Tunnel to Towers delivers mortgage-free homes to three Florida Gold Star familiesIn observance of Gold Star Spouses Day, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced it has delivered 30 mortgage-free homes to military families across the country, including three Florida families who lost loved ones to service-connected illnesses and line-of-duty incidents.
The 30-home surge is part of the foundation’s ongoing mission to ease financial burdens for the families of fallen service members. In Florida, mortgage payoffs were provided for families in Orlando, New Smyrna Beach, and Melbourne.
“This Gold Star Spouses Day, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation is honored to stand with the families of those who have given everything for our country,” Chairman and CEO of the foundation Frank Siller said. “Paying off the mortgages for these families ensures the children of these heroes will always have a place to call home.”
Among the Florida recipients is the family of Marine Corps Sgt, Carlos Baez of Orlando. Baez, a New York native who enlisted shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, served in both Iraq and Afghanistan before a second career with the Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security. He passed away in October 2024 following a battle with service-connected cancer.
“Hearing that our mortgage was being paid off felt like this huge weight just lifted off my shoulders,” his wife, Yahaida Baez said, who is raising the couple’s four children. “It means we get to stay in our home, where my kids feel closest to their dad.”
In New Smyrna Beach, the foundation honored Army Master Sgt. August Alombro Jr., a career soldier who died in January 2025 from a service-connected heart attack. Alombro, a two-time Bronze Star recipient, was remembered by his wife, Alison, as a leader who consistently put his soldiers’ needs above his own.
The third Florida home was delivered to the family of Air Force Technical Sgt. Shawn Mette in Melbourne. Mette, a decorated airman who served in public health and medical groups, died in 2010 from service-connected cancer. His wife, Nelia, has spent the years since his passing volunteering in the community to preserve his legacy of service................
https://flvoicenews.com/tunnel-to-towers-delivers-mortgage-free-homes-to-three-florida-gold-star-families/
