Travis opens Fisher House II

by Jim Spellman
60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

6/6/2014 - TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Six months after ceremonial shovels first dug into the ground marking the start of new construction, more than 200 invited guests witnessed the handing over of ceremonial keys during a ribbon-cutting and housewarming to officially open a second, larger Fisher House here May 30.

The new facility marks the 64th house built by the Fisher House Foundation, with 20 other locations near Department of Veterans Affairs or military medical facilities identified for construction in the future.

The new, 13,000 square-foot home accepted its first overnight guests Monday. It is located next to the VA Fairfield Outpatient Clinic, and directly across from the original Travis Fisher House. Since first opening its doors in 1994, more than 3,500 guests have been served by the seven-room, 5,000 square-foot haven at no out-of-pocket expense while coping with the hospitalization of a loved one.

Travis Fisher House I has maintained 100 percent occupancy for more than four years with an average waiting list of six weeks. With base closures throughout California, coupled with a 74 percent increase of in-patient volume at David Grant USAF Medical Center since 2008, Travis and Fisher House have become essential to the health and well-being of military and veteran families throughout northern California and the Pacific theatre.

"It is amazing that all this started with one letter written to then-Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley dated April 25, 2013 that was an offer to the Department of the Air Force that a second Fisher House would be built at Travis," stated Brig. Gen. Charles Potter, Air Force Medical Service assistant surgeon general.

"The anticipated period of time needed to perform the actual construction work would be approximately twelve months," Potter added. "I am very proud to stand here today in front of such a magnificent building and fully understand what it will mean for our military families that will grace its rooms from this day forward."

Fisher House II features 16 fully furnished bedroom suites, each with a private bath. It is double the size of Fisher House I, which will remain in operation. In-room telephones, cable television, DVD and wireless internet connections, a communal dining area with a well-stocked kitchen, laundry facilities, spacious living and family rooms and wheelchair-compatible hallways, doorways and elevator round out the new, two-story, home-away-from home. Its residents are families of active duty and retired military or veterans undergoing treatment at DGMC or the VA Fairfield OPC.

"When you enter this second Fisher House, you'll be able to see the selfless support and service to our uniformed military and veterans," stated Col. Corey Martin, 60th Air Mobility Wing commander. "It will serve as a lighthouse to our military members and their families in the darkest of nights or days of storms during their medical need."

Local community support for the Travis Fisher House is nothing short of outstanding.

More than $3.5 million in private funding and donations from the Combined Federal Campaign, Friends of the Fisher House Foundation, Richard Lumsden Foundation and Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation were raised to build the new home. More than $1.1 million alone came from regular listeners of Sacramento-based personalities Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty of the "Armstrong & Getty Show." Another round of fundraising by the radio talk show duo is set for November.

Daily home-cooked meals are routinely donated by squadrons on a rotating basis.

Volunteer appreciation awards, annual golf tournament, Easter egg hunt, Christmas tree auction and Viking Challenge run are just some of the regular activities to benefit and sustain daily housekeeping operations over the past two decades.

"There is a dignity and majesty in the efforts of all our armed forces, and it is well for us to remember the noble deeds of those who have worn our country's uniform," explained David Coker, Fisher House Foundation president. "This house serves as a tangible symbol of our support - our love and respect for all those who have selflessly served our country."

"It is this foundation's goal - in fact, we believe it is our duty - to help provide an environment where families can focus solely on the healing process, free from the financial worry of finding a place to stay in what may be an unfamiliar city while a loved one is receiving their necessary medical care."

The Fisher House Foundation's intention is "to be able to keep service families together during periods of medical emergencies or crisis, when they need the support and comfort of their family the most," stated retired Air Force Gen. Michael P.C. Carns, a Fisher House board member.

Fisher Houses supported 22,000 families in need last year and that number will reach 23,000 by the end of 2014.

"While metrics are important, we need to remember that every family has their own remarkable story, and focus on helping one family at a time," Coker said.

"With General Carns' help and under the Fisher family's leadership, we will continue to invest in our military and veterans communities, until the need is met - and the families we are so privileged to serve receive what they have so richly earned ... a system that cares for them ... and a nation that honors them."

Partnerships with Travis Fisher House are still available to service or business organizations, churches or local groups. If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution, Fisher House Foundation is ranked as a four-star charity by Charity Navigator and is a member of the Combined Federal Campaign.