According to the U.S. Census Bureau and various studies, one out of every ten veterans were seriously injured at some point while serving in the military, and one out of three veterans who served post-9/11 live with a service-connected disability. Programs and facilities have been developed to provide treatment, diagnostics, rehabilitation, counseling, and support to manage both physical and mental disabilities.
However, the new demographic of post-2001 veterans is more diverse, including more women and parents of young children than previous groups. There is a higher population of veterans who are being treated in medical centers without accessible family support or comfort. As a result, Veterans often have to seek treatment thousands of miles away from home where transportation and visitation from loved ones is challenging or incurs significant costs.
Partnering for Change
In an effort to support these veterans, Connected Dealer Services established The Dealers for Veterans program, which focuses on supporting three pillars of need within the veteran community. These include employment services, military mental health and wellness, and support for wounded veterans and their families.
We have the privilege of partnering with Fisher House Foundation, which works to help wounded veterans and their families stay together by providing free, temporary housing during the duration of medical treatment.
Building a Home Away From Home with Fisher House Foundation
The Fisher House program was founded in 1990 to provide a place of comfort and compassion for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and Veteran Affairs (VA) medical centers. These comfort homes are built to provide a temporary home to families of servicemen and women receiving treatment, allowing veterans to heal while surrounded by their loved ones. Whether they’re a 19-year-old service member or a 90-year-old retired veteran, individuals with combat-related injury or illness can receive the care they need in a home away from home.
Fisher House Foundation builds 5,000 to 16,800-square-foot homes that are fully furnished, professionally decorated, and feature common kitchens, dining rooms, and living rooms. Once the project is completed, the house is gifted to the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Since initiating their operation over 30 years ago, Fisher House has provided a lasting impact to service members, veterans, and their families nationwide:
- Opened 91 Fisher Houses across the U.S. and Europe
- Reached a 1,200 Daily lodging capacity
- Offered 10 million lodging days
- Served 413,000 families
- Helped families save $525 million in lodging and transportation
The Foundation doesn’t just stop at building homes. Fisher House has developed other programs to assist veterans as they integrate back into everyday life. Programs such as Hero Miles and Hotels for Heroes provide donated frequent flyer miles and hotel points to eligible families of wounded service members should the Fisher House be unable to accommodate them. The Foundation also offers scholarship programs for family members of active, reserve, or retired veterans.
About Dealers for Veterans
For each new dealer partner onboarded into CDS’ Elo GPS lot management program, funds are allocated to our Dealers for Veterans program where they are evenly distributed among our three non-profit partners monthly. From its development, CDS’ Dealers for Veterans program has donated $16,800 to our non-profit veteran support partners. To learn more about program details and how to get involved, visit our Dealers for Veterans webpage.