Welcome to Illinois' Only "Home Away from Home"
$5.7-million Hines VA Fisher House
Doors Opened to Military Family Guests March 1, 2010

This Handsome 20-Private-Bedroom-Suite "Home Away From Home" On The Grounds Of Hines VA Hospital Is Complete
And Fully Furnished. Fisher House Foundation Will Formally Present It As A Gift To Hines VA Hospital
At A Dedication Ceremony May 28, 2010

Memorable Dedication & Evening Reception Celebrate Long-Awaited Official Dedication of Hines VA Fisher House
	Ken Fisher, Fisher House Foundation Chairman and CEO, presents the organization's Patriot Award to major construction fundraiser for Hines VA Fisher House Sam Lazich, President of DMS Pharmaceutical Group, Inc. at special reception.
Fisher House Chairman and CEO Ken Fisher honors major building fundraiser and supporter of Hines VA Fisher House Patriot Award recognizing Operation Support Our Troops – Illinois to President Deb Rickert at evening reception.	Long-Awaited Ribbon-Cutting Finally Becomes a Reality at May 28 Hines VA Fisher House Dedication with attendant dignitaries and major supporters in honor of this special event.
It's Official! Fisher House Foundation President David Coker presents the keys to Hines VA Fisher House to Holly Wright, Hines VA Fisher House Manager.	Non-Profit Friends of Fisher House – Illinois Board Director Mary Vaughan (l) and Mark Garry, FOFH-IL Vice President, (r) enjoy cocktail reception sponsored by Fisher House Foundation with Hines VA Fisher House Manager Holly Wright and Glenn Wright.
Friends of Fisher House – Illinois Board Vice President Harry Theodore (l) chats with Board Director Eddie Jackson at Fisher House Foundation private reception.	Representatives and Supporters from VFW Posts and Veterans Motorcycle Chapters From All Parts of Illinois Joined in on the Festivities.

START YOUR PRIVATE TOUR OF THE REMARKABLE HINES VA FISHER HOUSE HERE

As in all 44 Fisher Houses, these busts of Fisher House Foundation founders, Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher, watch over the “home away from home” they provided for military families facing medical crises.	Library provides a quiet setting for reflection, conversation, reading, working on puzzles and playing games.	Community Dining Room is decorated with upholstered chairs, paintings and coordinating floral arrangements.
Dream Community Kitchen features three restaurant-sized refrigerators, two restaurant-sized freezers, granite counters, two double ovens, two microwaves, two massive sinks. Counter cabinets are coded with suite numbers for dried and canned good storage.	Elevator Is Just One Of All Features Making Hines VA Fisher House Wheel- Chair Accessible.	Community Laundry Room is wheel-chair accessible so recovering wounded can adjust to doing household chores in wheel chairs.
20 Private Bedroom Suites With Baths come in single queen-sized or double twin-sized beds. Each is furnished with desk, radio/alarm clock, computer equipment, dresser, armchairs, television, closet with hangers, ironing board, laundry hamper and luggage rack.		Private Bathrooms With All Suites feature wheel-chair accessible showers.
Beautifully Appointed Family Room features All the Comforts of a “Home Away from Home” including a wide-screen television.	Beautiful Electricity-Supplied Gazebo will be scene of many outdoors activities.

Illinois citizens supported a two-year, Illinois fundraising campaign sponsored and spearheaded by DMS Pharmaceutical Group, Inc. of Park Ridge, IL to raise the majority of the $1.75 million necessary to be matched by the Fisher House Foundation for construction of a $5.7 million Fisher House on Hines VA Hospital grounds.

2008-09 Audit | 2009-Form 990

Why Friends of Fisher House - Illinois Support Is Crucial

Following the local, grass-roots drive to raise funds for construction, it became apparent that further fundraising efforts are vital to support year-round operations of this Hines VA "home away from home" for military families when it opened March 1, 2010.

The humanitarian need fulfilled by the Fisher House program is not one provided by the
Departments of Defense or Veterans Administration.

Once the 20-private-bedroom-suite Hines Fisher House is constructed in fall 2009, the Fisher House Foundation will present it as a gift to Hines VA. From that point on, funding staffing, operations and maintenance becomes the full responsibility of Hines VA.

Hines administration has indicated the strong need for support to ensure that year-round lodging and other services are provided free of charge to veterans and their families.

Hines is designated by the VA as a VA national polytrauma site. In this capacity, the medical facility is treating younger veterans returning from Iraq with multiple trauma injuries like traumatic brain injuries.  This requires more patients traveling longer distances.  These complicated injuries require longer hospital stays, which will make the Fisher House for Hines that much more important.

Both the Hines Spinal Cord Injury and Blind Rehabilitation Center programs minister to almost 900 Operation Iraqi and Enduring Freedom veterans with long stays.

These two Centers, alone, draw patients from a total of 17 states: Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Wyoming plus parts of Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.

In addition, Hines VA Hospital continues to service the medical needs of 300,000 Illinois veterans with 536,600 outpatient visits a year. Many of them travel long distances within Illinois for out-patient treatment and cannot afford overnight lodging at motels. These veterans will also qualify for free lodging at the Hines Fisher House.

Number of Military Families Served by Hines VA Fisher House Since March 10, 2010: 1,350

Fisher House Guests' Hometown Roster Totals:
236 Municipalities
28 States
3 Foreign Countries

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION: