Fisher House History Book by Fisher House Foundation

FISHER HOUSE Because a Family’s Love Is Good Medicine AT

F IS HE R HOU S E AT 25

FISHER HOUSE Because a Familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Love AT

Is Good Medicine

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A bronze bust of Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher is on display in the entrance foyer of each Fisher House, as is a framed photograph of the Intrepid, the aircraft carrier that the Fishers moved to New York City and transformed into the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

Fisher House managers visited Arlington National Cemetery during their 2015 training and commemorated the Fisher House programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 25th Anniversary by paying their respects to those they serve and presenting a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Laying the wreath were the two longest serving Fisher House managers, Vivian Wilson and Inge Godfrey, and Dave Coker, President, Fisher House Foundation.

Book Credits: Writing by Leslie Happ. Design by Sue Gubisch. Project Management by Kerri Childress. Contributions by Jim Weiskopf and Ashley Estill. Special thanks to our many photographers, including Craig Orsini and Daniel Ashe. We would also like to recognize our families and managers for their contributions. Printed in the USA by Linemark Printing, Inc. Cover photo: The Mitchell Family, see story on page 49.

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CONTENTS Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

EARLY YEARS (1990–1997) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Zachary’s Honors and Awards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Other Fisher Family Causes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Building a Fisher House. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 An Unforgettable Opening: Walter Reed II. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Private-Public Partnership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Family Spotlight: The Keeleys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

TRANSITION (1998–2004) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A Bear-y Special Mission. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Remembering Zachary Fisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Landsthul, Germany, Fisher Houses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Program Spotlight: Newman’s Own Awards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Setbacks and Determination. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Family Spotlight: Staff Sergeant Lindsey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Ambassadors: A Vital Connection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

EXPANSION (2005–2011). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Family Spotlight: The Beattys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 VIP Visitors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Chairman and CEO Ken Fisher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Program Spotlight: Hero Miles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Dover Fisher House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Garry Trudeau and Doonesbury. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Fisher House UK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Program Spotlight: Team Fisher House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

EVOLVING (2012–2015). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Program Spotlight: Scholarships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Foundation’s President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Talk and Country Radio Outreach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Family Spotlight: The Mitchells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Family Spotlight: The Wootens. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Chronology of Houses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Why I’m Part of Fisher House Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

The 25th Anniversary book is also available on Fisher House Foundation’s website to read and download: www.fisherhouse.org

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FOREWORD My late Great-Uncle Zachary began building Fisher Houses a quarter of a century ago out of a deep love and respect for our military. He once said, “It’s not how much you have but what you have left behind when you leave this earth.” I know he would be proud that we have not only continued his great legacy, but we have expanded it in ways he couldn’t even imagine.

Of course Fisher House Foundation didn’t do it alone. Hundreds of thousands of Americans contributed to making these dreams possible. This is something all of us should be proud of, because it demonstrates that Americans care enough to offer more than millions of dollars and frequent flyer miles. They have also donated hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours, providing love, care and appreciation.

Twenty-five years later, we have opened more than 65 Fisher Houses, and will have provided over six million nights of lodging for military families, a number nobody could have foreseen when the first two Fisher Houses were being built. Our Hero Miles program has provided more than 58,000 airline tickets since it began in 2004, and we’ve awarded nearly $17 million in scholarships.

For Tammy and me, our Fisher House journey began as a desire to continue Uncle Zach’s legacy—but quickly evolved into our passion—a passion not to just build our program, but to improve the quality of life for every Veteran. Zach’s inspiration and leadership continue to show us what is most right about Americans. We are proud to follow in his footsteps and continue to honor those who have given our country so much. Here’s to the next quarter century of Fisher House.

Looking back in time and then looking forward, why we do this is just as important as how. We understand that behind every wounded, injured or ill service member or Veteran is a family—a family that helps to bear a variety of burdens and continues to make vital sacrifices out of the public eye. It is a testament to my uncle that the Fisher House program was conceived during peacetime, and that its existence is never more valuable during wartime.

Kenneth Fisher Chairman & CEO, Fisher House Foundation, Inc.

Fisher House Foundation Chairman and CEO Ken Fisher with his wife Tammy, also a Trustee, sit beneath portraits of the brothers who built Fisher Brothers into one of the most prestigious real estate companies in New York City: Zachary, Martin and Larry Fisher. Ken is Larry’s grandson.

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EARLY YEARS

1990–1997

A son of immigrants, Zachary Fisher started with little but America’s promise of opportunity. At 16, he left school to enter the family trade as a bricklayer. Propelled by decades of hard work, Zachary, along with his brothers Martin and Larry, eventually became one of the most prominent developers of the New York City skyline. Along the way, a job-site injury prevented him from serving in World War II. Instead Zachary leveraged his construction experience to build coastal fortifications with the US Coastal Service. In 1945, he married his dear wife, Elizabeth, who had supported the war effort in her own way: performing for the troops with the USO, and visiting wounded soldiers through the Veterans Bedside Network. Over the years, the couple supported many and varied philanthropic causes, but the US military was never far from their thoughts. “What all this represents is our compassion and caring for the military and for what they have done for the United States over its 216-year history,” Zachary said at the opening of the Keesler Medical Center Fisher House in 1992. “The military

(Above) Zachary ceremoniously set the final brick in many of the Fisher Houses as part of that house’s dedication—a reminder of his humble beginnings as a bricklayer. (Opposite page) Elizabeth and Zachary Fisher stand proudly on the flight deck of the Intrepid, the World War II era aircraft carrier they transformed into one of the largest sea, air and space museums in the world.

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“These guys have been out of the country for eight or nine months and now they’re back. They’re supposed to focus on themselves, but they can’t. They’ve got a family, so they’re worried about them. But now, not only do they know where their family is, but they’re in a wonderful place. And it’s walking distance.” —DR. DENNIS HOLLINS

men and women and their commitment to excellence is what keeps us, as Americans, free. We owe them a great deal.” Spending millions of their own money, they spearheaded the effort to save the retired aircraft carrier Intrepid from the scrap heap and transform it into one of the world’s largest sea, air and space museums. They personally provided cash payments to families of fallen service members and scholarships to Veterans and their families. Still, they looked to do more. In 1989, already approaching 80 years old, Zachary learned from then-Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Carlisle Trost of a critical unmet need: temporary housing for military families while a loved one was in the hospital. The admiral’s wife, Pauline, had been disheartened to find military families sleeping in their cars while their loved ones received treatment, because they couldn’t afford to stay in a local hotel. Zachary didn’t hesitate. “I’m a builder; I have my own architect. We can do this!” he said. And so, in 1990, began a remarkable partnership that blossomed from opening one Fisher House to 10 houses to 30 to more than 60 houses today. In 1991, when dedicating the first Fisher House (at the then National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD) President Bush said, “Elizabeth and Zach are brilliant points of light; they saw a need and then they moved in to fill it. They didn’t wait for Congress, they didn’t wait for a study or committee hearing. They saw a problem, moved in, and solved it.”

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The building and business expertise that Zachary Fisher had honed over 60 years proved instrumental to the success of the Fisher House program. Applying a commercial mindset and practices to the project, he was able to complete the first two Fisher Houses in a little over a year—a feat unimaginable were

Honors and Awards Zachary Fisherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s generosity earned him many honors, including: o The Presidential Medal of Freedom (presented by President Bill Clinton) o The Horatio Alger Award o Volunteer Action Award (presented by President Ronald Reagan) o The Presidential Citizens Medal (presented by President Bill Clinton) o The Distinguished Civilian Service Award (from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Secretary of Defense) o The Zachary and Elizabeth M. Fisher Distinguished Civilian Humanitarian Award (from the Service Secretaries. The Fishers were the first recipients of the award named in their honor.) o In 1998, the US Navy launched the USNS Fisher (T-AKR-301), named in honor of Zachary and Elizabeth. He was also honored shortly after his death with the distinction he would have perhaps valued the most: President Clinton signed Public Law 106-161 conferring upon Zachary Fisher the status of an honorary Veteran in the U. S. Armed Forces.

(Top right): The USNS Fisher, named in honor of Zachary and Elizabeth. (Above) Because his failing health prevented Zachary from going to Washington, DC, for presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, then President and Mrs. Clinton traveled to New York City to present Zachary with the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest non-military award. (At left) Zachary presents the Intrepid Freedom Award to President Ronald Regan during the Salute to Freedom Dinner in 1993.

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Letters from Fisher House guests

use in Bethesda, king the Fisher Ho ma r fo de itu at gr r ss ou Words ca nnot expre o are in distress. military families wh to le ab ail av , nd yla Mar th some vy, wa s stricken wi Na e th in is o wh Standridge, ta l in Germa ny, Our son, Cha rles D. 2nd General Hospi to nt se en th s wa Spain and son wa s then unidentified virus in r five weeks. Our fo on iti nd co l ca iti d d in cr flight with him an where he rema ine owed to ma ke the all re we e W . ust da es re exha ed transported to Beth less to say, we we ed Ne . ht nig ay rd p.m. on a Satu arrived at 10:30 condition. cause of our son ’s and very anxious be personnel and on d in ICU by Na vy te ac nt co re we rning, we like a dream to us, Ea rly the next mo r House. This wa s he Fis e th o int d checke is wa s the Monda y afternoon ost six weeks. Th alm r fo d ha we conditions that just to ha ve after enduring the g the States, and vin lea ce sin ve ha been able to relax in this first tub bath I had ful. Being able to er nd wo s wa in ep bed to sle s and for this, we a nice comforta ble ff wa s also graciou sta e Th . ing nd sta is out family-style setting are so appreciative. , seemed in his critica l state en ev us, vir e th only survivor of her than ha ving Our son, being the ities like this, rat cil fa d ha we at he lea rned th his face wa s so relieved when seeing the look on st Ju s. nse pe ex et -of-pock to pay extreme out heartening. the Lord ha s used ’s life, and I know son r ou d re spa ly erful available to The Lord so wond facil ities like this ng ki ma in y wa eat and mighty g given in such the Fishers in a gr ssed da ily for ha vin ble ing be e ar ey ow that th for this. families like us. I kn ntinue to bless them co ll wi rd Lo e th I’m sure a ca ring wa y, and illness will be. He come of our son ’s out e th at wh e y this tim y ca re about militar We do not know at e Fishers mu st reall th ow kn I d an , much a meaningful thing. loved the Na vy so to ha ve done such s ilie fam eir th d men and women an

it undertaken by the federal government. “We could build them faster, for lower costs, and with extremely high quality,” said Kenneth Fisher, Zachary’s grand-nephew and current Fisher House Foundation Chairman and CEO, “ultimately saving the government millions of dollars.”

dridge Mrs. Cha rles Stan Clevela nd, Georgia Zachary and Elizabeth were married for 54 years, from 1945 until Zachary’s passing in 1999. Both considered the men and women of the U. S. Armed Forces as part of their extended family.

