A national non-profit group announced Friday that it will pay the mortgage on the home of a Gallatin County Deputy Sheriff who died in a search-and-rescue operation in 2019.
In honor of the anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation [t2t.org] has paid, in full, the mortgage on the home of a fallen Gallatin County Deputy Sheriff Jacob Allmendinger.
On October 19, 2019, Deputy Sheriff Allmendinger passed away from an in-line-of-duty vehicle accident while trying to save stranded motorists in the Bridger mountain range.
Deputy Sheriff Allmendinger was sworn into the Gallatin County Sheriff's office in 2017. Previously, he had worked as a 911 dispatcher for Gallatin County for seven years, and for the Search and Rescue team for eight years before being sworn in as deputy.
He leaves behind his wife and high school sweetheart, Monica, and their three children Bentley, Lexi, and Kai.
“The generosity of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has truly changed my life,” said Jacob’s wife, Monica. “Jake was our rock, our provider, our safety net, my best friend, and partner for life. Though all the things he is and was for us will never be replaceable, knowing our mortgage is now covered has released a huge burden from my family. A time when I have been questioning if I should leave the home Jake and I raised our children in, to live somewhere more affordable…staying in our home is now possible. Words cannot express the amount of gratitude I am feeling…From the bottom of my and my children’s hearts, we thank you with the sincerest appreciation.”
According to a release, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s Fallen First Responder Program pays off mortgages for the families of law enforcement officers and firefighters who are killed in the line of duty and leave behind young children, ensuring that they will always have a place to call home. In 2021, Tunnel to Towers expanded the program to support the families of first responders who have lost their lives to 9/11 illnesses.
“When America was attacked on September 11, 2001, my brother and so many others rushed headfirst into danger and laid down their lives, trying to save as many people as they could. Twenty-one years later, I am proud to keep my brother Stephen’s memory alive by supporting the families of these heroes who have also sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. Their dedication and their sacrifice will never be forgotten, and the families they left behind will always have the support of Tunnel to Towers,” said Tunnel to Towers Foundation Chairman & CEO Frank Siller.
Earlier this week, the Foundation announced the establishment of theTunnel to Towers 9/11Institute™[t2t.org], the organization’s expanded effort to educate and inform future generations of the 9/11 fallen and the heroic actions that took place on September 11, 2001.
Visit T2T.org[t2t.org] for more information on the Tunnel to Towers Foundation’s programs.
