On November 1, the Cuyahoga Land Bank brought together stakeholders of the ongoing Greater Cleveland Fisher House project to hear first-hand the progress being made in making a Fisher House a reality in our community.
A Fisher House is a comfort home for veterans and their families built on the grounds of major military hospitals and Veterans Administration (VA) medical centers. The Greater Cleveland Fisher House will offer free lodging for families of veterans hospitalized and being treated at the Louis B. Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center and other area hospitals. There are currently 64 existing Fisher Houses operating across the U.S. (and 3 overseas), yet the Cleveland VA Medical Center is currently the largest VA medical facility without a Fisher House.
Representatives from the Cuyahoga Land Bank, Greater Cleveland Fisher House, regional office of Veterans Affairs, Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center, as well as leaders from local and county government listened as Tom Sweeney, Board President of the Greater Cleveland Fisher House, announced that not only did the group reach its fundraising goal of $3 million as of July, but the Greater Cleveland Fisher House will now actually be two homes with 16 suites each that will accommodate up to 32 families. The houses will be built adjacent to the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center in University Circle.
The Cuyahoga Land Bank was instrumental in assembling the land needed for the project and we are excited to see this important project moving forward.