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Other Fisher Family Causes Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher were generous with their wealth, contributing to many causes including the the Coast Guard Foundation, the Navy League, the Metropolitan Opera, Temple Israel, the Jewish Institute of National Security Affairs, the George C. Marshall Foundation, the Margaret Thatcher Foundation, the Reagan Presidential Library, the United Jewish Appeal and many other organizations. They established several foundations to fund their major initiatives:

As important as his expertise, however, was Zachary’s awareness of his limits. The Fishers were builders—not innkeepers. His model became this: the government provides the land for the house, on a military base or near a VA hospital, and then Fisher House Foundation builds, furnishes and landscapes the house. Once it is complete, the Foundation gifts the house back to the government to staff, operate and maintain into perpetuity, thus folding it into the military culture. This arrangement allows each partner to do what it does best.

o Intrepid Museum Foundation (to save the aircraft carrier Intrepid and transform it into the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum) o Zachary and Elizabeth M. Fisher Armed Services Foundation (to contribute money to military families who have lost a loved one under tragic circumstances and to provide scholarships to active and former service members and their families) o Fisher House Foundation o The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund o Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation

It also meant that the Fishers could ensure that the facility was built to their standards. “They wanted these young families, especially the lower enlisted ranks, to have the very best,” recalls longtime Fisher House Manager Vivian Wilson. “People always asked, ‘Why not just convert an existing building?’ But that wasn’t their standard. They wanted something much higher.”

(in partnership with David Rockefeller)

Zachary and Elizabeth weren’t interested in building a dormitory or motel for military families. They envisioned a true home away from home. Their original design featured eight bedroom-bath suites along with common areas including a kitchen, dining room, living room and laundry room. The appointments were luxurious: hardwood and granite finishes; brass hardware; plush carpets, furniture and linens—even a fireplace. “I wasn’t going to build a house and not have it done right,” Zachary said. The Fishers originally offered to build two houses—one at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, and one at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. But F IS HE R HOU S E AT 25

Building a Fisher House: Start to Finish Fisher House Foundation works closely with the surgeons

Today, money to build the houses comes from Fisher House

general of the military branches and Department of Veterans

Foundation and local fundraising.

Affairs Under Secretary for Health to determine where Fisher Houses are most needed. The earliest Fisher Houses, designed

Site selection is the next step. Considerations include close

by architect David A. Haines, were 5,000-square-foot, eight-

proximity to the hospital, appropriate character of the location

suite houses. But as the program expanded and the profile of

and construction-specific concerns such as topography, soil

visitors evolved, so did the design of the houses. Today, under

composition and access to utilities. A land survey is prepared

the direction of architect Carl A. Zarrello, houses are built in

and architectural plans are drafted for approval.

several different sizes, the largest accommodating up to 42 guests, while still maintaining a residential ambience.

While the scale of the houses varies, the floor plans are similar from house to house. The intent is to create a home-like space

Once the need is validated, the foundation issues a proffer,

including inviting common areas that encourage guests to

or an offer to build a house as a gift to the government. In

interact with one another. Exterior styling, interior finishes

the early years, Zachary paid to build each of the houses.

and landscaping are unique to each house, reflecting the local culture and architectural traditions. Selecting the general contractor comes next. The houses are built by long-standing contractors that have built other Fisher Houses or by local construction teams based in the area

Camp Pendleton was Fisher House Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 65th home, with eight suites, 8,000+ square feet. It accommodates up to 280 families with nearly 3,000 nights of lodging annually, saving those families more than $360,000 a year in lodging expenses. Construction began in November 2014 and the home was built in less than six months.

where the house is situated. Construction usually takes 12 to 16 months, but is influenced by a variety of factors, such as weather and availability of materials. The original proffer to the government did not include furnishing the houses, but the Fishers provided furniture, fixtures and equipment nonetheless. Since 2000, the interior design has been done by Beverly Archer Miears. She strives to give each house a distinctive personality that reflects the local environment. Once the finishing touches are made inside and outside the house, the host base or medical center commander makes a final inspection and signs the letter of acceptance, which transfers title from the foundation to the US Government. From there, the military branch or Department of Veterans Affairs is responsible for the houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s staffing, operation and maintenance, and Fisher House Foundation looks to its next project.

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An Unforgettable Opening for Walter Reed Fisher House II then, recalls Fisher House Foundation President David Coker, “Zachary thought about it: ‘I’ve got the Army and the Navy covered,’ but he didn’t want to leave the Air Force out.” So he then offered to build a house at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio.

Zachary Fisher enjoyed a good party. Maybe what he enjoyed most was seeing his guests having a good time. He timed the opening of the second Fisher House built at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to coincide with his 87th birthday celebration. While his health prevented him from traveling to Washington, DC, for the dedication, he

As the houses opened and quickly filled, the need for more houses at other military hospitals became apparent. Zachary personally footed the bill for each of them. Dennis Burns, writing a thank you note to the Fishers in 1996, summed up the view of many guests, “For military f amilies, the additional hardships of two- to four-day medevac flights, unfamiliar surroundings, family separation, lack of local transportation and sky-high lodging rates for those with limited incomes…well, I can honestly tell you, that for me they add up to a bigger burden than the illness itself. Your homes are truly inspirational and therapeutic refuges.” With the opening of many of the houses, the Fishers hosted elaborate dedication ceremonies—coinciding, usually, with Elizabeth’s or Zachary’s birthdays or the Fishers’ wedding anniversary. “Each and every grand opening was so important to the Fishers,” recalled longtime Fisher House Manager Vivian Wilson. “Zachary got so much joy seeing service members enjoying the festivities—not just senior leadership—the lower ranks, enlistees as well.”

participated via satellite link from New York’s Rockefeller Plaza Rainbow Room—no small feat in 1997. That evening, Zachary hosted a “Salute to the Armed Services” gala at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City. Dignitaries presented many gifts and honors to Zachary, including the medallion from the Joint Chiefs of Staff Award for Distinguished Public Service. ThenSecretary of the Navy John H. Dalton announced that the nation’s newest sealift ship would be commissioned The USNS Fisher, in honor of Zachary and Elizabeth. Entertainment was provided by the Pointer Sisters, who concluded with, what else? A rousing chorus of “Happy Birthday.” The Joint Chiefs of Staff Award for Distinguished Public Service is the highest decoration the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff can award to a private citizen. Admiral William J. Crowe, US Navy, then Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, presented the award to Zachary on May 5, 1989.

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“Fisher House is so local and engaged at the community level. They make it so easy to be involved or benefit from the benevolence of the community. These wonderful families share their stories and that’s so powerful when you need it the most.” —NAVY LIEUTENANT BRAD SNYDER

Letters from Fisher House guests

house . I sta yed in your I am 13 years old d an k ac rb Tu a ici Al is like those My name is Olga iful place. The house aut be ry ve a s it’ d for me Tall oa k trees close to a month an t now I live in one. Bu . ms ea dr my or ce. It’s movies, cia l color to the pla I’d only seen in the spe ve gi , rs ou an very much ta ller th around the house, . just like a postcard r is coast and my fathe wn on the Pacific to or rb ha all sm a here because I live in Mexico in ice. We ha ve come rv se of s ar ye 21 just my after d Mrs. Fisher, is retired from US Ar Your house, Mr. an . use ho ur yo in y ca lls d I sta hing and my mother of my bad heart an at. Here is everyt th ct pe ex t no nt did not wa to like a dream. We t my mother does Bu r. he as hw dis There is even it the ideal house. e. is is for lazy peopl touch it, saying th . Fisher I ca n house Mr. and Mrs ur yo in ing liv t Bu operation. us, me, my mother I am afra id of my heart. Al l three of bad my d an ies rr use. my wo in your beautiful ho dream and forget for letting us sta y u yo k an th to e lik and father, would . God bless you both With love, Olga Al icia Turback

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And his involvement didn’t end there. “Mr. Fisher was incredibly warm, engaged,” said Wilson. “He wanted to know about the families living in the houses. He would call on a weekly basis, wanting to know who was there, what they needed, what could we do better.” As Fisher Houses multiplied, Zachary asked that house managers send him monthly letters updating him on the latest goings-on. He encouraged managers to network and learn from one another, and established an annual Fisher House Managers Training Conference. Zachary would host the meeting on the Intrepid, the aircraft-carrier-turned-museum he’d helped rescue and berth in New York City. Recalled longtime Fisher House Manager Inge Godfrey, “He treated us like kings and queens. But on the flip side, if he heard a complaint from a Fisher House guest, he was sure to call the manager out on it.” By 1993, with a dozen houses open, Zachary also saw the need for a nonprofit organization dedicated to the program. He created Fisher House Foundation as a way to encourage public support, enabling the houses to provide amenities such as patios, playgrounds, library resources and long-distance calling cards. John Lowe, a Fisher House Foundation trustee and president and CEO of the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, offered office space

The Fisher Legacy: A New Model of Private-Public Partnership (Excerpted from “Serving Those Who Served,” a Philanthropy Roundtable publication by Thomas Mayer) The Fishers pioneered a unique and exemplary take on the private-public partnership. Indeed, they managed to take the traditional private-public collaboration—within which the influence of philanthropy is often swamped by the demands of the government—and stand it on its head…

for Fisher House operations in Rockville, MD. Dave Coker, who, along with his wife, Jami, had been volunteering at the Fitzsimons Fisher House in Denver, CO, became the Foundation’s first employee and executive director. Currently, Coker continues to oversee the work of the Foundation as president.

Under their model, the private partner has been the instigator, planner, agendamaker, setter of the schedule, and energy source. The private donors have solved launch issues the government was too cumbersome to sort out, and then they’ve held their public partners to account for

In 1994, with the opening of a house in Albany, NY, the Fisher House program expanded its reach. Two years earlier, Jo Anne Saulsbery, a nurse at the Albany Stratton Veterans Administration Hospital, had sent a letter to Zachary asking him to share his comfort home model with her. “My hope was to attract his attention so that he might extend his philanthropy from the active military to the VA,” she said. Two weeks later, she got a call from an associate of Zachary’s, and the planning got underway.

timely follow-through… Government was able to expand its care for service members and their families with much-reduced startup cost and bureaucratic effort. And American families in distress benefited greatly. In the Fisher family’s work with the DoD and VA, the private donors never simply write a check to pay the government to provide services. Nor does private philanthropy dream up

Today, caring for the aging Veterans of the Korean War and Vietnam, and the thousands of severely disabled Veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, the VA system maintains the largest and fastest-growing network of Fisher Houses.

and demand a project that would eventually become a burden on government resources

The Fishers’ legacy program was becoming hugely successful, with most houses at or near capacity throughout the year. But beyond guests hosted, or dollars saved, Fisher Houses were paying amazing dividends that no one clearly foresaw at the start.

As a family of builders, the Fishers used physical facilities and infrastructure to get

better spent elsewhere. The Fishers avoided both of those dead ends. Instead, their work has allowed both the philanthropists and their necessary public partners to bring their specialties and strengths to the table…

their foot in the door, as the starting point for arranging new solutions to unaddressed problems. But they never let the buildings become the end point. The buildings, produced with a speed and quality which would have taken years for public agencies to reproduce, were just the carrots. The Fishers recognized that the programs erected inside the shells were the most important element.

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Fisher House Family Spotlight: The Keeleys When complications with her pregnancy developed in 2002, David Keeley’s then-wife Christie was flown to Keesler Air Force Base medical center, and he soon followed. The billeting clerk arranged for him to stay at the base’s Fisher House, which he’d never heard of before. “I didn’t know my way around Keesler very well, but the directions seemed simple enough,” said Keeley. “When I arrived at the address, I was sure I was in the wrong place. Through the window left of the door I saw a family in the dining

It didn’t take long for him to realize this had to be the right

room eating supper. Through the right window I saw family

place, so he made his way back. A brass plate near the front

members sitting next to the Christmas tree, watching

door confirmed it was indeed the Fisher House. “It was

television. Surely this was the base commander’s home.

certainly more than I expected. This wasn’t a hotel; this was a

I pulled out of the parking spot and went out in search of

home. As I turned the corner, I found the best-stocked kitchen

anything else that might be the Fisher House.”

