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FISHER HOUSE: DOING THEIR PART -- Zachary
Fisher was
born with a heart for the U.S. Armed Forces, a
passion
that ultimately defined his life. The fruits of
Fisher's
labor and love bear his name at the Fisher
Houses.
For more on Fisher Houses, use the VA Watchdog
search engine...click here...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/
sessearch.php?q=fisher
+house&op=ph
Story here...
http://www.human
events.com/article.php?id=21976
Story below:
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Fisher House: Doing Their Part
by Ericka Andersen
Zachary Fisher was born with a heart for the US Armed Forces -- a
passion that ultimately defined his life. The fruits of Fisher’s labor
and love bear his name at the Fisher Houses, where family members can
stay while attending wounded military members recuperating in hospitals
-- located on military medical facilities across the nation.
“If he didn’t have a penny in his pocket he still would have gone around
and done good deeds for the men and women of armed forces,” said Fisher
House Vice-President of Communications James Weiskopf.
Fisher’s wealth and support of the military (which he was unable to join
due to health issues) lead to the 1990 upstart of the Fisher House,
which provide a “home away from home” for families of battle-wounded
soldiers and recovering military personnel. Fisher donated more than $20
million to the construction these homes, each located within walking
distance of every major military hospital facility in America. Because
soldiers must report to different hospitals according to specific
injury, families must often travel long distances to be with their loved
ones.
Weiskopf, retired from the Army as a senior public affairs officer,
discovered Fisher House in 1996. He wanted to stay involved with the
military and is now in his 11th year. “This is what I want to do until I
decide to start drawing social security,” he told HUMAN EVENTS.
There are currently 38 Fisher Houses, ranging in size from 8 to
21-rooms, and constructed specifically to reflect a “home” experience,
rather than a hotel. Families share a common dining room and living room
area and the homes are maintained by a house manager as well as
volunteer staff.
Wendy Gade and her five-year-old daughter Anna Grace lived in a Fisher
House for almost a year in 2005 when her husband, Army Captain Daniel
Gade, was severely injured in a blast in Ramadi, Iraq.
The Gades were referred to Fisher House by the Army and immediately
pursued the opportunity for support when they were uprooted to
Washington DC where Daniel would undergo treatment at Walter Reed
Hospital.
“It took such an enormous weight off our shoulders,” said Wendy Gade.
“We didn’t have to book flights, wd didn't have to call airlines…all we
really had to do was pack our bags, get on plane…they took care of the
entire thing including the bill and...really eased our burden.”
The cozy atmosphere and mutual support of other families living in the
home provided strength for enduring the difficult time in a new place.
“Some days life is really busy but the nice thing about Fisher House is
that you don’t have to spend a ton of time together because you have a
common experience and that’s just really powerful because your there
because you want to see your loved get better,” Gade said.
Weiskopf said the strength of the program is the interaction of the
families. “They can range from an 18-year-old spouse of a Private to a
65 or 70-year-old spouse of a retired general and everything in
between,” he said. “Whether it be veterans or retired or still serving,
they all have something in common…a loved in the hospital undergoing
treatment for illness, injury, combat wound…”
Daniel Gade, who eventually had his right leg amputated at the hip, now
“walks beautifully,” according to his wife, using a leg that is powered
so it helps propel leg forward. “He’s a very determined person.”
Wendy Gade now speaks frequently on behalf of Fisher House. (Her husband
has made a strong recovery -- currently working at The White House on
behalf of disability policy.)
“[Fisher House] has done so much and enabled us to have an environment
where we could get better,” said Wendy Gade. “They gave to us so
generously and without question and so -- lavishly.”
The homes boast a 90-100% occupancy rate throughout the year and several
are in the process of construction. Families stay for free and the
organization stays afloat with donations, fundraisers, and trust funds.
This year, Fisher House is sponsoring a 199-member team to run the 2007
Marine Corps marathon in DC. Participants must raise a minimum of $500
to run, which will go towards the finest homes Fisher can build.
“It’s all very high end construction, top of the line, finest
materials,” said Weiskopf. “We generally like to find a general
contractor who does high end residences. The 21 room house we build
today will run within the range of about fully furnished $4 million
dollars a home.”
The Fisher House organization has an agreement to build and donate fully
furnished homes if the government agrees they will always use the house
for the original purpose. The demand for more homes is consistent and
Weiskopf said they will continue building so long as the need is there.
Before Zachary Fisher died in 1999, even in the midst of health decline,
he used to call one of the Fisher Houses every day. “We used to put
together a schedule and he used to call…and talk with the managers and
have them put the guest families on so he could chat with them,” said
Weiskopf.
According to the website, Fisher was honored separately by Presidents
Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush and Bill Clinton,
as well as Margaret Thatcher for his support of charitable
organizations. The Fisher House organization also does significant work
with partner organizations, and recently took over Operation Hero Miles,
to help generate free plane tickets and other services that may be a
financial burden on families.
Miss Andersen is news producer for HUMAN EVENTS. E-mail her at
eandersen@eaglepub.com.
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Larry Scott --
