EAST LONGMEADOW — Members of the former St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and East Longmeadow first responders gathered on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at the fire station to celebrate the congregation’s $93,572 donation to nonprofit veteran support organization Tunnels to Towers Foundation.
The donation was one of 12 made with the congregation’s remaining funds following its decision to close on Oct. 2, 2022. With the donations, the congregation members hope to continue the legacy of St. Paul’s through the outreach programs that their donations will support, St. Paul’s Board President Joyce Donovan told Reminder Publishing.
At the Oct. 29 ceremony, the donation check was given to Tunnel to Towers Development and Donor Insights Director Colin McCormick, who accepted the funds on behalf of the foundation. The $93,572 are specifically earmarked for the foundation’s Let Us Do Good Village program, which creates mortgage-free homes for veterans and veteran families in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, Donovan stated.
The program constructs hotel-style homes that suit the specific needs of the families of fallen first responders, Gold Star families and recipients of the foundation’s Smart Home Program. Through the village program, Tunnel to Towers works to provide homes and to build thriving communities to create support systems for the veterans and veteran families, McCormick explained.
Let Us Do Good Village is one of multiple programs that Tunnel to Towers hosts to support veterans across the country, McCormick stated. The organization was created in memory of Stephen Siller, a firefighter who died on Sept. 11, 2001, while helping others escape the World Trade Center twin towers. Although off-duty at the time, Siller ran on foot with 60 pounds of gear from the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel to the towers to offer assistance.
In addition to their donation to Tunnel to Towers, the members of St. Paul’s also donated $50,000 each to the East Longmeadow Emergency Food Pantry, the Valley Opportunity Council in Chicopee and The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, Donovan said. Another $93,000 was also given to the Springfield Rescue Mission as well as funds to five area churches.
In total, the congregation donated approximately $600,000 with the hope to “use our money to make a difference” through the outreach programs of the 12 organizations, St. Paul’s board member Nancy Janes stated.
“It’s bittersweet,” Donovan said of St. Paul’s closure. She emphasized the mix of the sadness with the church’s closure after 132 years of service combined with the sweetness of being able to donate the $600,000 to help those in need. Offering this support aligns with the philosophy of St. Paul’s members, who sought to offer support to others during their time as a congregation.
“[The donated funds are] so needed,” Donovan emphasized, highlighting the vital support that the selected organizations provide communities.
Over the two-year Holy Closure process, the congregation has received a “wonderful” response from the organizations selected for donations, Janes stated. The funds given will be used toward outreach programs within each organization, helping those in need both local and worldwide.
Congregation members selected these organizations due to their outreach efforts, Donovan stated. St. Paul’s had also previously donated to all 12 organizations prior to its closure donations.
More information about Tunnel to Towers and its support for veterans is available online at t2t.org.