I’d ever seen. Any cooking implement you could ever want or need was there for our use. Sitting on the counter were cakes, cookies and pies, baked fresh by the Keesler Officers’ Wives Club,” he marveled. “My stay there felt more like a bed and breakfast than traditional military lodging.” The Keeleys’ baby boy arrived three months premature, and doctors didn’t think he would survive. “Fortunately, we had a little fighter on our hands, and he proved them all wrong,” David Keeley said. “One night I sat in my room and read a brochure about Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher. …They have helped thousands of service members and their families around the globe—In my eyes, making them true American heroes. As I left the Fisher House that evening…it was then it hit me: What better name for our son than ‘Zachary’? Christie agreed, and the rest is history.”

Eight years after Zachary Keeley was born three months prematurely at Keesler Air Force Base, he helps his dad, MSgt. David Keeley, cut the ribbon on the new Eglin Air Force Base Fisher House on Sept. 13, 2010. His namesake is Zachary Fisher, of course. US Air Force photo/Sachel Seabrook

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“I thought maybe it would help people financially, but I didn’t count on the way families console one another. No one has to be alone in a motel room anymore. It just became a tremendous thing, and has blessed my life in many ways.” —ZACHARY FISHER

The more Zachary spoke with Fisher House guests, the more he realized that his project had become more than a place of free lodging, and even more than a haven to keep families together. “I’m not only surprised, I’m astonished,” he said in 1995. “I thought maybe it would help people financially, but I didn’t count on the way families console one another. No one has to be alone in a motel room anymore. It just became a tremendous thing, and has blessed my life in many ways.”

Zachary’s official portrait was taken in his 42nd floor office on Park Avenue where he could see many of the buildings that he and his brothers Martin and Larry had built that transformed the New York City skyline.

Fisher Houses, usually located within walking distance to the hospital, allow families to not only visit, but fundamentally support, their wounded, injured or ill loved ones. Patients, themselves, often benefit by spending time with their families at the houses. Eric Kallal, seriously injured in a training accident, recalls his stay at the Bethesda Fisher House between surgeries. “It’s like going to Grandma’s house,” he said. “I can’t tell you how good it felt to be in a house with my wife and babies.”

One after another, the stories poured in, all variations on the same theme: a spouse or a family in crisis, alone, afraid, traveling hundreds or thousands of miles to the bedside of their wounded, injured or ill loved one—and then upon entering a Fisher House, finding not only accommodations, but a caring, knowing support network. Kate Davis’ story is typical. “When I found out that [my husband] was hurt, I was so upset, it was almost too much for my mind to grasp,” she says. Her arrival at the Travis Air Force Base Fisher House was a huge relief. “The people that stay here are wonderful; it’s not a feeling of sympathy, it’s empathy. They can relate because they’re Vets or going through the same situation. …For my husband, there are military people here that know what he’s going through when he talks about his injury. It’s not just a listening ear and not having a clue. They get it.”

“A Family’s Love is Good Medicine” soon became the Fisher House motto. F IS HE R HOU S E AT 25

“It’s definitely a home away from home. We all have our own rooms, but nine times out of 10, we end up in the family room together.” —JULIE BROOKER

Adm. Carlisle and Pauline Trost

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“I don’t know what I would do without a Fisher House. I either wouldn’t be able to come, or we would have to stay in an expensive hotel. Fact is, this old Korean Vet just doesn’t have that kind of money.” —JOSEPH KREBS

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TRANSITION

1998â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2004

By 1998, there were 25 Fisher Houses in operation. A few years earlier, as the number of houses continued to grow, the surgeons general of the Army, Navy and Air Force wanted to ensure there were funds to fulfill their responsibilities to operate and maintain the houses. Families were asked to pay up to $10 a night, although house managers could waive this fee if it presented a financial hardship. Still, more was needed. Then, the Army Surgeon General had a lightning bolt moment: why not tap the long-dormant hospital fund established during World War II? The Army petitioned the Senate Armed Services Committee to redesignate the fund for the Fisher House program, and committee staffer Charlie Abell (later to become the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness) thought it was a brilliant idea. He drafted language for the 1995 Defense Authorization Act to that effect.

(Above) The Alaska Fisher House provides a home away from home for Emma Henry, a young cancer patient whose father serves in the US Coast Guard. (Opposite page) Ft. Hood, TX, opened its Fisher House in 1998, providing a safe haven for families of military being treated at the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center.

By 1998, Congress mandated that the Navy and Air Force set up similar funds. Moving forward, the program was on firm footing, which was especially fortuitous, as founder Zachary Fisher passed away the following year. F IS HE R HOU S E AT 25

A Bear-y Special Mission (Excerpted largely from an article by Karen Stansbury) Completing a year-long diplomatic tour of all the Fisher Houses around the country, two adorable, furry ambassadors arrived in New York City for the annual Fisher House Managers Conference in 1997. Climbing onto the lap of their namesake, Zachary Fisher, they viewed a video and scrapbook of their travels.

Over the years, as the program expanded, Congress has increased the amount of money in each of the Services’ trust funds, and, since 2006, Fisher House Foundation has covered the nightly fee, meaning that no family ever pays to stay at a Fisher House.

“At the Fisher House conferences, the managers liked to give Mr. and Mrs. Fisher a present,” explains former Stratton VA Fisher House Manager Joanne Saulsbery, “What do you give someone who has everything? We had to use our creativity.” The Fisher Bear Tour was the brainchild of Karen Esser, manager of the San Diego Fisher House. The

When the bears arrived at the Stratton VA Medical Center, in Albany, NY, Fisher House manager Joanne Saulsbery took them to visit the governor, George E. Pataki, at the State Capitol. Governor Pataki was present when the Albany Fisher House was dedicated in 1995.

bears began their mission by flying to Hawaii’s Tripler Army Medical Center Fisher House, and then back to the continent (draped in leis), and traveled to each and every Fisher House. They met with military brass and injured service members alike—standing in for Zachary and Elizabeth whose health

As Zachary Fisher’s health declined, he was less and less able to travel, but his interest in the Fisher Houses never waned. Recalls retired Fort Bragg Fisher House Manager Paula Gallero, “He was the kind of guy who didn’t care if you were a janitor or a general—everybody was equal to him….Even when he was aging, he wanted a phone call with a family at the house every week. I didn’t realize that he really looked forward to them— even when he was sick in bed, he never told anybody; he just lay in bed waiting for these calls. He never told anyone about his problems, he took on everyone else’s problems.”

would not allow them to make such a trip themselves. Photo ops awaited them at each stop. At Fort Bragg, paratroopers suited them up with pint-size parachutes and red berets. At Andrews Air Force Base in Washington, DC, they joined Vice President and Mrs. Gore on their trip to China. From the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, the bears jumped aboard a C-5 carrier plane to Mexico to join Marine Helicopter Squadron One to accompany President and Mrs. Clinton on their vacation. The bears closed their tour with a visit to the US Naval Academy where they sculled with the rowing team. The bears’ amazing exploits are testament to the devotion that Fisher House managers felt for—and the high regard in which their military collaborators held—Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher. 16 | F ISHER HOUSE AT 25

Just as Fisher Brothers, the construction/development company founded by Zachary and his brothers, became a family enterprise, so too, did the Fisher family embrace Fisher House Foundation. In 1998, Zachary asked his nephew M. Anthony (Tony) Fisher to become the Foundation’s vice chairman and chief operating officer. When Zachary passed away the next year, another nephew, Arnold, immediately stepped up to become chairman, president and chief executive officer. Janet Grampp, manager of the Fisher House at the Malcolm Grow Medical Center at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, recalled that period. “When Zachary Fisher passed away,

Remembering Zachary Fisher (1910–1999)

(Clockwise from top left) Retired General Colin Powell, former Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks at Zachary’s funeral service. Zachary and Elizabeth hold the ceremonial key to the doors of the first Fisher House, at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda. Zachary and Elizabeth shortly after their wedding in 1945. A Joint Color Guard from the five armed services at Zachary’s funeral in 1999. Elizabeth Fisher (third from left) listens as dignitaries laud Zachary’s philanthropy and patriotism at his funeral.

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When then President Bill Clinton signed Public law 106-161 making Zachary an honorary Veteran, he became only the second person in our nation’s history so honored. Bob Hope was the first.

I’ll never forget where I was when I got that call. Our hearts were broken, and we immediately started wondering and worrying; What’s going to happen now? But that family never faltered, never missed a step. We owe a great debt to the whole Fisher family for continuing it. It speaks volumes about the kind of people they are. They are patriots.” Zachary Fisher passed away June 4, 1999. One thousand mourners attended his funeral service, held, appropriately, on the Intrepid. Friends, dignitaries and military brass spoke of his accomplishments, character and legacy during the three-hour tribute. Scores of letters of condolences poured in from around the country and the world. Five months later, on November 2, the US Congress bestowed the title of Honorary Veteran on Zachary posthumously. Said good friend and Congressman C.W. “Bill” Young at the time, “We all share a certain sense of sadness that Zach Fisher died last June before we could complete action on this legislation. His life-long dream was to join those he most loved as a Veteran of our US services. Today, for just the second time in our nation’s history, we grant that special status as an honorary Veteran. (Bob Hope was granted the honorary title first.) “The Military Coalition, which represents all of our nation’s major Veterans service organizations, has endorsed this legislation because they know how much Zach Fisher loved Veterans and gave to our service members.

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“I look back and I know that I have made a difference in someone’s life. I look forward and feel certain that we will be making meaningful changes in many lives.” —ZACHARY FISHER

“Mr. Speaker, when I first heard about Zach Fisher, I told many of my colleagues that this person was just too good to be true. There couldn’t be anyone doing as much for his nation so quietly and with so little fanfare. It wasn’t until I first met Zach Fisher that I found out he was even more kind and caring than the reports I had received. Nothing brought a bigger smile to his face than a hug or handshake from an enlisted service member or from a child visiting the Intrepid. “Today I know Zach Fisher is looking down upon this House with that same glowing smile as a grateful nation says thank you to a true American hero who devoted his life and his generosity to our service members. He now stands shoulder to shoulder with all those past, present, and future who wear the uniform and who will forever be honored as Veterans of our great country,” said Congressman Young. So many people who visit Fisher Houses wonder at the generosity and motivation of Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher. At Zachary’s memorial service, Richard Danzig, then-secretary of the Department of the Navy, did his best to articulate it. Zach “gave in a way that I think of as loving….Zach wasn’t an anonymous donor. He was right in the middle of everything, and we loved him for that,” he said. “That kind of giving translated into Zach putting his imprint on all of our lives and everything he did. He knew so many of us. He knew the managers of all those 28 Fisher Houses on

a first-name basis. …He knew so many Soldiers and Sailors, Airmen and Marines. That kind of contact made the deeds not only so good, but brought with them a kind of loving that I think was infectious, that caused everyone who was touched by it to start to do more themselves. “But I think, above all, the relationship between Zach and the military was a natural because they are kindred souls. Because there is a sense in both Zach and in our uniformed services of what it is to give, to give of yourself, that there are times and circumstances where sacrifices are made that ordinary people would regard as a cost. “Zach and the military were a love affair waiting to happen and it was only appropriate and natural that the military took Zach to its heart as he took them to his. …At times when the military was less than fully appreciated by America—and at times, as well, when it was fully appreciated—Zach was there as a member of the family, as somebody who understood that kind of transcendent love, that deeper

After Zachary’s passing, the leadership for Fisher House Foundation passed to Zachary’s nephew Arnold Fisher (far right) who became the Foundation’s Chairman. He was assisted by his son Ken (far left) and cousin Tony (center) who both served as Vice Chairmen.

