Fisher House/Operation Hero Miles
About us
Fisher House Foundation is best known for a network of comfort homes where military and veterans’ families can stay at no cost while a loved one is receiving treatment. These homes are located at major military and VA medical centers nationwide, and in Europe, close to the medical center or hospital it serves. Fisher Houses have up to 21 suites, with private bedrooms and baths. Families share a common kitchen, laundry facilities, a warm dining room and an inviting living room. Fisher House Foundation ensures that there is never a lodging fee. Since inception, the program has saved military and veterans’ families an estimated $400+ million in out of pocket costs for lodging and transportation.
Fisher House Foundation also operates the Hero Miles Program, using donated frequent flyer miles to bring family members to the bedside of injured service members, as well as the Hotels for Heroes program which uses donated hotel points to allow family members to stay at hotels near medical centers without charge. The Foundation also manages a grant program that supports other military charities and scholarship funds for military children, spouses and children of fallen and disabled veterans.
You can help make a difference in the life of a service member with just 1,000 award miles. Fisher House Foundation’s Hero Miles program uses donated frequent flyer miles to provide round-trip airline tickets to service members and/or their loved ones during a medical crisis. Your donation helps to bring families together when they need it most.
In January 2011, Staff Sergeant Chaz Allen was seriously injured when he stepped on an IED, losing both of his legs and breaking his elbow. He was flown to then-Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. for treatment. His wife Jessica and their two small girls lived in Tennessee. Jessica wanted to be by her husband’s side while he faced months of medical treatment, while at the same time maintaining a sense of normalcy for their children. They wondered how they would achieve a solution without financial hardship.
Thankfully, Jessica was able to utilize the Hero Miles program, so she could spend time with Chaz, then return to Tennessee to be with her girls. Because of the generosity of people like you who donated their miles, the Allen family stayed together during this time. When Chaz was ready, Jessica brought the girls to Washington, D.C., and they stayed at the Fisher House, so they could heal as a family — together. Jessica and her daughters were able to witness Chaz taking his first steps with prosthetic legs and continue his journey to recovery and a new normal. Today, the family is together in Tennessee and thriving. The power of a family’s love is so important during a medical crisis.
United MileagePlus members can help be heroes to our heroes with a donation of even 1,000 miles. Together, we can make an impact on these amazing families.
