Senator Collins Celebrates Opening of Maine’s first Fisher House at Togus in Augusta

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Augusta, ME – This morning, U.S. Senator Susan Collins delivered remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony for Maine’s first Fisher House at the VA Maine Healthcare System Togus in Augusta.  Approximately 150 veterans, veteran service organization members, Fisher House Foundation members, community partners, and volunteers attended the ceremony.

“When the men and women of our armed forces return home, we have an obligation to welcome them all the way home.  Our debt to them can never fully be repaid, but this celebration is a powerful reminder of our commitment, as a nation and as individual citizens, to do all that we can,” said Senator Collins during her remarks.  “Just as Togus stands as a testament of a grateful nation, this new Fisher House will stand as a testament of the gratitude individual citizens have for the men and women who defend our freedom.”

The new 16-suite Fisher House will provide families with accommodations while a loved one is receiving treatment at Togus.  Once complete, the facility is expected to serve approximately 500 families annually who would otherwise be forced to spend thousands of dollars on off-site lodging while their family members are hospitalized. 

Since 1991, the Fisher House Foundation has served more than 335,000 military and veterans’ families, saving them an estimated $407 million in out of pocket costs for lodging and transportation.