I was recently asked were a family could turn for help with the cost of staying with a loved one who is undergoing inpatient treatment for severe post-traumatic stress (PTSD). The first and only thought that came to mind was Fisher House.
The Fisher House Foundation is a private-public partnership that supports America's military in their time of need. The program helps meet military family’s food, lodging, and transportation needs that go beyond the assistance provided by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.
The Fisher House Foundation currently operates a 57 "comfort homes," which are 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 times - during the hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury.
The program can help house up to 657 families a day and in 2011 Fisher House assisted a total of 17,000 families. Since the program began in 1990 they have provided $191 million in food, lodging, and transportation assistance for military families.
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. 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!
In addition the comfort homes, Fisher House’s “Hero Miles program has provided more than 26,000 tickets to hospitalized service members and their families, worth nearly $42 million. Learn more about the Hero Miles program.
The Fisher House Foundation hopes to soon launch a new program called our “Hotels for Heroes.” They intend to start the program this July. Learn more about the Hotels for Heroes program.
To get assistance or help support the Fisher House Foundation you can call (888) 294-8560 or (301) 294-8560 or e-mail them at info@fisherhouse.org.