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With an able assist from the Army Corps of Engineers, Fisher House Foundation opened two Fisher Houses at the military’s only major medical center on foreign soil—in Landstuhl, Germany. Fisher House I opened in June 2001 and Fisher House II in December 2002. Congressman Bill Young, flanked by Ken and Arnold Fisher, holds the ceremonial scissors used to cut the ribbon for the opening of Fisher House I at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

meaning of doing a higher thing, of having a sense of the most intimate kind of camaraderie. “So I now feel a great sense of loss in Zach’s departure,” Danzig concluded. “I also feel a sense that he showed us the way. He showed us what it is not merely to give of your resources, but give of yourself and, in the end, how deeply, deeply rewarding that can be…” Even in the final months of his life, Zachary Fisher was instrumental in charting the future for Fisher House Foundation. For some time, the Foundation had debated the merits of building a Fisher House at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Landstuhl is the largest military hospital outside of the United States, and the only major US military medical center in the European theater. “There was some hesitation to building on foreign soil,” recalls Fisher House Vice President Jim Weiskopf. “Secretary of the Army [Louis] Caldera wrote a very impassioned letter to Zach; it was read to him when he was in the hospital, and his guidance was just, ‘Let’s do it.’ And that was our signal that we could proceed.” It was a prescient decision: shortly after opening the first house at Landstuhl, the 9/11 terrorist attacks precipitated Operation Enduring Freedom. Landstuhl would come to play an increasingly critical role in treating US troops severely injured in Afghanistan, and later, Iraq. In fact, in 2001, Fisher House Foundation began construction of a second house at Landstuhl.

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Program Spotlight: Newman’s Own Awards In 1999, Fisher House Foundation made a rare expansion to its mission, partnering with Newman’s Own, Inc., and Military Times Media Group to establish the Newman’s Own Awards. The awards—actually grants—are financed by the after-tax proceeds

Meanwhile, stateside, another major change was in store, thanks in part to a group in Ohio. Looking to build, manage and maintain a Veterans Guest House at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center, fundraisers were introduced to the Fisher House program. They brought to the table their vision of a conventional, motel-style lodging and a sizeable portion of the necessary funding.

of Newman’s Own products sold in commissaries around the world. Since 2014, Fisher House Foundation also has contributed to the grant each year. “We give awards to small organizations that are doing things to help the military,” said Tammy Fisher, a

Fisher House Foundation agreed to do the project but with two important changes—that the house be redesigned to give it a homelike, rather than hotel, environment, and, that once it was built, it would be turned over to the government to manage and maintain. “If we got into management, we would need an endowment,” explained now-Chairman and CEO Ken Fisher. “And nobody who donates to us wants that money to sit in an endowment. They want to know that the money was used immediately to build a house.”

Foundation trustee and one of the judges for the awards. In the beginning, “all of these local initiatives were centered around the bases,” added her husband, Ken Fisher, who is chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation. Today, many Veterans groups apply for and receive the grants as well. The Foundation administers the program, soliciting

With 16 suites, the Cincinnati house was double the size of the traditional Fisher Houses, and it was the first Fisher House built with outside money. Until his death, Zachary Fisher had written a personal check to build each house.

applications and selecting winners. Since its inception

“That got us thinking,” said Jim Weiskopf, “if we get the outside community to help us with the fundraising, we only have to put half as much money into a house, and we can build twice as many houses.” This became the new model for future Fisher House expansion.

In 1997, actor and World War II Veteran Paul Newman introduced his line of salad dressings, pasta sauce, and popcorn into the military’s commissary system. Newman donated all after-tax profits from the sale of his products to charities, and when asked where he would donate the profits from the sales through the military commissaries, he replied: “Fisher House Foundation.” Each year the top winner of the Newman’s Own Awards receives a bust of Paul Newman.

in 2000, the program has awarded over $1 million for projects ranging from summer camps for military kids to service dogs for disabled Veterans.

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Letters from Fisher House guests

ed to ha ve ed that I would ne rn lea we en wh were very upset ur to five My hu sba nd and I ’d be there for fo we at th ld to re When we we not be able to surgery in Hawa ii. ree children would th r ou use ca be en worse wa y from where we weeks, we felt ev Ea st Coa st, a long e th on e liv s ilie fam accompan y us. Our are in Okinawa…. A few da ys -old son with us. th on -m ht eig r ou cided to ta ke r infection. He In the end, we de with a sinus and ea wn do me ca by ba is wa ii, the a local hotel and th after arriving in Ha accommodations in e th th wi le ab rt omfo wa s already very unc made it worse. y hu sba nd r from my foot. M mo tu a ve mo re to I had surgery there during A week or so later ble for him to be ssi po im it de ma e ba by, which r hotel room, I had to ca re for th d going back to ou an l ta spi ho e th g ter lea vin l. my hospita l sta y. Af back at the hospita ha ve rather been uld wo I . ble ra se too, wa s mi As the Fisher House. got the ca ll from we en wh int po e rst ok them over to th We were at our wo d the bags and to ke pac nd sba hu fe my , that I’d el quickly as he could e ba by, he told me th d an me t ge me back to house. When he ca he ever right. o the house. Was int d lke wa I nd co better the se y sta rted to relax. real crib, we finall a in by ba e th and put e first 24 hours. Once we unpacked felt 30 times in th we er tt be ch mu how We mu st ha ve said point. Our little wa s another high ing rn mo xt ne e th ents y wa s a Meeting the resid the house…Our sta o int d me lco we s smiling as he wa k did not ha ve boy could not stop bysit so little Fran ba to me ca s er te The volun blessing every da y… office for hours. to sit in a doctor ’s for us. If I couldn’t a wonderful thing h suc ing do r fo Fishers st thing. Thank you to the House—the next be r he Fis in be to glad be at home, I wa s i Jennifer Borkowsk Burlington, NJ

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“War redefined everything—everything we had known as Fisher House managers,” recalls Vivian Wilson, manager at the Walter Reed Fisher Houses from 1991 to 2006. “We had to redefine how we were going to use Fisher Houses and did not want to exclude the families we had served for so long.” The first casualties of the War on Terror arrived in 2001 and the number increased dramatically with the invasion of Iraq two years later. Walter Reed was the Army’s flagship medical center until 2011, when it was integrated with other military branch facilities in

As the war progressed and more and more injured were needing care and rehabilitation, Fisher House saw the need to build three more homes at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, located in Bethesda, MD, bringing the total to five houses. Even in 2015 the homes stay 98% full.

Setbacks and Determination (Excerpted largely from a Fisher House magazine article by Mary Ann Sallas)

Fisher House Foundation Vice Chairman Tony Fisher and his wife Anne were killed in an airplane accident in 2003, and when Fisher House II at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu, Hawaii was dedicated in February 2004, it was dedicated in memory of Tony and Anne. Their portrait is displayed in the living room of the 11 suite Fisher House.

Bethesda, MD, as the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. In the early 2000s, it began admitting thousands of critically wounded soldiers a year, which meant families were staying for longer periods at Fisher Houses, and wait lists were growing longer. “We were dealing with brand new demographics, these young, young people,” said Wilson. Young spouses were often unfamiliar with the military system, and most of the nonprofit organizations that eventually grew up to support wounded warriors did not exist. “There was no precedent for this. There was no template we could follow,” Wilson said. “We worked so closely with clinicians and Army Casualty and learned together how we could better take care of these families. There was nothing set up to accommodate families long term.”

It was a long-awaited day in Honolulu. The second Fisher House at Tripler Army Medical Center was finally getting its dedication ceremony on a beautiful day in February 2004. The house had been scheduled to open in early 2002, but with the events of September 11, 2001, the Foundation decided that a second Fisher House at Landstuhl in Germany was a priority. But the patience and understanding of the Hawaiian people was rewarded with a beautiful house, on a high hill with a postcard-perfect view of Pearl Harbor. It was a bittersweet day nonetheless. Said new Fisher House Chairman Ken Fisher, “This house has even greater

“Within the first six months of 2003,” Wilson continued, “Fisher Houses were serving the patient as well. Combat amputees typically required lengthy rehabilitation, as they gradually regained their mobility. The patients excelled so much more in a family environment, even more so as outpatients,” she said, “feeling some sense of normalcy during an otherwise very medically stressful time.”

meaning to the entire family as we dedicate this house in memory of my cousins. Tony and Anne—this one’s for you.” M. Anthony and Anne Fisher had tragically perished in an airplane crash on April 4, 2003. Since 1998, Tony had served as the Foundation’s chief operating officer and co-vice chair with Ken. “Tony was not just my cousin, Tony was my mentor and my friend,” he said. “This Foundation was uncharted territory for me. Tony was very instrumental not only in getting me involved but giving me guidance. The hole, the void that has been created by Tony’s

Younger families also meant more infants and small children. Samantha Young told of her months-long stay at the Tampa Fisher House with her toddler daughter KinLee, while husband Perry recovered from injuries sustained in Afghanistan. “It’s hard to stay at the hospital all day and night, and when he

death is massive.” “We’ve had a bad year,” Ken Fisher concluded, “but we are carrying on. We’re going to survive. The family has always been close, but now we’re closer and we’re more determined than ever to carry this banner.”

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Fisher House Family Spotlight: Judith Roberts and son Staff Sgt. Michael Lindsey By Judith Roberts My husband and I had just relocated from Washington state to Chicago when both our sons were deployed to the Middle East in anticipation of a war in Iraq. Not long after we settled in, we learned that our younger son, Michael, a staff sergeant, was in Kuwait awaiting orders to advance to Baghdad. As we watched the dramatic pictures of the war play out on television, we knew that if either of our sons joined the list of casualties we would be hard-pressed to meet the need financially. I took on extra part-time work wherever I could find it while my husband trained for the

comes here, he gets to watch football on a big TV and KinLee can play on the floor next to him,” she said.

contract job that was to see us through the summer. Still, when we got the call that our son Michael’s leg had been badly injured in an explosion, we had to rely on our church and community back home to help us go to our son’s side. When we first arrived at Brooke Army Medical Center, I stayed in the Guest House. Many nights I stayed in my son’s room, napping between vitals, meds and wound care. On the few nights that I walked across the parking lot to my room, an overwhelming sense of isolation

The Foundation learned a lot from the families who graced the houses and consequently tried to build the next house better. Playgrounds were added. Hallways were widened and bathrooms became roll-in to accommodate wheelchairs. Nearly all of the two-story houses built since 2005 include an elevator.

set in the moment the door closed behind me. When Michael made it into a wheelchair, it was a milestone in many ways. But it also meant that we would need more than the Guest House had to offer if we were going to prepare him for life on the post. That morning I called the Fisher House and we moved in within an hour.

Noted Young, “It was so nice having a Pack n’ Play provided and something to give KinLee a bath in. I didn’t have to lug all of that plus her high chair with me in my car. They even had baby food here. It’s the little things that made a difference.”

The Fisher House Foundation arranged for me to stay in a lovely room with an attached parlor. The fully furnished kitchen, laundry facility and porch were available to me any time I needed them. Yet more important to my son and me is the community that developed at the Fisher House. It happened as soon as I stepped out of my room and began to meet the other residents. We grew relationships that will undoubtedly go the distance. For me, the Fisher House provided a platform to learn more about the situation I faced and how I could manage my family better. But I also discovered that just by being there, I could help others along, too. Residents worked together to provide home-cooked meals, transportation, a strong shoulder to lean on or a much needed break in the tension. I shall always look back in wonder at how such an emotionally stressful season of our life was mixed with so many blessings from so many sources.

