill roads.
“We’re thrilled to be here in the state of New Jersey, and especially here for the groundbreaking of our new village right here in Northfield,” T2T board member Brad Blakeman told the crowd. “We are so honored that you selected us to build for our heroes. The Veterans Village will offer on-site wraparound services addressing a veteran’s specific emotional, financial and physical needs to help them rebuild their lives and break the cycle of homelessness.”
Phyllis Doyle of T2T said the rooms in the main building will consist of a bedroom, kitchen and living room in a studio apartment setup, as well as a bathroom and a terrace or deck off the back. This housing is transitional and meant to provide a safe space while the homeless veterans get back on their feet.
The first floor will include a multipurpose lounge, gym, canteen, clothing store and workforce development learning space where career assistance will be provided.
There also will be 22 Comfort Homes (525 square feet) for veterans who are older and not going to return to the workforce, where they can stay as long as they want. They are a little bit bigger than the apartments and free-standing.
Veterans must apply to live in the housing through the Tunnel to Towers website and pay what Doyle characterized as a small cost, usually covered by Medicaid or other organizations.
“We commemorate an important moment when we seek to house those who raised their right hand to serve the United States of America. I can think of few better projects, few better endeavors, and on this beautiful day, I can also think of few better tributes to the sacrifices of the nearly 3,000 souls whom we lost on Sept. 11th, 2001,” said Vincent Solomeno, commissioner of the state Department of Veterans Affairs. “It is my privilege to work alongside both the governor, my colleagues in the Cabinet, but also a broad coalition of leaders at the local, county, state and federal levels to ensure that in the state of New Jersey, no veteran … worries about whether they go to sleep each night without a roof over his or her head.”
The event included a large tent for the ceremony that was barely able to handle the sizable crowd, along with a model Comfort Home, a 3D virtual tour of the main building and another tent to host diners feasting on a spread laid out by retired members of the Fire Department of New York.
Gavin Naples, executive vice president of T2T, said public-private relationships help the organization meet its goal.
“The collaboration between Tunnel to Towers and the city of Northfield is why we are standing here today, and when a public-private collaboration has a common objective and works together to accomplish that goal without any of the noise or red tape or bureaucracy that many times unfortunately gets in the way of progress, great things can be accomplished,” he said. “So I want to say a truly thank you to the city of Northfield for being so helpful in this endeavor.”
Mark Doherty, commander of Northfield’s Harvey D. Johnson American Legion Post 295, said there is a big need for this type of housing in the area.
“I’m looking forward to years and years of a really good, sound facility that’s going to provide a need for this community,” he said.
Councilman David Notaro said the project is a win all the way around.
“Great housing project for veterans, great for our community, great for the city. When this came across our desk, we were excited to get it in town,” he said.
A senior housing project previously was approved for the site but never came to fruition. The new complex will qualify for 114 credits in the city’s affordable housing plan.
T2T is building Veterans Villages across the country. The organization also has a national case management network that helps homeless veterans and their families through providing temporary accommodations, moving assistance, food supplies and other necessities.
“I promise that we will not only construct an incredibly beautiful, high-quality home for over 120 men and women veterans in the area, but outside of those 120, through our case management network, our HUD-VASH team, and the other components of our program, we will make sure that any and every honorably discharged veteran that is struggling in their area has access to permanent housing and supportive services for them and their families,” Naples said.
On Sept. 11, 2001, Siller, who was assigned to Brooklyn’s Squad 1, had just finished his shift and was on his way to play golf with his brothers when he was notified a plane had hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
Siller returned to Squad 1 to get his gear and drove to the entrance of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, but it had already been closed for security purposes. Siller then strapped 60 pounds of gear to his back and raced on foot through the tunnel to the Twin Towers, where he gave up his life while saving others.
Siller’s siblings decided to start a foundation in his honor. It initially benefitted only fallen firefighters but expanded in 2017-18 to assist fallen first responders and Gold Star Families, then catastrophically wounded veterans, law enforcement officers and first responders.
They now are trying to eradicate veteran homelessness through the Veteran Villages, which provide housing, medical and mental health care, career training and other services.
According to the foundation, it is working to find a home for every military veteran. More than 3,300 received housing and services in 2023 alone.
The foundation raises money through donations and the Tunnel to Towers 5K Run & Walk NYC, which traces Siller’s final steps on 9/11 and pays homage to the fallen. According to the organization, it has inspired multiple runs, walks and climbs around the country.
“We retrace his steps today in our annual run, which just happened a couple of weeks ago. We had 45,000 people retracing Stephen’s steps,” Blakeman said.
– STORY and PHOTOS by CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
