New York, New York, Nov. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is celebrating Thanksgiving by paying off the mortgages and completing vital smart home renovations for three injured U.S. Army Veterans, lifting the physical and financial burdens off these three heroes and their families:
- U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Casey Callister – Citronelle, Alabama
- U.S. Army Sergeant Cory Collins – China Grove, North Carolina
- U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Cody Chism – Emmitsburg, Maryland
“The courage and sacrifice of our Veterans inspire us every day, and we are grateful to provide them with a home that meets their needs, a place where they can celebrate this Thanksgiving and the holidays for many years to come,” said Frank Siller, Tunnel to Towers Chairman and CEO of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Casey Callister
Tunnel to Towers paid off the mortgage on the Citronelle, Alabama, home of SFC Casey Callister and renovated his home, giving him more independence following a devastating accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
“I’m so grateful…I have a fully accessible home, I can take a shower, get my own clothes, and move around freely,” said SFC Callister. “Tunnel to Towers has done so much for me, but more importantly, lifted a heavy burden from my wife.”
Inspired by his father, also an Army veteran, SFC Callister was determined to answer the call to serve after America was attacked on September 11, 2001. Renovations to his home include an ADA-accessible master bathroom, new concrete walkways connecting the driveway, rear door, and outbuildings, and a replaced deck with new safety railings. The main living areas have been equipped with smart technology that allows lighting, temperature, sound, and security systems to be controlled via an app.
Without the burden of a mortgage, the Callister family plans to build college funds for their children and focus on their future together.
U.S. Army Sergeant Cory Collins
In China Grove, North Carolina, SGT Cory Collins and his family are celebrating a new chapter as Tunnel to Towers paid off the mortgage on their China Grove home and completed key accessibility upgrades.
A decorated combat veteran who lost his leg and sustained serious injuries from an IED explosion in Iraq, Collins said the gift of a mortgage-free home brings his family long-term financial stability.
“Tunnel to Towers has given me something hard to put into words,” said SGT Collins. “My family is now financially secure…our money becomes our money again. I know that no matter what happens to me in the future, my family will be taken care of. Tunnel to Towers made that possible.”
Upgrades include a whole-house generator, smart home technology for lighting, audio, HVAC, and security systems, touchless faucets, accessible cabinets, smart toilets in the bathrooms, and a paved driveway to improve wheelchair access.
U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Cody Chism
In Emmitsburg, Maryland, SSG Cody Chism and his wife, Vanessa, were welcomed home to a fully renovated, mortgage-free home. After serving as a combat medic in Iraq, Chism suffered multiple traumatic brain injuries and was later diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
The family, who relocated to Maryland for better access to medical care, now have a home that works for them, making it easier for Vanessa to provide day-to-day care for her husband.
“There really isn’t a word big enough to describe the gratitude I feel,” said Vanessa Chism, Cody’s wife and full-time caregiver. “It’s not just for what Tunnel to Towers has done for my family, but for everything they continue to do for the entire first responder and military community. We are forever grateful.”
Renovations include an ADA-accessible master bathroom and bedroom, widened doorways, a new deck, porch railings, ramps, and new walkways for improved wheelchair access, as well as a whole-house generator and smart home technology featuring automated lighting, audio, HVAC, and security systems.
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. For more information and to support the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s mission to build smart homes for America’s heroes, visit T2T.org and consider donating just $11 per month.
About the Tunnel to Towers Foundation
Born from the tragedy of 9/11, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation carries out its mission to “do good” by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building specially adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. Tunnel to Towers is also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and helping America Never Forget September 11, 2001.
Visit T2T.org to learn more, and follow Tunnel to Towers on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
- U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Casey Callister
- U.S. Army Sergeant Cory Collins