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Boston Fisher House manager Elizabeth St. Pierre plays with Sean, the son of a Fisher House guest.

Ambassadors: a Vital Connection Striving to perpetuate the close contact Zachary Fisher maintained between Fisher Houses and the Foundation leadership, two officers of the Board of Trustees established the Fisher House Ambassadors program. Audrey Fisher and Nancy Edelman, traveling at their own expense, began criss-crossing the country in 2004, dedicated to personally visiting each and every Fisher House. “The main purpose of our visit is to say thank you,” said Audrey Fisher. Not only to the families of service members, but also, “thanks to the managers at each house who we know work so hard to show their commitment. We also thank our volunteers for their service and dedication.” Over the years, the pair have logged hundreds of thousands of miles to make these vital connections—a major commitment of time and resources they firmly consider not a chore, but an honor.

(Clockwise from top) One of the many wounded warriors Audrey and Nancy met while traveling to all Fisher Houses explains the fixator on his left leg to fellow New Yorker Audrey Fisher. Audrey, a polished musician, plays the drums to entertain guests at the Founders Day cook-out at the Brooke Army Medical Center Fisher Houses in San Antonio. Standing in front of the bust of Zachary and Elizabeth that is in the foyer of each Fisher House are “Ambassadors” Nancy Edelman (left) and Audrey Fisher (right) with Foundation Vice President Jim Weiskopf, who normally accompanies them on each visit.

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“I am so thankful for my beautiful home at Palo Alto. So thankful for Fisher House.” —MINIE CURRY

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“There’s not one moment in Fisher House that hasn’t been extraordinary. I’ve been thinking about what it means to us and the people here—it’s a beacon of hope.” —KATE DAVIS

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EXPANSION

2005–2011

Validating the truism that good begets good, the Fisher House program, since its very inception, has attracted a vast army of volunteers and supporters. From Boy Scouts holding food drives to supply their local Fisher House to a constellation of country music stars recording public service announcements to benefit the Foundation, the American public has become integral to the program. Not surprisingly, the military/Veteran network has been singularly responsive to the needs of Fisher Houses, with base clubs, Veterans service organizations and individual units raising money, making repairs and improvements and stocking their local houses with groceries and essentials. At the Tampa Fisher House, for example, a local Vietnam Veterans of America chapter provides complete, fully-cooked holiday meals. “They have personally committed to this support as a way to ensure that no Veteran or their family be treated as they did when they returned from combat during the Vietnam War,” says House Manager Paula Welenc.

(Above) Retired Army Staff Sergeant Dale Beatty, injured in a land mine blast in November 2004 plays with his daughter. (Opposite page) The Salt Lake City Department of Veterans Affairs Fisher House, opened in January 2012, features a spectacular view of Utah’s majestic Wasatch Mountain Range from its patio and rear facing rooms.

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Fisher House Family Spotlight: The Beattys On November 15, 2004, Dale Beatty was injured in Iraq when an improvised explosive device (IED) flipped his Humvee, resulting in the loss of both of his legs. Dale was stabilized at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center before being transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, for long-term rehabilitation. His wife Belinda, soon joined him, followed by their two boys. “My dad was military, so we grew up knowing that military families stick together,” Belinda said. “No brother left behind. I made arrangements to stay in DC however long Dale was going to be there.” About a week into Dale’s recovery, he asked his wife where she and the boys were staying. Although they were originally in a hotel, Dale’s family had moved into the Fisher House. This was the first Dale had heard about the Fisher House program, but he soon became very familiar with it, as it allowed his family to be present during the recovery process. “I’ve seen a lot of charities do a lot of different things for the military, but only Fisher House has focus on the entire family as a unit,” Dale said. “We were all able to be together.” “Living in the Fisher House was home away from home,” Belinda said. “I was never alone and I could always talk to someone— you’re surrounded by love.” Dale continued to rehabilitate with his family by his side. Today Dale plays in a band, golfs, and runs his own nonprofit organization to support Veterans. He remains forever grateful for what Fisher House did. “Without Fisher House Foundation, I don’t know what my prognosis would have been, or where I would be now, not having my family next to me. What we have is irreplaceable.” 30 | F ISHER HOUSE AT 25

(Clockwise from top left) With his two sons Dustin and Lucas, Dale Beatty in his room in Ward 57 at the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center in late 2004. Ward 57 was normally the first stop for service members whose injuries required amputations. Former Walter Reed Army Medical Center Fisher House residents Dale and Belinda Beatty with their three children: Dustin, Lucas and Sophia. Dale Beatty in Iraq, 2004 Dale Beatty now serves as a Fisher House Foundation trustee.

“Volunteering for Fisher House feeds my heart. I feel like I am the one being given a gift.” —VOLUNTEER NICK MAVRICK

But the civilian community has embraced the Fisher Houses as well. Each house has a unique personality, defined not only by the style of its exterior and interior furnishings, but by the house manager and its volunteers. Many houses have their own local nonprofit organization dedicated to raising money to support them, funding amenities such as patios, playgrounds and golf carts. “Our local 501(c)(3), The Friends of VA Puget Sound Fisher House, funds all the regular programs of the house, provides groceries and prepares a quarterly dinner for families,” says Manager Stephanie Toepp. “They also support keeping up the gardens by having professional master gardeners tend to them, and host an annual Volunteer Appreciation party.” Volunteers range from individuals or groups taking on a specific project to regular on-site volunteers working every day doing housekeeping, repairs and lawn care and assisting residents with errands, cooking and transportation. Local businesses and retailers have “adopted” houses, donating supplies, decorating them for the holidays, taking on landscaping and clean-up projects. “I can’t really put into words what our volunteers mean to our guests,” says St. Louis House Manager Vanniecia Brown. “They do everything from clean the stove to iron sheets and pillow cases, organize donations, not to mention cooking.” In 2013, volunteers logged more than 92,000 hours of work at or for Fisher Houses and donations ran into the millions of dollars.

Volunteers are the backbone of Fisher Houses. Managers will tell you they couldn’t run their homes without them.

Continued on page 35

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VIP Visitors The solid mission and A+ charity rating of Fisher House Foundation have attracted support and recognition from celebrities and public figures over the years, including presidents, generals, Hollywood actors, cartoonists, commentators and other public figures.

1– President Barack Obama 2– First Lady Michelle Obama 3– His Royal Highness Prince Harry at Fisher House UK

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4– Montel Williams 5– Kourtney and Khloé Kardashian 6– Jay Leno 7– Dr. Jill Biden 8– Denzel Washington

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“When it comes to philanthropy supporting Veterans, service members, and their families, the Fisher family represents the gold standard. They were in the field before almost anyone else. Their projects have been soaringly successful. And they have managed to repeat their triumphs—first in one area, then in another, later in third and fourth sectors.” —EXCERPTED FROM THE PHILANTHROPY ROUNDTABLE’S “SERVING THOSE WHO SERVED: A WISE GIVER’S GUIDE TO ASSISTING VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES”

With accolades like those from charity watchdog organizations, the Fisher family has been tapped to offer insights and expertise time and again. o In 2006, Chairman and CEO Ken Fisher met with President and Mrs. George W. Bush in the Oval Office as a member of “America Supports You” organizations. o In 2007, President Bush appointed Ken Fisher to the “Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors”. o Also in 2007, Fisher House Vice Chairman Arnold Fisher served on the Independent Review Group established by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to hear from patients and family members about their experiences with military medical care. o In 2008, Foundation Chairman & CEO Ken Fisher was honored by US News & World Report as one of “America’s Best Leaders” in the philanthropy category. o Ken Fisher has twice been awarded the Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the second with Bronze Palm, presented for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to national security or defense of the United States—the nation’s highest non-combat related military award and highest joint service decoration. o Ken Fisher has also been twice awarded the Army Service Award and is both an honorary Army Green Beret (2004) and an Honorary Marine (2011). o Ken Fisher received the George C. Marshall Award from the Association of the United States Army, its highest honor. The Secretary of the Army granted his branch’s highest civilian award, the Decoration for Distinguished Civilian Service, to Ken as well in 2013. o He has received the Secretary’s Award from the Department of Veterans Affairs, its highest honor. o Arts & Entertainment television network bestowed on Ken Fisher its prestigious “Lives That Make a Difference” Award. Ken Fisher, in front of Fisher House IV at the then Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, during construction. Three large 20-suite houses opened in January 2011, increasing the number of guest rooms at the hospital from 16 to 76.

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o Ken Fisher was named an inaugural Friars Club Lincoln Award recipient in 2015, for outstanding achievement and excellence in providing opportunities and support to our nation’s Veterans and military families.

“Fisher House Foundation didn’t do all this alone. The fact that thousands of Americans contributed to making these dreams possible is something all of us should be proud of. Americans do care.” —KEN FISHER

Continued from page 31

Over the years, the gifts of time, talent, goods and s ervices have been limited only by the creativity of those looking to help, and attest to the fact that everyone has something to give. School children at Fort Bragg launched a penny drive that raised $600 for the Fisher House at Womack Army Medical Center. Around the country, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts take on service projects for their local Fisher Houses. Mary Rose Ocampo used the occasion of her ninth birthday to solicit not presents for herself, but donations to the Lackland Air Force Base Fisher House. Her effort raised $1,445 and more than $200 worth of paper products. For the Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base LewisMcChord Fisher House, a team of information technology students at the University of Washington, Tacoma, designed a new website. From their sister campus in Seattle, landscape architecture students, led by Prof. Daniel Winterbottom, built amazing gardens at the VA Puget Sound Fisher House. Eighteen-year-old Oliver Plunket of the United Kingdom raised more than £100,000 by riding his motorcycle 24,000 miles from Argentina to Alaska for a Fisher House in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Grandmothers sew quilts for Fisher House families. Retirees do odd jobs and prepare meals. Nick Wallace, a farmer in Keystone, IA, sends all-natural, organic meats to the Hines VA Fisher House in Chicago, where volunteers use it to prepare

Oliver Plunket of the United Kingdom took a year off before college to ride his motorcycle from Argentina to Alaska in support of Fisher House UK. Along his way up the West Coast of the United States, Ollie stopped at Fisher Houses, visiting with injured military members and their families.

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“I think Justin enjoys us all being here. We’ve been so close by. Every day we’re together. We can take breaks and shifts; it helps especially when appointments are nonstop. We even got to see him as a family walk.” —JENNIFER CRABBE

meals. Musicians perform concerts. Massage therapists offer free services to tired and stressed residents. Portsmouth Fisher House Manager Jill Thompson reports that at her house, “there is even a chicken that donates fresh eggs.” Motorcycle clubs raise money through poker rides and barbecues. Fort Campbell Fisher House Manager Wendy Carlston can easily rattle off more than a half dozen motorcycle clubs and shops that conduct various activities throughout the year to benefit the house at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital. “Maybe it’s because most of the members are Veterans themselves,” she said. “Whatever the reason, we love our bikers!” Perhaps the most compelling volunteers and donors to Fisher Houses are the guest families that the houses serve. Nearly all residents of Fisher Houses support one another, simply by interacting day-to-day, sharing sorrows and pain, meals and milestones, in a way others simply couldn’t do. But many guests are so grateful for their experience in a Fisher House that they endeavor to give back by paying it forward: giving of their time and talents to ensure the comfort of future guests as well. Retired Army Staff Sergeant Bill Kleinedler, severely injured in 2006, was a patient at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, and his family stayed at the Fisher Houses there. An artist, Bill has donated paintings and sculpture to the Fisher Houses in San Antonio and Boston. His daughter, Lainey, also stayed at Fisher House.

