The department of Veterans Affairs mission statement comes from Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address. It’s mission is to “care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan”. Those words were inspired after leading his nation during its bloodiest and costliest war in American history where 600,000 Americans died. Years later, the Department of Veterans affairs was established in 1930 with the goal and intention to provide advocacy and service to the Veteran who served their nation through military service. Decades have passed and institutions and organizations have assisted the VA in providing service, morale, and help to servicemembers, veterans, and their families. One famous organization that has aided and provided recreation to service members is the United Service Member organization, also known as the USO. The USO logo can be found in airports and cities all over the country and world as a place for travelling US military personnel to get some rest, snacks, or good Wi-Fi service. Another form of assistance that the VA has received is from private donors and partnerships by patriotic and grateful citizens. One of the most successful programs and partnerships that the Department of Veterans Affairs has cultivated has been with the Fisher House.
The Fisher House is a program that offers lodging to Veterans, Servicemembers, and their family members as they receive care at Military Treatment facilities or at Veterans Affairs hospitals. Since the Fisher house foundation was established in 1990, it has saved military families over $610 million dollars in lodging costs. In 1993 The Fisher house became a non-profit organization and in 1999 it assumed the mission of building Fisher houses all over the nation. Today, there are 99 Fisher houses in the United States and 2 overseas, one in the U.K, and the other in Germany. There are Fisher houses that are located within Department of Defense military installations as well as those that are located near Veterans Affairs Hospitals or Treatment Centers. The houses range anywhere from 5,000 to 16,800 square feet and provide suites along with amenities for the guests. The houses that are located in DOD bases primarily focus on those persons connected with Active-Duty personnel whereas the VA centered homes provide lodging for Veterans and retirees who are receiving outpatient care at the VA hospital but are traveling into the city where the VA hospital is located. For example, the Fisher House located near Audie Murphy hospital in San Antonio, TX, provides lodging for family members and veterans who come to the hospital from the surrounding South Texas region. The general protocol for eligibility to receive lodging and assistance consists of a servicemember or Veteran meeting the medical criteria for lodging and then being given access to stay at the house with their family members or other authorized caretakers. The guests depart the house after they have received the necessary medical care and discharge. Each case is handled by a social worker and the Fisher House staff with incredible professionalism and care.
We can all agree that the process of dealing with sickness or other health issues and needs and undergoing care can be very stressful. Along with the stress of dealing with that, a Veteran with limited options for care must also deal with the travel and logistics of lodging and the situational uncertainties that may determine how long the stay is going to be near the treatment facility. It is exactly in those cases where VA Fisher houses are an incredible resource and blessing to the Veteran by simply offering a comfortable place to stay free of charge to assist them in their time of need. Speaking from experience as 21-year Navy Chief and now a Veteran for 3 years, it is always refreshing and moving to see these types of services available for those of us who have endured sacrifices of such magnitude. In many cases, the Fisher Staff are not just like hotel concierge but will literally spend time connecting with the Veterans and offering encouragement and holistic support during their stay. Veterans are some of the best storytellers and can provide genuine entertainment for the staff as well closing the loop on the rapport and bond in the relationships between patients and service providers. Funding for the Fisher houses is made possible by the appropriate DOD or VA jurisdiction it resides in, along with Private funding by partners of the Fisher House foundation. In many houses, there are food items and refreshments stocked for the patients and their guests. The noble goal of the Fisher House to provide this benevolence to the Warfighter who has borne the cost of the battle would certainly have made Lincoln proud.