Pauline Trost, wife of then-Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Carlisle Trost, presented the idea of building temporary lodging facilities on major military medical centers to Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher who took the idea and made it into a reality.

According to the official Fisher House Foundation website the foundation believes in the promotion of the family environment and the tie between military members. These two things combine together to create a place where people can share experiences and make lifelong friends."The first benefit [of staying in the Fisher House] is we are close by to support our son in the most trying time of his life," said Romano. "For us to be able to be here is worth its weight in gold."Contact: Starr Cochran 520-326-3937Why do women often take a back seat to their mates when it comes to matters of money? She may be used to having her husband handle the finances, she may not have a good understanding of finances or perhaps she simply doesn't have an interest in them. But this is a mistake that often isn't discovered until it's too late.The negative traits of wool fiber include that it is very sensitive to alkalinity (high PH soaps), costs more than synthetic fibers, costs more to clean, not resistant to Protein stains, will dissolve in bleach and can be damaged by carpet beetles and moths. Consider the pluses and minuses as they pertain to your life and if you decide to purchase the wonderful wool carpet fiber, see our special carpet cleaning care guide for wool carpets at http://www.colorado-carpet-masters.com. You will also find free carpet repair guides, allergy guides, carpet buying guides, carpet spot guides, carpet cleaning consumer guides an much more.Add to Digg Bookmark with del.icio.us Add to Newsvine"I think the concept of the Fisher House is important because it helps support the families and keeps them together," said Christy Hertz, a Fisher House volunteer. "I retired from the Army and felt like it was time to 'pay it back.' I volunteer because it makes me feel good.""Home. A home where you can stay, cook dinner and eat in our lovely dining room," said Campbell. "Or, sit in the living room, read a book then go to your room later that night. We really hope that these houses are always full."Before finding out about the Fisher House, the Romanos were staying in hotels off base and the Navy Lodge on base at National Naval Medical Center (NNMC), Bethesda, Md.According to Cindy F. Campbell, vice president for community relations and media affairs for the Fisher House, the facilities were designed for the family to feel at home.Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=1344942Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher's dream lives on in 53 homes across the United States and abroad helping military families in need by providing a quality of life in the places they built. The foundation also helps by administering and sponsoring scholarships for military children, the Hero Miles program and co-sponsors of the Newman's Own Awards program. For more information see the foundation's website www.fisherhouse.org."We take great pride [in knowing] that when we donate these houses to the military they are stunning and that they are gorgeous," said Campbell. "You can walk in and feel a sense of comfort right away. We want the houses to be warm and inviting. We want you to be comfortable so the only focus is on that person in the hospital."Story and photos by MC1(SW/AW ) Andrew Meyers"Initially there was no Fisher House," said Cynthia, who is a breast cancer survivor. "When Rino and I are here [at the Fisher House] it's like we are surrounded by family." Cynthia lives with her husband in LaMaddalena, Italy, and has been undergoing breast cancer treatment for more than 20 years. The couple often has to travel to get her treatments.Published by Starsys Publishing in Tucson, Ariz., The Bread & Butter Chronicles is available at www.Amazon.com .With Fisher Houses around the world in constant use, it's necessary to plan for new houses.In an effort to help women become more engaged in their personal finances, Cochran penned the "econodrama," The Bread & Butter Chronicles. This novel approach to learning about finances is a fictional account of four women facing life-changing events -- for instance, one woman's husband dies, leaving behind a secret mountain of debt that force them into new awareness and responsibilities."Fisher House relies on donations to keep us operating and building new houses, once we build a new home we give them to the Veterans Administration or the Department of Defense," said Campbell."It's amazing after 30 years in the Navy, I didn't know about the Fisher House," said Romano, a retired master chief.Romano explained that if the Fisher House had not been an option, more than $10,000 would have been spent in hotel costs. "Originally I didn't know where we were going to stay," said Deborah, "I would have stayed in the car just to be with him. Having this facility makes our time here easier and we can concentrate on his medical situation.""Many years ago, Cynthia had surgery in the morning at 7 a.m. that lasted till 10 p.m.," said Rino. "When I could finally see her she was still unconscious, so they told me to go home. I went home after a stressful day, skipping breakfast and lunch. I was just going to have a bowl of soup and go to bed. But, as soon as I got to the Fisher House everyone was waiting on me; the table was set, and they prepared a lobster dinner for me. I almost cried; it was wonderful, I never forgot that."

Meyers is assigned to Defense Media Activity-Navy, Washington, D.C.

Author: Andrew Meyers