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Bill Kleinedler is one such Veteran. Severely burned in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Iraq in 2006, Kleinedler and his family spent many months at Fisher Houses over the next three years. Upon moving to Massachusetts, Kleinedler threw himself into fundraising for the Fisher House being planned for the VA Boston Healthcare System, appearing at events and donating artwork to auction.

Program Spotlight: Hero Miles When someone asks Hero Programs Director Tish Stropes the value of donated frequent flier miles, she has to explain a paradox: they are at once priceless and of no financial value. Hero Miles, managed by Fisher House Foundation, accepts frequent flier miles donated by airline passengers from five carriers. It then converts them into round-trip airline tickets for wounded, injured and ill service members and/or their families, so that they can be

In 2012, Kleinedler created a sculpture for the house’s new healing garden. “It challenged me to better myself both in my art and in life as I progress with my own therapy,” he says. “Without Fisher House, I couldn’t have been in the mental place I am now. I would hate for a wounded warrior coming from overseas not to have that available to them.”

together during the healing process and for special events. While a donor cannot take a tax deduction for giving miles to the program—the “no value” part of the equation—for recipients of the tickets, they are a godsend. Jessica Allen is one beneficiary. During her husband’s

Anita Olds is another grateful volunteer. She spent months as a guest of the Travis Air Force Base Fisher House while her husband Greg was being treated for leukemia, helping out when she could. After he passed away, Anita continued to volunteer, driving nearly eight hours two to three days a week. When she learned that a resident was desperate to marry his longtime love, she planned a wedding and reception at the Fisher House to make it happen.

recovery from an improvised explosive

With several US military bases and a large population of Veterans, the tiny territory of Guam sends its ailing families to the Tripler Army Medical Center and Fisher Houses in Hawaii. At 3,800 miles away, it’s still the nearest major medical facility to the island. When then Tripler Fisher House manager Theresa Johnson (currently the manager at Ft. Hood) traveled to Guam, she was escorted around the island by former residents and feted with receptions and special events. At the conclusion of her visit in spring, 2010, she was presented with a donation for Fisher House of more than $9,000 from island residents. “Talk about how one place has impacted a whole island,” said Johnson. “Fisher House is forever in the hearts of our military families of Guam.”

Since 2004, the program has provided more

device (IED) blast in Afghanistan in 2011, she flew weekly, using Hero Miles, to alternate spending time with him in the hospital and their children at home. “The generosity of Hero Miles and the flexibility of the program is amazing,” she said. “They’re willing to help families any way they can.”

than 58,000 tickets—saving military and Veteran families nearly $88 million.

Jessica and Chaz Allen with their daughters.

In 2011, Fisher House began administering a sister program, Hotels for Heroes. This

program aggregates donated hotel reward points to offer hotel lodging when no Fisher House room is available. Since it began, the program has already provided nearly 6,000 nights of lodging—a savings of more than $800,000 to nearly 1,500 families.

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Special Supporters for a Special Fisher House When the American Gold Star Mothers organization learned of a unique Fisher House being built at Dover Air Force Base, the group knew it had found its cause. That is because the Dover house serves not the families of ill or injured service members, but those who are meeting the remains of a fallen loved one. Gold Star mothers are those who have lost a son or daughter in the service of their country. “We firmly believe it was not a coincidence that this project arose just as we were getting ready to kick off our campaign,” said the group’s National President Molly Morel before the house’s dedication in 2010. “I knew immediately, just like the Fisher House Foundation knew, that this was a perfect fit for our effort.” American Gold Star Mothers surpassed its fundraising goal of $50,000, raising more than $80,000 to support the Dover Fisher House. “Having Dover as our project, I think that energized our membership in a way that perhaps fundraising for the general pool couldn’t have done,” said Morel. “For the few dollars we raised, we’ve received such a huge reward—knowing that this house is there for families like ours. It was a wonderful experience.”

With Fisher House Foundation Chairman and CEO Ken Fisher are Gold Star Mothers, women bonded in service because each had a son or daughter who had given their life in service to our nation.

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“We arrived at Dover around nine. Raw with emotion, we were driven to a special location on base, the Fisher House. In those terrible days we were not ‘normal’ and needed to be surrounded by those who could both help and respect our privacy. Fisher House provided us this quiet service. I was allowed a respectful place to meet with and be guided through the hard business of death.” —ROBERT STANTON, FATHER OF A FALLEN MARINE

By the mid-2000s, wounded soldiers were pouring into Walter Reed Army Medical Center at a rate of almost 1,000 a month. In 2004, a third Fisher House was dedicated by General Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. So the Pentagon’s Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommendation the next year to close Walter Reed caught many by surprise. Fortunately, the American public was becoming increasingly aware of the Fisher House program, and donations were surging. In 2005, the largest Fisher House ever built, with 21 guest suites, opened at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, TX. Six more houses were approved for construction, each directly supporting combat casualties and their families. Three houses were slated to be built in Bethesda at the newly expanded and rechristened Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to replace those at the old Walter Reed. For the first time, the Marine Corps would also get a Fisher House, at Camp LeJeune, in North Carolina.

As the Fisher House program adapted and grew to accommodate the casualties of the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the need for a different kind of Fisher House became sadly apparent. Families who lost a loved one in service to their country could witness the dignified transfer of remains at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, but there was nowhere for them to stay. Alerted to the situation, Fisher House Foundation Chairman & CEO Ken Fisher made the Dover Fisher House for Families of the Fallen a top priority. “We didn’t want another day to go by without these families having a place to grieve,” he said. In less than seven months, the home was completed and dedicated, the day before Veterans Day in 2011. “We also built a pavilion so that if they want to pray or meditate, they walk out the front door and across a little street,” he said. “I’m more proud of this project than anything.”

The Fisher House at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware is a one-of-a-kind. Built to provide overnight accommodations for families traveling to Dover Air Force Base to witness the dignified transfer of remains of loved ones who have been killed in service to our nation, the house is officially “Fisher House for the Families of the Fallen.”

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Doonesbury Features Fisher House In 2004, cartoonist Garry Trudeau introduced readers of his world-renowned comic strip “Doonesbury” to Fisher House through the story of B.D., a character who, while serving in Fallujah, Iraq, is wounded and has his left leg amputated. A few years later, Trudeau released “The Long Road Home: One Step at a Time,” which follows B.D. along his journey of injury and recovery—from Iraq to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany to the amputee ward at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, DC, and beyond. Proceeds from this special collection of books: “The Long Road Home: One Step at a Time”; “The War Within: One More

As the long wars in the Middle East ground on, the American public became more aware of the toll they were taking on military families. A host of support organizations had sprung up, and public figures and prominent companies were getting on board. Initially, Fisher House Foundation operated largely under the radar.

Step at a Time”; “Signature Wound: Rocking TBI”; “Mel’s Story: Surviving Military Sexual Assault,” were donated to Fisher House Foundation. Trudeau continues to be a wonderful supporter and friend of the organization.

Explains Foundation Chairman & CEO Ken Fisher, “The reason why is that I didn’t feel I would ever have enough to be able to siphon money off to advertise. I didn’t do direct mail because that was very expensive and very wasteful. Advertising on television was just a dream. One, I couldn’t afford it; and two, even if I could, I don’t believe in spending a dollar to make a quarter.” Eventually, that frugal strategy began paying dividends. With about 95 cents of every dollar donated going to programs— instead of overhead—Fisher House Foundation consistently rated in the very top tier of military charities, and people started to notice. The Indianapolis 500—America’s largest single sporting event—designated Fisher House Foundation its official nonprofit partner in 2008 and 2009. President Obama directed proceeds from his children’s book, “Of Thee I Sing,” to the Foundation’s Heroes Legacy Scholarships program. The building of Fisher Houses continued apace. Even the international community took notice. By 2009, the British Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association had opened

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Grassroots Support for Fisher House The brainchild of two Army wives looking to stay fit, support the military and relieve stress during their husbands’ deployment, Team Fisher House enables anyone to raise support for Fisher House. Conceived of and managed by Cathy Cabrey and Stacy Toner, Team Fisher House fields teams at all major military races, supporting runners with team gear, training tips and calendars, pre-and postrace food and drink and more. Participants raise funds through an online web page customized for each runner. But Team Fisher House is for more than just runners. Through the program’s Patriot Challenge, anyone can walk, run, swim or cycle for Fisher House Foundation— or their local Fisher House—at any event anywhere in the world. Since 2006, Team Fisher House has raised more than $6 million in support of military families and Veterans.

Fisher House Foundation Trustee Tammy Fisher cheers as His Royal Highness Prince Charles cuts the ribbon to officially open the Fisher House in Birmingham, United Kingdom.

two “Norton” Houses in England, based largely on the Fisher House model. In 2013, in partnership with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity and the Help for Heroes organization, the Foundation opened its first official Fisher House in the United Kingdom. Said Tammy Fisher, a Fisher House Foundation trustee, “We are so proud to help dedicate this first-ever Fisher House in the United Kingdom that will serve our allies and their families in their time of greatest need.” F IS HE R HOU S E AT 25

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“The people here are so caring—they really do take care of everything. This is just wonderful.” —LYNDIA FOWLER

FISHER HOUS E AT 25

“Living there for a year was home away from home. I was never alone. You’re surrounded by love.” —BELINDA BEATTY

F IS HE R HOU S E AT 25

FISHER HOUS E AT 25

EVOLVING

2012–2015

The core mission of Fisher House Foundation always was, and remains, the building of comfort homes near medical centers for military service members, Veterans and their families. But where skills and needs align, the Foundation is able and willing to stretch. “When we deviate, we deviate in a way that’s associated with the mission,” says Chairman & CEO Ken Fisher. “The military focuses on what Foundation president, Dave Coker, calls ‘the bullets, beans and bandages,’” Fisher continues. “And frankly, that’s what they should be focusing on. They can’t do everything, so they need to prioritize. And that means that there are always going to be unmet needs.” In recent years, the Foundation has become a sponsor of the Warrior Games, a week of national athletic competitions for wounded, injured and ill service members and Veterans. Informed by their long experience with Fisher Houses,

(Above) “We are over the moon excited about going to the Invictus Games,” said Heather Hopkins, wife of Army veteran Geoff Hopkins, who participated in cycling, wheelchair racing, wheelchair tennis, and wheelchair basketball in London. (Opposite page) Fisher House Foundation works to ensure families can be there to provide emotional support and stability during the tough times, as well as for the celebrations. In recent years, the Foundation became a sponsor of the Warrior Games and in 2014, the Invictus Games.

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Empowering Through Education Life can be hard on military families in many areas, not least the pocketbook. Average personal income averages 38 percent less for active military families compared to their civilian counterparts, according to a 2014 study. A major factor is the higher level of unemployment and underemployment of military spouses, conditions driven in part by the unique characteristics of military life. To combat that statistic and improve financial security, Fisher House Foundation administers three scholarship programs for military families. The oldest, Scholarships for Military Children, is funded primarily by Defense Commissary Agency business partners and others. Since 2001, the program has

Foundation leaders recognized that families were a vital component to the games. In conjunction with several nonprofit partners, they built the Warrior Games Family Program. This effort provides families with round-trip flights, food, lodging and transportation to cheer on their loved ones.

awarded more than 8,700 scholarships totaling nearly $14 million In 2008, Fisher House Foundation began sponsoring the National Military Family Association’s Joanne Holbrook Patton Scholarship for military spouses. This program awards scholarships of up to $2,500 to spouses pursuing a wide variety of educational and professional goals. The newest program, Heroes’ Legacy Scholarships, was founded in 2011 with proceeds from

In 2014, the Foundation became the sole American sponsor of Britain’s Invictus Games, a similar competition on an international scale, and a corresponding family component. “Military service members prove every day how resilient they are,” Fisher says. “The Invictus Games served as an incredible opportunity…to show their families just how far they have come in the recovery process.”

