Tunnel To Towers Foundation Spearheads Restoration Of Home Destroyed By Sandy

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Life after Hurricane Sandy has delivered a much deserved gift to a Staten Island family.

Volunteers pitched in to help restore their house, left devastated by the storm.

On Thursday, the Midland Beach family celebrated their long awaited homecoming -- and thanked those who made this day possible, CBS 2's Kristine Johnson reported Thursday.

"Come rain or come shine today, the Chens come home," said Reese May of the New Orleans-based Saint Bernard Project.

"Whole house gone, everything gone. I just save a couple pictures from the children," Mrs. Chen said.

Charity groups and volunteers worked tirelessly for months to make the Chen family's home livable again.

The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation recognized they were a family greatly in need of help.

"We chose this house because of their financial means, the fact that they were a larger family and the fact that the oldest daughter has an illness," Frank Siller said.

The work on the Chen's home was completed by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation in partnership with the Saint Bernard Project and Zurich North America Insurance, and the family said it couldn't be more grateful.

"Thank you so much. Thank you," Mrs. Chen said.

The Chens can now start to rebuild their lives, in a nice new home, back in the neighborhood they love.

And that's just the icing on the cake.

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