FC–CPM-2026-3Q-merged - Flipbook - Page 25
Their guest services representative, Judy, plays
an integral role in qualifying guests who call
in requesting lodging at the house. If they are
unable to accommodate, the Foundation will
support those members by placing them in
and paying for a hotel nearby until a suite
becomes available. If they are ineligible, the
team still bends over backward to ensure they
help military members 昀椀nd a place to stay.
House Manager Robert Campbell described
the journey many military members take to
receive much-needed rehabilitation and treatment
in the area and how the support of the local Foundation
enables them to accommodate those members in every
way. From providing transportation to fully stocking the kitchen,
volunteers, sta昀昀 and The Fisher House of the Emerald Coast Foundation will ensure that no member who is staying with them goes
without. “They pay for our groceries; they keep our cupboards full.
We are the only house that is fully stocked. Anything guests might need.
We shop every week, and we even have volunteers that do food drives.”
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY FISHER HOUSE OF THE EMERALD COAST
FROM TOP: COURTESY FISHER HOUSE OF THE EMERALD COAST; USDOD
A
s the Assistant House Manager, Don Peckham ensures the
house is impeccably decorated, his sense of pride swelled
as he describes the workspace in the library so guests have
access to laptops and the internet. Don speaks of the many di昀昀erent
military members who have visited and the stories they have told.
“The doors are locked and coded for a safe and secure home away
from home,” Don says.
“The Fisher’s mission was to build a Fisher House wherever it was
needed. To help America’s greatest treasure and to give back to the military community,” said Peckham, noting the organizations that contribute
to the mission and the continued success of Fisher House.
The rooms themselves boast a beautiful interior, with space for several family members and a full bathroom. Several rooms can be joined
together in the event a larger family is in need of accommodation.
Don began speaking of why the kitchen is the most important part of
the house. With a sprawling island and cabinets from ceiling to 昀氀oor, he
dove into explaining the system of support they o昀昀er for their guests so
that no need goes unful昀椀lled. “We tell them just make yourself at home.
We try to make sure we keep a little bit of everything, and if they want
something in particular we will get it for them.”
The fridge and pantry were both stocked to the top with anything
a guest could ever want, including staple items like bread, milk, eggs,
and other condiments. In the past, Don thought about giving guests
their own little mini fridge in the rooms, but
something said by Ken Fisher, the great nephew of Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher, made
him think twice. Don wanted to continue
encouraging the guests to socialize in the
common areas, instead of staying con昀椀ned to
their rooms. “Ken said ‘this is where the magic
happens’. The sta昀昀 is gone at the end of the
day. But there are those door knocks from one
guest to another that say ‘hey, I’m just checking
on you’ or ‘hey, did you take your medicine today,’.
They can connect with each other here. They bond. It
gives them a sense of community in this space and they
are able to come together.”
Outside features several patio tables and chairs, dartboards, horseshoes, cornhole, a storage bench of 昀氀ying discs, and other sports equipment. The team has made sure that there are always activities to keep
guests occupied and seek continual improvement for the property.
Retired Chief Master Sargent Lecroy visiting with his his wife, Juanita,
explained the hyperbaric chamber treatments he was receiving, and how
those sessions and the folks at Fisher House had made such a transformational impact on his life. Upon arrival, he was barely walking by himself
with the assistance of a cane, but it was something he no longer needed.
He spoke highly of the sta昀昀 at Fisher House and the accommodations,
saying his betterment was, in part, due to the care they took of the couple
during their stay.
Fisher House’s passion to positively impact the lives of the nation’s
service members is apparent. The e昀昀orts to continue the mission of
Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher, along with the foundation headed by
Executive Director Mia Hughes, will ensure that all our service men and
women continue to have a “home away from home” at Fisher House of
the Emerald Coast, regardless of what else life is throwing at them. Fisher
House is here to support those service members while they heal, and it is
the team inside that truly helps that happen.
To involve the community in fundraising e昀昀orts, Fisher House hosts
several opportunities for donations like the 19th Annual Helping Heroes
Gala bene昀椀ting the Fisher House of the Emerald Coast scheduled for
September 10, 2026 at The Henderson Beach Resort & Spa , their Annual
Sandestin Wine Festival, and annual room sponsors where donors can
sponsor one of the 12 rooms at the house and be honored with their
picture hung as a tribute. Hughes notes that beyond these events, the
organization’s mission never stops and welcomes volunteers, sponsors, and donations at any point in time by contacting director@昀椀sherhouseemeraldcoast.org at any time of the year. ◆
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