LAND O’ LAKES – The Tunnel to Towers Foundation has welcomed three families to its Let Us Do Good Village.
The community consists of nearly 100 homes provided mortgage-free to catastrophically injured veterans and first responders, as well as Gold Star and Fallen First Responder families.
“Tunnel to Towers is honored to welcome these three families into the Let Us Do Good Village. A community built for America’s heroes and their families,” said Frank Siller, chairman and CEO. “In the Let Us Do Good Village, every home, every street, every amenity is accessible, giving them back the independence and dignity they have earned.”
Here a brief look at the newest neighbors:
Michael Mather
Army Sgt. Michael Mather enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in 1999, serving nine years as an F-15 mechanic before transitioning to the Army as a fire support specialist. He deployed 11 times in support of combat operations.
Mather was shot in the face and neck by an enemy sniper Oct. 11, 2008, while serving in Baghdad. Despite his injuries, he continued directing fire to protect his unit. He sustained a traumatic brain injury, severe nerve damage and hearing loss. He now faces lifelong medical challenges related to nerve function, mobility and cognitive effects.
He is looking forward to moving into the Let Us Do Good Village, where he plans to focus on family, faith and advocating for fellow wounded veterans.
“This smart home will make everyday tasks that once caused me pain or felt impossible manageable,” Mather said. “Tunnel to Towers is giving me more independence and allowing me to spend more of my energy on what matters, time with my wife and family. It’s more than a house. It’s a gift of freedom.”
Victor Moses
Victor Moses joined the Denver Police Department as a recruit in September 2022.
During one of the final training exercises at the policy academy, he suffered a traumatic injury and lost consciousness. He spent more than 60 days in a coma in the ICU. Doctors diagnosed him with compartment syndrome, which led to kidney failure, lung failure and severe infections. The infections caused extensive damage to the muscles, nerves and blood vessels in all of his extremities.
He ultimately underwent bilateral below-knee amputations and suffered severe damage to his right hand and partial damage to his left. As he continues to adapt to life in the wake of his injuries, Moses looks forward to moving into an accessible home and supportive community in Land O’ Lakes.
“When I found out about the Let Us Do Good Village, I saw it as an opportunity to settle down and become part of a community,” Moses said..
Joshua Tromanhauser
Motivated to enlist by the Sept. 11 attacks, Army Sgt. Joshua Tromanhauser joined the Army National Guard in 2006 after graduating from high school. He served for nearly a decade, including a year-long deployment to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010, and left the guard as a sergeant.
In 2024, Tromanhauser rushed to the emergency room due to complications from both the flu and pneumonia. His body went into toxic shock, and he would spend more than 100 days in five hospitals, as he battled multiple complications that ultimately resulted in the amputation of both of his legs.
He is looking forward to a fresh start, moving from Indiana with his wife, Nicole, and their three children into a mortgage-free smart home in the Let Us Do Good Village.
“We were looking for a fresh start, and Tunnel to Towers came to us at the perfect time,” Tromanhauser said. “This is such a blessing.”
For his family, the Village will offer accessibility and peace of mind.
“You don’t realize how inaccessible the world really is until you have someone you love in a wheelchair,” Nicole said. “To have no obstacles in our entire neighborhood, or that he can safely get the kids into the pool by himself, it’s going to be another piece of his independence he is getting back.”
Want to help?
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, 25 years since FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller laid down his life to save others when America was attacked. For 25 years, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has honored his legacy by supporting the military and first responders who continue to risk life and limb in the line of duty.
To date, Tunnel to Towers has delivered over 1,700 mortgage-free homes to our nation’s heroes and committed over $1 billion across all of our programs. This year, the foundation has set a goal to deliver 343 homes.
Help Tunnel to Towers by making a donation at T2T.org.
