Where can a military family find a room of its own? While a network of veterans hospitals takes care of soldiers there are no housing provisions for veterans’ family members who visit and support injured or ill personnel.
This changed in 1990 when real estate magnate and philanthropist Zachary Fisher established the Fisher House. His $20 million donation formed the Fisher House Foundation whose purpose is to house veterans’ families while they visit an injured soldier who is under VA care.
The Fisher Foundation builds houses through donations then turns them over to the Veterans Administration to administer once the facility is complete. “It’s like Ronald McDonald House for the military – only without the corporate sponsorship!†says Tim Byk, the champion of Los Angeles’ Fisher House.
There are Fisher houses on military bases and Veterans Affairs medical centers across the United States and in Landstuhl, Germany. Thanks in large part to Tim Byk, Los Angeles welcomed the 43rd Fisher House on February 6 at an opening ceremony. Brentwood native, co-owner of Jon Byk Advertising and a successful real estate agent, Byk serves as the chief fundraiser for the West LA Fisher House project.
His interest in facilitating a Fisher House for Los Angeles came about as a result of a conversation with former VA administrator Chuck Dorman. “He said that he wished someone in the community would step up and support veterans … because of the huge concentration of them in the Los Angeles area,†recalls Byk.
Byk took on this project with special zeal. “I have always had the upmost respect for the people in the military. We owe everything we have to those who protect our freedom. We should be grateful every day for the rest of our lives for the debt our veterans have paid.â€
Councilman and veteran Bill Rosendahl joined Byk and American Legion Post 283 [of which Rosendahl is a member] in raising funds for the multi-million dollar project. As Lou Cozolino, member of the Post’s executive board put it, “we have a lucrative post and all of my guys agreed this was the best use of our money.â€
Since its inception, the Fisher House program has served approximately 110,000 military families by providing more than 2.5 million days of lodging, saving them an estimated $80 million dollars and countless travel hours between hotel and their loved-one’s bedside.
Thankfully Tim Byk’s efforts have resulted in a Fisher House of our own.
For more information on our Fisher House visit www.westlafisherhouse.org
For more information on Fisher Houses worldwide visit www.fisherhouse.org
