by Mary-Kate Roan
Staff Writer
The Downtown Jacksonville Rotary Club meeting yesterday at the Wyndham Hotel was abuzz with talk of the Fisher House project the Gainesville Rotarians are hoping to finalize funding on in the near future.
“These houses are 100-percent fantastic,” said Rick Fabiani, the meeting’s guest speaker from the Gainesville chapter of Rotary. “And if a person goes over there (to war) and gets their leg shot off, they deserve the best, not just some rinky-dink hotel.”
According to Rotary member and Past President Jim Borland there are around 100,000 veterans in Duval County and often the problem facing the family members is the lack of funds to provide proper housing with all the comforts and affordability of home. That’s where Fisher Houses make their entrance.
The houses are built by Fisher House and its partners with a goal to provide military families and friends with a place to stay while loved ones are in the hospital undergoing treatment.
The houses range in size – 5,000 square feet to 16,000 square feet – and cannot be funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans (VA). According to Fabiani and Borland, that’s where Rotary International can make an impact.
“We need the support of North Florida,” said Fabiani. “Once they’re built, the houses are
funded by VA.” Fabiani also added that there is no land acquisition that will take place for the houses either since the houses have to be built on VA property or on a military base.
The major funding for the Fisher House in Gainesville is in place, and it will end up costing $4 million-$5 million. In the end, however, it will accomodate 22 family members in its suites stretching throughout the 16,000 square foot free housing design.
And Gainesville’s Rotarians only need $500,000 to complete the project because every dime that they have raised has been matched by Fisher House.
“This is truly a community effort,” said Fabiani. “A lot of support has been coming in from major corporations.”
According to Fabiani, Wal-Mart, Target and Best Buy are giving out gift cards to help with families’ needs during the holiday season. And the veterans’ organizations themselves pay for a lot of the management costs through donations.
For more information or to donate to the Fisher House, visit www.fisherhouse.org. For more information on the Gainesville Fisher House, visit www.gainesvillefisherhouse.org.
In other Rotarian news:
• Fifteen children were inoculated with the Polio vaccine in the names of Borland and Fabiani. President of Downtown Jacksonville Rotary Carl Cannon presented them with certificates.
• Cecilia Bryant introduced special guest Arielle Schneider, the Ambassidorial Scholarship recipient. Schneider, an 18-year-old junior at University of North Florida, will be going to France to represent the Downtown Rotary in January 2010.
• New members Will Allen and Julie Lamey were introduced and received their traditional red pins.
• The next Downtown Jacksonville Rotary Club meeting will be Dec. 1 at the Omni rather than meeting the week of Thanksgiving.
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