Tunnel to Towers Foundation announces 'Bradenton Veterans Village' for homeless vets

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation on Saturday held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the construction of a residential complex for homeless veterans in Manatee County, Fla.

The "Bradenton Veterans Village" is slated for completion in 2025 and will include a 84-unit apartment complex, 38 comfort homes, and an on-site support center, the foundation announced. The county donated 8.7 acres to the foundation for the project.

The Tunnel to Towers foundation was founded in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and works to provide homes to Gold Star families and those of deceased first responders. The Bradenton facility is part of its Homeless Veterans Program, which served more than 5,000 veterans since its creation in 2023.

In 2022, the organization unveiled a curriculum to help teach children about the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Tunnel to Towers founder Frank Siller told the "Just the News, No Noise" television show at the time that "[t]hose of us that survived September 11 want to talk about our experiences."

"They want to talk about where they were, and they want to relate to the day. So it's our job not only to tell the story, but also to listen to the stories of people that are coming to us to have their own memories that they want to keep alive in their hearts," he continued.