Samsung has announced a donation of $100,000 to aid in the construction of the Fisher House in Columbia, South Carolina. The Fisher House will provide military and veteran families with free lodging during hospital stays.
The Fisher Home will offer much-needed support to the more than 90,000 veterans in the area.
Samsung’s donation brings the project one step closer to reaching its funding goal and breaking ground on the facility.
The Fisher House in Columbia will be the third of four new homes built with the help of Samsung since their partnership was established in 2015.
Fisher House is in the midst of expanding its network of 84 comfort homes. Once opened, the home will welcome families of patients on the campus of Dorn VA Medical Center as well as veterans being treated at the William Jennings Bryan VA Medical Center.
The Columbia Fisher House will be the organization’s second home in the state.
Samsung has experienced significant growth in South Carolina. In 2017, the company expanded its national footprint with the opening of a $380 million home appliance manufacturing facility in Newberry County, which manufactures Samsung dishwasher, refrigerator and stove appliances. That facility now has more than 800 employees.
In 2018, the company was the principal construction donor for the Fisher House in Charleston. That home has 16 rooms and has helped more than 1,300 families since it opened.
“Since making Newberry our home to Samsung’s first home appliance manufacturing facility, we have continued to support the local community and more specifically veterans and their families across the Midlands,” said Megan Pollock, Samsung’s vice president of strategic communications.
Dave Coker, president of the Fisher House Foundation, thanked Samsung for its “continued support to the Foundation.”
Fisher Homes have up to 21 suites which have private bedrooms and baths. Families share the laundry facility, kitchen, dining area and living room. Families are welcome to stay as long as needed while their loved one is being treated.
Since its launch, the program has helped save military and veterans’ families more than $450 million in out-of-pocket costs for lodging and transportation.
Fisher Homes served more than 32,000 in 2018 and more than 368,000 since its inception.
The Columbia Fisher House needs to raise $3 million to reach its funding goal. The home will provide families with a place to rest and heal while staying connected with their loved one who is undergoing treatment.
