By Sara Cho

Jodi Land walks through the Fisher House complex as she gives a tour to new guests.

“Every family situation is different,” said Land. “This house can accommodate up to 7 families at one time, which adds up to 130 families or more over the course of a year depending on the length of each stay.”

Land has been the manager of the Joint-base Lewis-McChord Fisher House for 13 years now. The Fisher Houses were started by Zach and Elizabeth Fisher who responded to a need for free temporary lodging near military hospitals so that loved ones could remain close to ill or injured military personnel. The Fishers built the first Fisher House on Bethesda Naval Base in Bethesda, Maryland.

Now there are over 65 Fisher Houses worldwide serving families with intensive care/terminally ill patients. Fisher Houses provide families with “a home away from home,” according to the Fisher House website.

What inspires Land the most about her job are the visitors. Some are wounded warriors, some are parents with infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and others are families and outpatients who have been diagnosed with cancer or some other illness that requires extended hospital care. The JBLM Fisher House gives family members a place to stay that is only a few minutes from Madigan Army Medical Center.

“The kids, they get to me all the time,” said Land. “Kids want to be happy.”

The Fisher House often hosts birthday parties and Christmas parties to bring a sense of joy to the families who are under stressful conditions. They also accept help and donations from organizations such as the boy scouts and the girl scouts. A second Fisher House is scheduled to open at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in the Fall of 2015. The ground breaking ceremony for the second Fisher house is September 25. The second Fisher House is needed because the current Fisher House is not able to accommodate everyone who requests their help.

“I’m looking forward to not turning away people,” said Land. “The things we do for other people are usually among the best things that we do.”

Kathy Cho, a volunteer coordinator between the JBLM Spouses Club and the Fisher House is supportive of the house’s hospitality.

“Our Fisher House provides a very important service to our military families,” said Cho. “Having loved ones nearby assists patients in the healing process and reduces the stress on families trying to support their loved ones.”

The Fisher House is a charitable organization that accepts donations and volunteer help. For more information on how you can support the JBLM Fisher House visit the Fisher House website at www.armyfisherhouses.org and select Lewis-McChord Fisher House.