David Coker is president of Fisher House Foundation Inc., based in Rockville. The Fisher House program builds homes on the grounds of major military and Veterans Administration medical centers to provide free lodging to the families of patients receiving specialized medical care. Coker has been involved with the foundation since 1994, when he retired from the U.S. Army.

What does the Fisher House program do?

It is a home away from home for military patients and their families. The program is the equivalent of Ronald McDonald House except there’s no clown involved. We are working to improve the quality of life for people who serve so selflessly.

How many Fisher homes are there?

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There are 38 operating, including two in Europe. We are working on five more now, and plan to open 22 more in the next four years.

How many families has the program housed?

We provided housing for 10,000 families last year, or 2.5 million days of lodging.

How long do most families stay?

Previously, the average stay was 14 days. With the increasing severity of injuries sustained in Iraq and Afghanistan, many families are staying 60 to 90 days. The longest stay has been 19 months.

How have the military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq affected your program?

The need has increased dramatically. It’s a privilege to do something that makes a difference and to honor [soldiers’] service in their time of need. We used to do one to two houses per year and were happy with that. Now we see more need and have been blessed by the public, so we are building more houses to meet the immediate need.