XENIA — Local Fisher Houses will be fully funded for three days of operation, thanks to the generosity of the Greene County Sheriff’s Office this month.
After participating in No Shave November with the proceeds benefiting Michael’s House, a child advocacy center in Fairborn, sheriff’s office employees decided to continue the effort into December.
No Shave December, in which 76 participants paid to keep their beards or paint their fingernails, raised funds for the three Fisher Houses in the Dayton area. Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer presented the $2,447 check to Chris Stanley, executive director, on Dec. 26.
“This is significant,” Stanley said of the donation. “The houses help wounded, injured and ill service members and veterans’ families.”
Fisher Houses provide a place for military families to stay for free while a loved one is undergoing medical treatment at Wright-Patterson Medical Center. Two houses are located on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base within walking distance of the hospital.
Stanley said those two houses served 950 families in 2018. Eligible families include all ranks, branches of the armed forces and all components, including active duty, Guard, Reserve, retired and veterans.
A third house just opened at Dayton VA Medical Center in October. The new $6.5 million house has 16 bedrooms with bathrooms. Families share the rest of the common rooms, including a large kitchen and laundry facilities. Since its opening, the house has served 50 families.
Capt. Shawn Prall was one participant in the fundraiser. He said he was also familiar with the program because his dad, a Vietnam veteran, had stayed in a similar facility out of state.
Families benefit from the services the houses provide, which ease financial, emotional and physical challenges.
