Fisher House Foundation — a free home at the hospital
A family camped in a hospital parking lot, or paying hotel rates it cannot afford beside a VA medical center, is a family Fisher House exists for: comfort homes, on the grounds of VA and military hospitals, where military and veteran families stay free of charge while a loved one is in the hospital.
- Founded: 1990, by Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher
- Status: 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation (not a VSO; no congressional charter)
- Headquarters: Rockville, Maryland
- Reach, in the Foundation’s own figures: 100 Fisher Houses in the U.S., Germany, and the U.K. (as of January 2026); daily lodging capacity 1,400; more than 570,000 families served and 13.4 million lodging days since inception
- Website: fisherhouse.org
Who it serves
Family members and caregivers of service members and veterans receiving care at the medical center where the house sits. The houses are built by the Foundation and gifted to the military and the VA, which operate them. There is no cost to stay at a VA Fisher House.
What it does
- The Fisher Houses themselves — private suites with shared kitchens and common rooms, up to 20 suites, a short walk from the wards.
- Hero Miles — donated frequent-flyer miles used to bring family members to the bedside of injured service members.
- Hotels for Heroes — donated hotel points covering family stays near medical centers where no house room is available.
- Scholarships for military children and spouses, and children of fallen and disabled veterans; grants recognizing innovative programs serving military and veteran communities.
How a family uses it
There is no public booking page, and that is deliberate: a referral must come from the patient’s care team. Ask the veteran’s social worker or a member of his care/treatment team at the treating VA or military medical center to place the Fisher House referral — VA houses take requests first-come, first-served and do not take advance reservations. Foundation contact: 888-294-8560 · info@fisherhouse.org.
For a family like this site’s founding family — driving through the night to a distant VA hospital — this is the difference between a bed steps from the ward and a car in the parking lot. Ask for the referral by name.
Facts on this page are drawn from the Fisher House Foundation's own published materials and VA Fisher House program pages, checked October 2026. Corrections: care@bowmanwebservices.com.