Fisher House Foundation is best known for the network of comfort homes built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. The Fisher Houses are 5,000 to 16,800 square-foot homes, donated to the military and Department of Veterans Affairs, where families can stay while a loved one is receiving treatment. Additionally, the Foundation ensures that families of service men and women wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan are not burdened with unnecessary expense during a time of crisis.
Located in close proximity to the medical center or hospital it serves, each Fisher House consists of between 8 and 21 suites, with private bedrooms and baths. Families share a common kitchen, laundry facilities, spacious dining room and an inviting living room with a library and toys for children. Fisher House Foundation ensures that there is no fee to stay in a Fisher House. Since inception, the program has saved military and veteran families an estimated $192 million in out of pocket costs for lodging and transportation.
Fisher House Foundation 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. The Foundation also manages a grant program that supports other military charities and scholarship funds for military children, spouses and children of fallen and disabled veterans.
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THE FISHER HOUSE PROGRAM
The Fisher House Foundation began when Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher recognized a need for military families to stay together while loved ones received long-term and specialized care at VA hospitals.
Recognizing the special sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and the hardships of military service, the Fishers sought to meet a humanitarian need beyond that normally provided by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Because members of the military and their families are stationed worldwide and must often travel great distances for specialized medical care, Fisher House™ Foundation donates “comfort homes,” built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful time – during the hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury.
There is at least one Fisher House™ at every major military medical center to assist families in need and to ensure that they are provided with the comforts of home in a supportive environment. Annually, the Fisher House program serves more than 10,000 families, and have made available nearly 2.5 million days of lodging to family members since the program originated in 1990. By law, there is no charge for any family to stay at a Fisher House operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs; and Fisher House Foundation uses donations to reimburse the individual Fisher Houses operated by the Army, Navy, and Air Force. No family pays to stay at any Fisher House!
Though best known for the network of Fisher House comfort homes, the Fisher House Foundation also operates the Hero Miles Program™, using donated frequent flyer miles to bring family members to the bedside or injured service members. To date, Hero Miles has provided over 26,000 airline tickets to our military members and their families. The Fisher House scholarship programs are now in their 12th year and will surpass $10M in awarded grants. 6,739 sons and daughters of military families have been blessed through the generous support of Defense Commissary Agency business partners and others wanting to make a difference through education. Additionally the Fisher House Foundation provides scholarships for military spouses and through the generosity of President and Mrs. Obama, they administer the Heroes Legacy Scholarships supporting the children of our Fallen Heroes and those who have become 100 percent service disabled since 9-11. For more information about these and other Fisher House™ programs, visit www.fisherhouse.org
Fisher House Foundation is a nationally recognized, highly rated Not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization, holding a four star Charity Navigator rating. They are one of four military charities receiving an A+ rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy.
