More Vet Housing Dedicated By Dignitaries In Palo Alto

From Fisher House: A new Fisher House in the Bay Area was dedicated today by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Dave Coker, President of Fisher House Foundation, and Thomas J. Fitzgerald III, Director of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. This is the second Fisher House at the Palo Alto medical complex, a Level One Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center that provides intensive specialized and comprehensive rehabilitation care for military and veterans.

This home will provide lodging for an additional 20 families of veterans and military at no cost, allowing them to be close to their loved ones at the most stressful time – during their hospitalization at VA Palo Alto Health Care System. This will bring the total number of available nights of lodging at Palo Alto to 40 a night. Savings to military and veterans’ families will be more than $3.387 million a year.

A Fisher House creates an instant community for its residents, united by their common mission of supporting a sick or injured loved one, but also provides each individual with a secure and private refuge after a long day at the hospital to rest and recharge.

“Fisher Houses are built on partnerships. And partnership begins with community,” said Dave Coker, President of Fisher House Foundation. “My deepest thanks to the organizations and individual donors, as well as the staff and veterans of VA Palo Alto Health Care System, who made today possible. It’s what we do together that makes the greatest impact. Thank you for being part of that solution and your support to our military, veterans and their families.”

The new 20-suite, 16,000+ sq.-ft. “comfort home” joins the original Fisher House opened in 2006. Like the first one, this Fisher House will be gifted to VA as part of today’s ceremony. Each bedroom suite comes equipped with a private, handicapped-accessible bathroom. Common areas include a spacious kitchen, large communal living, dining and family rooms, laundry room and patio.

“Family support is an important part of the rehabilitation process. Having two homes now allows even more opportunity for us to provide a place for the families of our Veterans to rest their head without worrying about the financial or logistical burdens of hotels,” said Thomas J. Fitzgerald III, Director of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. “We cannot stress enough the importance of our partnership with the Fisher House Foundation that made all of this possible.
Construction of this Fisher House was supported by: The Otellini Family, The Monks of Monastery, Northern California Friends of Fisher House, SAP Public Services, United Airlines, General Peter and Lynne Pace, The Listeners of Armstrong and Getty, Oath, Samsung Electronics America, Team Fisher House Fundraisers, Vehicles for Veterans, Anonymous Donors, and the many gifts of a grateful nation.

“VA values the consistent support of Fisher House Foundation in helping us to keep the Nation’s promise to our Veterans,” said James Byrne, General Counsel, performing the duties of the Deputy Secretary. “This Fisher House dedication is opening doors and providing comfort to Veterans and their families during their time of need – we are thankful to say it’s their ‘home away from home’.”

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