Photo By Janecze Wright | The living area of the Fort Cavazos Army Fisher House provides every comfort of home,...... read more read more
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The military has a proven history of taking care of its Soldiers here at home and on the front lines, and Fisher House is part of a commitment to ensure that same unwavering support extends to families of service members and veterans.
This tradition of service is the foundation upon which Fisher House has built a long-standing reputation of providing “homes away from home” for families of military personnel undergoing treatment at Deparment of Defense or Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals free of charge.
Philanthropist and businessman Zachary Fisher was inspired to create Fisher House after witnessing numerous families in need of lodging while tending to loved ones in the hospital during a visit to Walter Reed in the 1980s. Fisher offered a solution of building comfort homes for military families, who often slept in waiting rooms or in their vehicles.
Fisher’s background in construction and dedication to the military Armed Forces were the driving forces behind opening the very first Fisher House in Bethesda, Maryland, in 1991, a first of many to follow.
“It all started with one … One man and one idea that was sparked by one conversation. One idea grew to the first Fisher House that has grown to more than 90 Fisher Houses and supported hundreds of thousands of families,” the website states.
Now more than 30 years later, Fisher House has flourished into a network of 95 houses that span the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Each Fisher House is equipped with up to 21 suites that can accommodate more than 40 family members comfortably.
Families can enjoy all the comforts of home with open common kitchens, laundry facilities, spacious dining rooms and expansive living rooms that feature libraries and even toys for the children. Updated homes are wheelchair accessible and include elevators.
“Fisher House provides a “home away from home” atmosphere for eligible military families so they can focus on their loved one’s healing process,” said Candice Ualesi, business manager for the Fort Cavazos Army Fisher House.
Ualesi noted that the Fort Cavazos Army Fisher House opened its doors in 1998 and has been serving the military community for 25 years.
Located just across from Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Cavazos Army Fisher House is reminiscent of a quaint two-story family home, complete with shutters on the windows, meticulous landscaping and an inviting gazebo in the backyard.
Andrea Ruiz, Fort Cavazos Army Fisher House operations assistant, expressed the importance of Fisher House to the Fort Cavazos military community.
“When they are suffering from some of their worst situations medically with their family members, being able to have a safe haven to come to, to get support and to be able to focus solely on the recovery of their family member is basically what our entire program is about,” she explained. “So, without this program, it would probably cause quite a bit of hurt for families everywhere if they didn’t have that support to lean back on.”
Ruiz conveyed that no detail is spared to make residents feel at home during their stay.
At just more than 4,000 square feet, the Fort Cavazos Army Fisher House can accommodate eight families comfortably. Two floors provide individual suites with private bathrooms. There is a spacious kitchen with a large island, which serves as the unofficial gathering spot for residents and a sizeable dining room with two large tables to seat everyone. The living area is complete with cozy seating, a big screen television and even an area to entertain children.
Each Fisher House features a bust of Zachary Fisher and his wife Elizabeth that greets guests in the foyer and photos and memorabilia from the Fishers adorn the walls.
The foundation of the back patio is made of bricks engraved with the names of previous donors. One of the bricks was donated by Gen. Richard E. Cavazos, former commander and namesake of the installation.
“It is an incredible honor to have had support from the very individual whom our installation has been renamed for,” said Ualesi.
Ruiz says the Fort Cavazos Army Fisher House has been a very emotional place to work, in the best way.
“I get to meet people at some of the worst times of their lives,” she shared, “and I get to go through all those emotions with them and at the end of it, I get to see them leave happy, healthy and with a smile on their face.”
| Date Taken: | 09.28.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 10.23.2023 10:16 |
| Story ID: | 454550 |
| Location: | FORT CAVAZOS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 121 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fisher House provides rich history of service, by Janecze Wright, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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