Home Depot Donates $1 Million To Foundation That Gives Homes To Veterans
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Home Depot is donating $1 million to a 9/11-related charity to help give wounded veterans homes.
Frank Siller, who heads the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, told WCBS 880's Peter Haskell the "smart homes" are going to veterans who have suffered catastrophic wounds.
"These are triple, quadruple amputees," Siller said.
Home Depot Donates To Foundation That Gives Homes To Veterans
The state-of-the-art homes, which cost about $500,000 each, are provided mortgage-free, Siller said.
Almost everything in the homes -- windows, doors, heating, air conditioning, lights -- is operated by an iPad.
"They want some of their freedom back, their independence back," Siller said. "And that's what these houses do."
Home Depot Donates $1 Million To Foundation That Gives Homes To Veterans
Siller said 36 homes have been either finished or started, and more are needed.
That's why the donation from The Home Depot is so critical.
"It accelerates the process, because we need many of those type of donations," Siller said.
A home for Flip Klein, a former Army captain who lost both legs and most of his right arm in Afghanistan, will soon be under construction, 1010 WINS' Al Jones reported. Just last week, Klein lost his home in Maryland in a fire.
"I just can't believe that here I am going through something else, and here everybody is again just to help me push through," Klein said.
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