Friends of the Pittsburgh Fisher House

The Pennsylvania VFW is supporting the Pittsburgh Fisher House as they work to add a new Fisher House in the Pittsburgh Region. 

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Since 2012 VA Pittsburgh Fisher House has been providing a "home away from home" for the families of Veterans & active duty military who are hospitalized. We are located on the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System's Oakland campus. Our home, with its 10 suites, allows families to be near their loved one while enjoying a place of peace and respite for themselves. Families stay for free, lifting their financial burden and allowing them to focus on their loved one.

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PITTSBURGH – VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) is pleased to announce it has been selected to receive a second Fisher House to provide temporary accommodations at no charge for the families and caregivers of veterans receiving VA care. “This is great news for veterans and their immediate family members,” said Donald Koenig, VAPHS director. “A second VAPHS Fisher House will provide additional safe and convenient accommodations at no cost to the families of veterans while the veterans are receiving care at our healthcare system. “Support from their loved ones plays an integral role in healing and recovery for veterans. We are very grateful to VA and the Fisher House Foundation for approving our request for a second house,” said Koenig. Since 2012, VAPHS’ original, 10-suite Fisher House, located at the University Drive campus in Oakland, has often reached capacity, resulting in the Friends of the Pittsburgh Fisher House, a local non-profit organization, funding 60-90 nights of lodging each month for eligible family members at nearby Family Houses. Family Houses are homes located in Shadyside and Oakland that provide lodging for patients and their families who are in Pittsburgh for medical care. When the VAPHS Fisher House and Family Houses are full, Fisher House Foundation will pay for a hotel room for veterans’ families through their Hotels for Heroes program. The new Fisher House will be located near the Community Living Center on the H.J. Heinz III campus in O’Hara Township. It will offer 16 suites, more than doubling the current capacity. A timeline for construction of the second Fisher House has not been established. Fisher House Foundation is best known for its network of 84 comfort homes where military and veterans’ families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment. These homes are located at major military and VA medical centers nationwide, and in Europe, close to the medical centers or hospitals they serve. The homes are constructed by Fisher House Foundation on government land (military installations or Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities). Upon completion, the houses are donated to VA or the Department of Defense (DOD), which then has responsibility for the operation, maintenance, upkeep and staffing.