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Warren PLAV post donates to veterans housing building
WARREN
The Polish Legion of American Veterans Post 164 of Warren donated $500 toward construction of a Fisher House for the Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center and challenged other veterans organizations to match or exceed its gift.
Fisher Houses are lodging facilities located at military and VA medical centers to house families of veterans or active-duty military personnel during their stay in the hospital.
Some of those veterans are dying, and when their families come to visit them, lodging is expensive, said Edward Wojciak, Post 164 commander. They can stay at a Fisher House for free, he said.
By law, there is no charge for any family to stay at a Fisher House operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Fisher House Foundation uses donations to reimburse the Fisher Houses operated by the Army, Navy and Air Force. No family pays to stay at any Fisher House, Cleveland VA officials said.
Because members of the military and their families are stationed worldwide and often must travel great distances for specialized medical care, Fisher House Foundation donates “comfort homes” built on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. There are 54 Fisher Houses in the United States and Germany, officials said.
Annually, the Fisher House program serves more than 10,000 families and has made available nearly 2.5 million days of lodging to family members since the program originated in 1990.
The Cleveland Fisher House will be a 16,000-square-foot home with 21 suites that will accommodate up to 42 family members, Cleveland VA spokeswoman Ashley Trimble said.
The projected cost of the Cleveland Fisher house is $6 million, and the goal of the Cleveland VA Medical Center is to raise $3 million in donations. Once that monetary goal of half of the total cost is reached, the Fisher House Foundation will provide the remaining $3 million needed and build the Cleveland VA Fisher House, Trimble said.
CLEVELAND VA
Fisher House
The Louis B. Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center is conducting a campaign to raise $3 million, half of the cost of building a Fisher House where the families of veterans can stay without charge while they are visiting the veteran in the hospital.
How to support the Fisher House of Greater Cleveland Inc.:
Individuals and organizations can donate at any Key Bank Branch in Ohio or send or deliver the donation to the Voluntary Service Organization, Cleveland VA Medical Center, 10701 East Blvd., Cleveland 44106. Donors should note on their check that it is for the Cleveland VA Fisher House or the account number 1177.
Donations made at Key Bank should be signed and noted on the back to be deposited to the Fisher House account.
For more information, call 216-791-3800 ext. 5090 and ask for Sherry Byrd or go online at www.cleveland.va.gov/FisherHouse.asp
Source: Louis B. Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center