President Obama’s children’s book, “Of Thee I Sing.” It was established for children of a parent who died or was disabled through active military service since September 11, 2001. In its first five years, it has awarded more than $1.8 million. Fisher House Foundation administers the Scholarships for Military Children program with its partner, the Defense Commissary Agency. Each spring, military children selected to receive scholarship grants attend ceremonies at their local commissaries, where store directors present the recipients with certificates.

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Flexibility is key to the Foundation’s work. During the US government shutdown in 2013, for example, the F oundation offered to cover death benefits for fallen troops when it became apparent that they might be delayed. In a way, it brought the story of the Fisher House Foundation full circle: it was Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher who stepped up, beginning in 1983 with the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, to provide thousands of dollars to each family of a fallen service member—a gesture the Fisher family has continued until the government increased the benefits for these service members’ families.

A Passion for What They Do The mission of Fisher House has inspired loyalty and dedication among those connected with it. David Coker, hired in 1994 as executive director of Fisher House Foundation, remains today as president. He first became acquainted with the program while still on active duty at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, CO. “As the house at Fitzsimons was being built, I watched it go up,” he recalled. “I couldn’t help but be impressed.” Coker remembered his own family situation, years earlier, when his mother was diagnosed with cancer. His father, after a long Army career, had a close friend at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where his wife would be treated. Major General Lewis Mologne, who commanded the medical center, insisted that he stay with his wife and him in their quarters. “I think Fisher House offers the same opportunity,” Coker said, “but you don’t have to know the general.” Coker’s wife, Jami, volunteered to serve as the Fitzsimons Fisher House manager, and Coker himself started a local nonprofit to support the house. When the position at Fisher House Foundation became available, Coker applied. “I figured I could either be a cog in the big green machine or working with Fisher House and really have an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others,” he said in a 2011 interview with The Frederick News-Post newspaper. Dozens of other Veterans work with the Fisher House program as well. Jim Weiskopf, a retired Army colonel, joined the Foundation in 1997, and remains a vice president and consultant to the organization. Wayne Walker, a retired command sergeant major, serves as the Richmond Fisher House manager. An Afghanistan combat Veteran, Walker has been privileged to care for soldiers formerly under his command. Harry Hicks, also a retired command sergeant major, spent 20 years as the manager of the William Beaumont Army Medical Center Fisher House. “I’ve enjoyed every second of my time with the program. I couldn’t ask for a better job,” he said before his retirement last year. Although not a Veteran, Vivian Wilson, who as manager opened the second Fisher House

(Top) Foundation President Dave Coker speaks at a dedication ceremony. (Bottom) Ken Fisher and Dave Coker cheer the US military team at the Invictus Games in London. The US will host the games in 2016.

in 1991, still serves as a house manager, now at Landstuhl, in Germany. Several other managers have marked similar tenures.

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“Forever friends are found and formed while staying at Fisher House. A hug can make a bad day all better.” –ANNE ARNOLD, MANAGER, AUGUST VA FISHER HOUSE, GA

The quality of its programs and focus on stewardship has consistently secured Fisher House Foundation the highest ratings of charity watchdog groups, and, in turn, a stellar reputation among a growing stable of collaborators. The Foundation has solidified an important relationship in particular with news-talk radio. “The people who pass through Fisher Houses have powerful stories that need to be told,” said Fisher House Foundation Chairman & CEO Ken Fisher. “Radio’s intimacy makes it the perfect place to share those stories.”

Throughout the year, interviews on local and syndicated shows, as well as widely aired public service announcements, introduce audiences to Fisher House Foundation. Stationhosted fundraising efforts, from Washington DC’s WMAL December radio-thon to California’s Armstrong and Getty Veterans Day program, have raised more than $6 million and invaluable public awareness. In recent years, as many as 150 stations across the country, as well as online and streaming outlets, have aired three-hour Fisher House radio specials on Memorial Day and during the winter holidays. “Fisher House has become the premier nonprofit among station program directors and general managers,” said Marshall Adams, a Fisher House consultant who produces the shows, “that they just have the confidence to turn over three hours of airtime. We provide quality content and they provide a very generous donation of airtime.” Fisher House also puts out two, two country shows each year. In 2015, for example, Sharla McCoy, a country music consultant, featured number-one selling Garth Brooks as its host. Such radio exposure continues to elevate the profile of Fisher House Foundation without diverting funds from its mission to marketing or advertising.

Marshall Adams, Fisher House Foundation radio specialist, travels all over the country to interview military personnel, Veterans and their families for his two three-hour talk shows each year.

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As 2015 unfolds, US combat operations in the Middle East are winding to a close. While the Global War on Terror is far from over, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are fading from memory for many Americans.

Fisher House Family Spotlight: The Mitchells (pictured on the cover) Preparing for deployment, Army Colonel Ben Mitchell was nearly killed by a bullet from an M16 in March 2012, during a training exercise. Immediate aid saved his life, but could not save his lower right leg. Upon hearing the news all military spouses fear, Ben’s wife Griselle knew she needed to get to her husband’s bedside as soon as possible. With an aching heart, she left their four-year-old twins for the very first time, not knowing how long she would be gone. After spending two uncertain weeks in the ICU with Griselle at his side around the clock, Ben was transferred to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. There, Ben underwent more than a dozen surgeries and extensive rehabilitation and physical therapy. Thanks to the Fisher House, Griselle was just steps away from the hospital where Ben was being treated. Later, the twins joined their parents in Texas to face this medical crisis together. Ben was able to focus on his recovery, knowing they were safe

The Mitchell family spent more than 10 months at the Brooke Army Medical Center Fisher House, where they developed “a new family with wounded soldiers, families and Fisher House staff,” said Army Colonel Ben Mitchell, shown here with his wife, Griselle, and twins, Angel and Gizelle.

and taken care of. “When I arrived at the Fisher House, I saw the light for the first time,” Griselle said. “I knew everything was going to be all right…When we were together as family, that’s when the real healing began.” Ben took his first steps using a prosthetic surrounded by his family, barely four months after his injury—a fraction of the time predicted by doctors. “Thanks to my coach and my wife Griselle, who kept reminding me that my twins needed me…. When I looked out my hospital room window, I could see the Fisher House and I knew that’s where my family was. That motivated me each and every day to get up.” Ben was medically retired from the Army in October 2012, after 24 years of service. The Mitchells now live in Texas, and Ben spends time mentoring wounded warriors and working with the Fisher House in Houston.

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Fisher House Family Spotlight: The Wootens Canndice and Frank Wooten first learned about Fisher House when Canndice was hospitalized after she lost her daughter during her second pregnancy in 2009. Army SSgt. Frank Wooten was on deployment to Cuba. Her mother, Roxanne Brown, flew from Kansas to be with her. “When I got the call, all I knew was I had to get to Ft. Hood, I didn’t know where I was going to stay,” said Brown. “I thought, oh my goodness, just get me to my daughter. Canndice had lost a son earlier that year and now a daughter. Canndice was heartbroken, and we almost lost her, too.” The hospital staff recommended Roxanne stay at the nearby Fisher House. “I soon learned the Fisher House was a place of healing, a place where I could get a good night’s sleep and then just walk across the street and be there for my daughter. I didn’t even have to cook; food just showed up. Bless God, it was one of the best things ever.” When Canndice, an Army captain, woke up, she asked her mom how she got there, because she knew her mom didn’t drive. She was confused and concerned. “My mom said, ‘Don’t worry. I can walk here. I’m staying at Fisher House.’ It was the first time I’d ever heard of Fisher House, but I knew it was a good thing.” Currently stationed at Ft. Campbell, Canndice and Frank were married in 2003. Frank served in combat in Iraq in 2004, while Canndice was stationed

Twins Brayden and Deklin were born weighing just 2 ½ pounds—combined. Their parents, Canndice and Frank, spent 4 ½ months living at a Fisher House until the boys could leave NICU.

at Honduras, and there were numerous other deployments. “The doctors warned us from the beginning that we might have to say goodbye, Still, there was something missing. They wanted a child. Even though they had

at least to Brayden,” said Canndice. The Army had given both Canndice and

lost two earlier babies at the end of complicated pregnancies, Canndice wanted

Frank compassionate reassignments to Ft. Hood, the closest Army Base to

to give it one more try. This was the last chance and, lo and behold, it was twins.

Lackland Air Force Base, where the boys were hospitalized. The Fisher House was

The doctors warned that this pregnancy would be even harder than the earlier

their home and their refuge, allowing them to be just steps from their babies.

ones, but Canndice and Frank were determined to do all they could. “I truly believe it was the miracle of modern medicine that kept my boys alive The twins, Brayden and Deklin, were born prematurely Jan. 26, 2011. Together

and the love we felt from our family at the NICU and our family at Fisher House

they weighed just two-and-a-half pounds. For the next four-and-a-half months,

that gave us strength to go on,” said Canndice through fresh tears. “You just

Frank and Canndice lived a daily, and sometimes hourly, emotional roller

can’t imagine how indebted I am to Fisher House, for first giving my mom a

coaster, never knowing if their boys would survive and then—if they did—

home and then giving Frank and me a home at one of the most difficult times

would they ever be able to play baseball, read a book or dance?

in our lives.”

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“For the first time since Afghanistan, we sit on the couch in the evening and talk and laugh— like the old days. …We feel like there is hope for the future and it doesn’t involve PTSD or TBI. Fisher House provided that hope and comfort for us.” —MACY, WIFE OF A NAVY SAILOR

But the work of Fisher House Foundation is far from complete. That is because, for many service members, Veterans and their families, the wars’ impact will last a lifetime. More than 50,000 service members have been seriously wounded in action since 2001, many with grievous injuries. Hundreds of thousands were disabled to some degree. Millions more Veterans served in peacetime and other conflicts. The total population of US Veterans today exceeds 20 million—and America owes them more than gratitude. “People in the military are so inspiring,” said Tammy Fisher, Fisher House Foundation Trustee. “They deserve the absolute best care that this nation can offer. And their families—they make incredible sacrifices that the average American has no concept of.” So while the focus of Fisher House Foundation may shift, its commitment to the military and Veterans will endure. Of the 11 Fisher Houses currently in design or under construction, seven are located near VA hospitals. Expanding the Fisher House profile at VA hospitals will ensure that families can continue to help their loved ones heal, long after they’ve finished their active duty.

tion can make a difference— and do so efficiently,” he said, “we will step in. “Veterans’ issues are not something that you can just put in the press on Veterans Day or use as a political football,” he continued. “These are real men and women with real issues. They served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan. We owe these men and women a debt we can never repay. But that’s no excuse to do nothing. We must a dvocate for them and do whatever we can to support them and their families.”

