Charity Spotlight

When Carla Busby's husband, Jerry, a 57-year-old Air-Force veteran, was whisked away to the Denver VA Medical Center on a Flight for Life this August, she and her daughter followed not knowing what the next days would bring. Since they had no family in Denver, one of the hurdles of such short-notice travel would certainly be finding a place to stay.

Luckily for them—and for military families across the country—Denver is one of the 39 sites of a Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher House.

Since opening its first house in 1991 in Bethesda, Md., the Fisher House Foundation says it has provided temporary housing to over 110,000 families of hospitalized armed-forces members. They say they have at least one house at all the major U.S. military hospitals.

"I can't really say what a pleasant surprise-what a godsend it was to us," says Carla. "And I didn't have to pay a thing."

Carla and her daughter stayed at the house with eight other families from all over the country, each with their own room. "Everyone is so friendly," she says. "I made some good friends there."

The Busbys are home now, and Jerry, who had a heart attack and triple-bypass surgery, is recovering well. "My husband used to be a schoolbus driver," says Carla, "and some of the kids have started a fund for him. But I think after all this is over, I'm going to take that money and give it to the Fisher House."

Article originally appeared in September/October 2007 print magazine.

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