When your loved ones are in the hospital for an extended period of time, finding an affordable place to stay so you can be nearby is challenging. That’s where Fisher House comes in.
Fisher House provides free housing accommodations for veterans and their families who are receiving medical care at VA medical centers around the world.
“A Fisher House is ‘a home away from home’ for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers,” says the organization’s website. “The homes are normally located within walking distance of the treatment facility or have transportation available. There are 75 Fisher Houses located on 24 military installations and 31 VA medical centers. Many more houses are under construction or in design.”
Fisher House Foundation also operates the Hero Miles Program, using donated frequent flyer miles to bring family members to the bedside of injured service members as well as the Hotels for Heroes program using donated hotel points to allow family members to stay at hotels near medical centers without charge.
A list of all the Fisher House locations can be found here.
The Fisher Family
Philanthropists Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher opened the first Fisher House in 1991. The couple donated $20 million to launch the nonprofit after learning of the difficulties veterans and their families face while receiving care at a veteran medical facility.
Zachary Fisher was the son of Jewish immigrants. His father was a bricklayer who passed his trade onto his sons. Zachary and his brothers parlayed he family business into a multi-billion-dollar real estate empire in Manhattan.
Fisher House, by the number
The impacts of the Fisher House Foundation have been far-reaching. Here a few facts:
- The organization served more than 30,000 families in 2017 alone.
- Fisher Houses around the world can accommodate more than 1,000 families per day.
- More than 335,000 families have been served by Fisher House in its 27-year existence.
- More than 65,000 airline tickets worth nearly $100 million have been provided by the Hero Miles program.
For more information on how you can help support Fisher House, visit www.fisherhouse.org.
Sources:
https://www.fisherhouse.org/about/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zachary_Fisher