Tammy and Ken Fisher

Under the leadership of Chairman & CEO Ken Fisher, in conjunction with the DoD and VA, the Foundation continues to survey the horizon, identifying where there may be other gaps between what the government is authorized to do for families and what families may need. “Where Fisher House FoundaF IS HE R HOU S E AT 25

FISHER HOUSES

1991 NATIONAL NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER; BETHESDA, MD (NOW CALLED WALTER REED NATIONAL MILITARY MEDICAL CENTER) ★ WALTER REED ARMY MEDICAL CENTER—FOREST GLEN ANNEX; SILVER

SPRING, MD 1992 SAN ANTONIO MILITARY MEDICAL CENTER; LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, TX (NOW CALLED WILFORD HALL AMBULATORY SURGICAL CENTER)

★ NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER; SAN DIEGO, CA ★ MADIGAN

ARMY MEDICAL CENTER; JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA HOUSTON, TX

★ BROOKE ARMY MEDICAL CENTER; FORT SAM

★ KEESLER MEDICAL CENTER; KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, MS

ARMY MEDICAL CENTER; FORT GORDON, GA

1993 DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

★ WOMACK ARMY MEDICAL CENTER; FORT BRAGG, NC ★ FITZSIMONS ARMY MEDICAL CENTER; AURORA, CO

(NOW THE VA EASTERN COLORADO HEALTH CARE SYSTEM) 1994 DAVID GRANT US AIR FORCE MEDICAL CENTER; TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, CA

★ WILLIAM

BEAUMONT ARMY MEDICAL CENTER; EL PASO, TX ★ WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE; DAYTON, OH ★ TRIPLER ARMY MEDICAL CENTER; HONOLULU, HI ★ MALCOLM GROW CLINICS AND SURGERY CENTER; ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, MD ★ NATIONAL NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER, BETHESDA, MD—SECOND HOUSE (NOW CALLED WALTER REED NATIONAL MILITARY MEDICAL CENTER) 1995 NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER; PORTSMOUTH, VA

★ WEST PALM BEACH VA MEDICAL CENTER, FL

★ MINNEAPOLIS VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM; MN ★ BROOKE ARMY MEDICAL CENTER; FORT SAM HOUSTON, TX—SECOND HOUSE

★

ALBANY STRATTON VA MEDICAL CENTER, NY—FIRST VA FISHER HOUSE 1996 WALTER REED ARMY MEDICAL

CENTER; WASHINGTON, DC—SECOND HOUSE (NOW CLOSED) 1998 CARL R. DARNALL ARMY MEDICAL CENTER; FORT HOOD, TX 1999

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE; DAYTON, OH—(THE NIGHTINGALE HOUSE, OPEN SINCE 1990, IS COUNTED AMONG THE FISHER HOUSES) 2001 SAN ANTONIO MILITARY MEDICAL CENTER; LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, TX—THIRD HOUSE (NOW CALLED WILFORD HALL AMBULATORY SURGICAL CENTER)◊

★

LANDSTUHL REGIONAL

MEDICAL CENTER, GERMANY ★ CINCINNATI VA MEDICAL CENTER, OH 2002 BAY PINES VA HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, FL 52 | F ISHER HOUSE AT 25

★

LANDSTUHL REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, GERMANY—SECOND HOUSE

2003 TRIPLER ARMY MEDICAL

CENTER; HONOLULU, HI—SECOND HOUSE 2004 WALTER REED ARMY MEDICAL CENTER; WASHINGTON, DC—THIRD HOUSE (NOW CLOSED)

2005

MICHAEL E. DEBAKEY VA MEDICAL CENTER; HOUSTON, TX 2006

ARMY COMMUNITY HOSPITAL; FORT CAMPBELL, KY

★ VA PALO ALTO HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, CA

BLANCHFIELD 2007 BROOKE

ARMY MEDICAL CENTER; FORT SAM HOUSTON, TX—THIRD AND FOURTH HOUSE

★ JAMES A. HALEY VETERANS’ HOSPITAL; TAMPA, FL

2008 NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER; SAN DIEGO, CA—SECOND HOUSE

★ VA NORTH TEXAS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM; DALLAS, TX ★ VA PUGET SOUND HEALTHCARE SYSTEM; SEATTLE, WA ★ MCGUIRE VA MEDICAL CENTER; RICHMOND, VA 2009 VA GREATER LOS ANGELES HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, CA 2010 HINES VA HOSPITAL; CHICAGO, IL ★ VA BOSTON HEALTHCARE SYSTEM; ROXBURY, MA ★ ST. LOUIS VA FISHER HOUSE, JEFFERSON BARRACKS, MO ★ EGLIN HOSPITAL; EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, FL

★

MIAMI VA HEALTHCARE SYSTEM; FL

★ NAVAL HOSPITAL CAMP LEJEUNE, NC ★ FISHER HOUSE FOR FAMILIES OF THE FALLEN;

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, DE ★ WALTER REED NATIONAL MILITARY MEDICAL CENTER; BETHESDA MD—THIRD, FOURTH AND FIFTH HOUSES 2011 CHARLIE NORWOOD VA MEDICAL CENTER; AUGUSTA, GA ★ MINNEAPOLIS VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM; MN—SECOND HOUSE

★ WASHINGTON DC VA MEDICAL CENTER; DC ★ TWO

FISHER HOUSES AT WALTER REED ARMY MEDICAL CENTER CLOSE ★ WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, DAYTON OH—SECOND HOUSE AND NIGHTINGALE HOUSE CLOSES 2012 SALT LAKE CITY VA HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, UT ★ JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON HOSPITAL; ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, AK ★ VA PITTSBURGH HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, PA ★ FORT BELVOIR COMMUNITY HOSPITAL, VA 2013 QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL BIRMINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM ★ SOUTH TEXAS VETERANS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM; SAN ANTONIO, TX TX—SECOND HOUSE

★

★ MICHAEL E. DEBAKEY VA MEDICAL CENTER; HOUSTON,

TENNESSEE VALLEY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM; MURFREESBORO, TN

2014 DAVID GRANT US AIR FORCE MEDICAL CENTER; TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, CA—SECOND HOUSE ★ NORTH FLORIDA/SOUTH GEORGIA VETERANS HEALTH SYSTEM; GAINESVILLE, FL 2015 NAVAL HOSPITAL CAMP PENDLETON, MARINE CORPS BASE, CA

F IS HE R HOU S E AT 25

| 53

Why I’m Part of Fisher House Foundation As a Veteran, the son of Veterans, the spouse of an active-duty service member, and a Blue Star Dad, it is pretty overwhelming to know that my family, should anything happen to any of them, would be taken care of by Fisher House. Also, to learn first-hand that so many Americans truly appreciate what our active-duty military, Veterans, and their families have sacrificed on the behalf of our country evokes a very special sense of pride in what this country truly represents. —DEREK DONOVAN, VICE PRESIDENT, FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION, USMC (RET.)

There is nothing too insignificant that you can do for another person. A smile, a hug, a short thank-you note— all can make someone’s day better, someone’s life a little easier. Fisher House managers and volunteers understand and embrace that notion. — KERRI CHILDRESS, VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS, FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION

THE MIRACLES OF LIFE AND THE JOURNEY HOME HAPPEN EVERY DAY; I HAVE LEARNED TO APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY Americans respect the sacrifices

ONE OF THEM.

made by those who serve and

— ROXANNAMARIA CALDERON, MANAGER,

their families, and they show their

FT. BELVOIR FISHER HOUSE, VA

support in many ways. Those families who are assisted by the Fisher House are extremely

SO MANY PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD WANT TO TAKE ACTION TO SHOW THEIR

appreciative and humbled by the

SUPPORT OF AMERICA’S SERVICE MEMBERS, VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

generosity of so many people.

THEY WANT TO WALK THE WALK, NOT JUST TALK THE TALK!

—BARBARA GENTRY, TRUSTEE

— CATHY CABREY, DIRECTOR TEAM FISHER HOUSE

Our families come from all walks of life and from all over the world. But when they get to Fisher House they are ONE family. They take care of each other, cook for each, give each other rides. They are connected. —JANET L. GRAMPP, MANAGER, JOINT BASE ANDREWS FISHER HOUSE, MD

FISHER HOUS E AT 25

Even at the lowest, most stressful points in life, sometimes the most healing that you can do is be there for others. When I see residents of a Fisher House going above and beyond for the next family arriving, finding hope in supporting them, I realize that we’re all in this together.

THE THING THAT STANDS OUT FOR ME IS THE SACRIFICES MADE BY THE FAMILIES. THE WARRIORS DESERVEDLY RECEIVE PUBLIC THANKS AND ATTENTION, BUT THE FAMILIES ARE LESS VISIBLE. THEY ARE HEROES, TOO. —BILL POPE, TRUSTEE

THE GENEROSITY THAT IS OFFERED TO OUR NATION’S HEROES AND THEIR FAMILIES REFLECTS TRUE AMERICAN SPIRIT. — DENISE DOLAN, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT, FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION

— MARY B. CONSIDINE, CHIEF OF STAFF, FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION

Family being beside you I never understood the impact of an injured soldier on the family. I now see how important a Fisher House is for the families. The opportunity for families to be there every day with their injured soldier and not worry about how much it will cost makes me proud to be part of the Fisher House organization. —COREEN BURNETT, CHIEF ACCOUNTANT, FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION

Being a part of Fisher House, I have learned how amazingly resilient military families are. They are sometimes dealt impossible situations and they come through them stronger than before. —ASHLEY ESTILL, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION

is essential to healing. Staying at a Fisher House helps the gloom of dark days turn to sunshine for our service members and their families, and turns their despair into hope. —MRS. TOGO D. WEST, JR., TRUSTEE

F IS HE R HOU S E AT 25

The Fisher House family has

WE ALL TAKE FOR GRANTED OUR FREEDOM AND OUR HEALTH, AND

given not only monetarily to the

THOSE WHO DEFEND OUR FREEDOM MANY TIMES ARE INJURED

military men and women of our

WHILE PROTECTING US. OUR DUTY IS TO PROVIDE A HOME AWAY FROM

nation but more importantly—

HOME FOR THEIR FAMILIES, AND FISHER HOUSE DOES JUST THAT.

of themselves! I feel honored

I AM HUMBLED TO BE A MEMBER OF THE FISHER HOUSE TEAM.

to have played a small part in

—JIM CARRIER, TRUSTEE

maintaining the standards, dignity and support that they have put forth. I count myself

The Fisher family and Fisher

immeasurably blessed to have

House team are among the

been given the opportunity

greatest patriots with whom

to be a small part of such a

I have ever worked and been

distinguished organization.

associated. Nobody takes better care or provides a

—JACK NICKERT, TRUSTEE

stronger lifeline for men and women, who wear or who There is nothing more powerful and less expensive than word-ofmouth advertising. For a donor-financed organization, nothing is more important than your credibility. —JIM WEISKOPF, VICE PRESIDENT, FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION, USA (RET.)

have worn the uniform of our country, and their families. — LIEUTENANT GENERAL JOHN A DUBIA, USA (RET.), TRUSTEE

I often leave the Fisher House with the thought that I am a part of someone’s legacy—all because two people, Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, cared for others. I say to myself when I hear guests talking over dinner, “This has to be much like the conversation that Mr. and Mrs. Fisher had at their own kitchen table.” I can almost hear them now, “Honey, once we build the house, families can sit together over dinner and share experiences and encourage each other.” When I see that very thing come to pass, I am beyond honored to be a part of such a legacy as the Fishers’. —VANNIECIA BROWN, MANAGER, JEFFERSON BARRACKS FISHER HOUSE, ST. LOUIS, MO

FISHER HOUS E AT 25

F IS HE R HOU S E AT 25

FISHER HOUS E AT 25