By MC1 (SW/AW) Chris Thien, NAVFAC HQ Public Affairs
Force Master Chief of the Seabees (SCW) Christopher R. Levesque (left) presents Fisher House Foundation Vice President Derek Donovan a donation of $3,124.29 at Naval Facilities Engineering Command Headquarters, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., April 25. Fisher House Foundation is best known for its network of comfortable living quarters where military and veterans' families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving medical treatment. Photo by MC1 (SW/AW) Chris Thien
Force Master Chief of the Seabees (SCW) Christopher R. Levesque presented Fisher House Foundation Vice President Derek Donovan a donation of more than $3,000 at Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Headquarters, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., April 25.
The donation is from a fund established by former Force Master Chief (SCW) James Fairbanks, with generous contributions from various functions such as the Chief and First Class Petty Officer Associations, ward rooms and Seabee Veterans of America.
The fund was started to help people in need, and I think that this is the perfect organization to carry on with the leftover funds we had, FORCM Levesque said.
Fisher House Foundation is best known for its network of comfortable living quarters where military and veterans' families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving medical treatment. These homes are located at major military and Veterans Administration medical centers nationwide, close to the medical center or hospital they serve. Fisher Houses have up to 21 suites, with private bedrooms and baths. Families share a common kitchen, laundry facilities, dining room and living room. Fisher House Foundation ensures there is never a lodging fee. Since its inception, the program has saved military and veterans families an estimated $200 million in out-of-pocket costs for lodging and transportation.
Fisher House Foundation is a public private venture, said Donovan. It is similar to a Ronald McDonald House in that it provides a place for a family to stay when their loved ones are hospitalized. The Department of Defense provides great health care but sometimes medicine is not enough; sometimes you need your family with you. That s what Fisher House does. Fisher House allows families to be with their loved ones when they need to be there the most.
I just want to thank Fisher House for everything that they do, said Levesque. Our wounded warriors have certainly benefited from their generosity and ensuring that families and fellow Seabees have had a place to stay while recovering in medical facilities.