In this episode, Dr. Ron talks with Mr. Ken Fisher, the chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation about how he is carrying his family legacy of giving forward, about building homes for families of those who have served, and our Grateful Nation that supports veterans and service members throughout the US and abroad. This conversation was originally recorded in June 2019, just before the Boston Red Sox met the New York Yankees in an unforgettable two game series in London, England.
Ken Fisher is a leader in real estate, philanthropy, and giving back to our veterans and military families. He is a man who puts his family first, but who also has helped thousands of military families over the past 30 years. Ken is chairman and CEO of Fisher House Foundation, which is an organization that has made it possible for the families of ill or injured veterans and service members to have comfortable, communal and free of charge lodging while their their loved one is receiving care at a medical facility. Since 1991, The Foundation has built 90 houses for our US military families - including locations in both Germany and England.
He carries forward the legacy that began when his Great Uncle Zach Fisher and wife Elizabeth Fisher created a groundbreaking system to help with the unmet and growing need for housing for military families. There were two simple requirements that Zach set forth 30 years ago, and Ken and his team continue to honor these requirements today:
1. The house needs to be in walking distance to the hospital, and 2. The housing is free of cost.
All fundraising efforts by the Foundation go to building homes which are “gifted” to the government organization which then in turn operates the home moving forward. This is a public-private marriage that works and has been the model since 1990. Since then, 400,000 military and veteran families have stayed in Fisher Houses, providing more than 10 million nights of free lodging for military families, saving over $500 million in travel expenses.
Ken has expanded the Foundation, further developed the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, and it was in 2016, that Ken along with Prince Harry led the effort to bring the amazing Invictus Games to the US.
Home Base is so grateful for our partnership with Fisher House Foundation and could not be more proud of this relationship, connecting both of our families.
During pandemic times, our veterans still have the same needs every day and we are beyond grateful to Fisher House Foundation for their recent support specifically for the travel costs for our service members and veterans from across the country.
Ken and the Foundation truly represent what Home Base has always been so impressed by: A Grateful Nation of supporters that serve those serve.
To learn more and connect with us at Home Base:
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Home Base Nation Team:
Steve Monaco, Marine Veteran Brendan McCaffrey, Maureen Roderick, Charlotte Luckey, Karianne Kraus, Dan Berg, and The Moxi Group - DeeDee Kearney, Natalie Bonelli
Producer and Host:
Dr. Ron Hirschberg
Home Base Media Lab Chairman:
Peter Smyth
Music for this episode by:
Darden Smith - www.dardensmith.com
Home Base Nation is the official podcast of Home Base Program for Veterans and Military Families, a partnership of the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Red Sox Foundation.
The views expressed by guests to the Home Base Nation podcast are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Views and opinions expressed by guests are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Home Base, the Red Sox Foundation or any of its officials.