Captain Ponce-Lopez explains to Lake Houston Rotarians that he often receives calls from firefighters looking for an inexpensive place to stay while they are in Houston receiving cancer treatments at the Texas Medical Center. In 2009, Captain Ponce-Lopez saw the need for a small home for ill or injured firefighters visiting Houston for treatment. His idea became a charity called the Texas Firefighters Home and it has grown with the help of his University Rotary Club to include two leased apartments that are made available to first responders in need of housing while seeking treatment at the Texas Medical Center. The need is there for them to grow again and he is asking for your help.
U.S. firefighters suffer from a substantially higher rate of cancer than the general population. It’s 50% for firefighters’ verses 11% for everyone else, according to semi-retired Houston fire Captain Homero Ponce-Lopez.
Firefighters have occupational risks from exposure to toxins and hazardous chemicals. That’s why Firefighters suffer from cancer and other illnesses at a higher rate than others. Specialized treatment for these illnesses often requires an extended stay near the Texas Medical Center, where the housing costs can be very expensive.
Captain Ponce-Lopez explained to Lake Houston Rotarians during the club’s June 21st luncheon meeting that he often receives calls from firefighters looking for an inexpensive place to stay while they are in Houston receiving cancer treatments at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center or other cancer hospitals in the medical center.
Retired Houston Fire Captain Homero Ponce-Lopez speaks to Lake Houston Rotarians about the need to expand the non-profit Texas Firefighters Home for injured or ill firefighters seeking treatment at the Texas Medical Center.
Firefighters travel from all over the country, as well as the rest of Texas, seeking treatment that can last for days or weeks and it was difficult for him to find affordable or free places for them and their families to stay.
In 2009, Captain Ponce-Lopez saw the need for a small home for ill or injured firefighters visiting Houston for treatment. He was planning on buying and renovating a 3-bedfroom home to make it ADA compliant using some of his retirement funds.
He happened to mention his idea to Art Bautista, past president of his University Area Rotary Club, and Mr. Bautista and their Rotary Club took the “Texas Firefighters’ Home” idea on as a club project.
That “project” started to become a reality in 2014 when the club started renting hotel rooms with financing help for visiting firefighters from Houston Rotary. The club switched from using hotel rooms to leasing two apartments near the medical center in 2016.
The program has expanded to include police officers and other first responders and their families. Patients may use an apartment for up to 90 days and only pay a cleaning fee when they leave. There is currently a waiting list to use the apartments.
The University Rotary Club and the Texas Firefighters Home (set up in 2013 as its own separate non-profit charity) are hoping to transition to the next step which is leasing six apartments. Currently the cost to the charity per apartment is $15,000 to $20,000 per year.
Texas Firefighters Home will be hosting a reception, dinner and program fundraiser on September 30th at the Hilton Post Oak Hotel Galleria in Houston to collect enough funds to increase the number of apartments available to six.
Captain Ponce-Lopez welcomes sponsorships, donations and attendance at this fundraiser to support firefighters and other first responders. For more information on how you can help, visit their website at www.texasfirefighershome.org.
Lake Houston Rotary president, Eric Gomez (center), thanks representatives from the Texas Firefighters Home, Cerro Jimenez (left) and HF Captain Homero Ponce-Lopez for their presentation regarding the needs of their charity and how it helps first responders.
Our members live and/or work in the greater Lake Houston area. Guests interested in learning more about Rotary are welcome to attend one of our regular meetings in Kingwood and/or Summer Creek.
Meetings are held weekly from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., most Wednesdays at the Lake Houston Family YMCA, 2420 West Lake Houston Pkwy. in Kingwood.
The Summer Creek Satellite Club meets the 2nd and 4th most Tuesdays of the month from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., at Generation Park's 3rd floor Nimble Office Suite, 250 Assay St., Houston.
Check the club’s home page for dates of upcoming speakers at www.LHARotary.com
Additional information about Rotary and membership is available here: https://lharotary.com/page/who-we-are-what-we-do .
Firefighters have occupational risks from exposure to toxins and hazardous chemicals. That’s why Firefighters suffer from cancer and other illnesses at a higher rate than others. Specialized treatment for these illnesses often requires an extended stay near the Texas Medical Center, where the housing costs can be very expensive.
Captain Ponce-Lopez explained to Lake Houston Rotarians during the club’s June 21st luncheon meeting that he often receives calls from firefighters looking for an inexpensive place to stay while they are in Houston receiving cancer treatments at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center or other cancer hospitals in the medical center.
Retired Houston Fire Captain Homero Ponce-Lopez speaks to Lake Houston Rotarians about the need to expand the non-profit Texas Firefighters Home for injured or ill firefighters seeking treatment at the Texas Medical Center.
Firefighters travel from all over the country, as well as the rest of Texas, seeking treatment that can last for days or weeks and it was difficult for him to find affordable or free places for them and their families to stay.
In 2009, Captain Ponce-Lopez saw the need for a small home for ill or injured firefighters visiting Houston for treatment. He was planning on buying and renovating a 3-bedfroom home to make it ADA compliant using some of his retirement funds.
He happened to mention his idea to Art Bautista, past president of his University Area Rotary Club, and Mr. Bautista and their Rotary Club took the “Texas Firefighters’ Home” idea on as a club project.
That “project” started to become a reality in 2014 when the club started renting hotel rooms with financing help for visiting firefighters from Houston Rotary. The club switched from using hotel rooms to leasing two apartments near the medical center in 2016.
The program has expanded to include police officers and other first responders and their families. Patients may use an apartment for up to 90 days and only pay a cleaning fee when they leave. There is currently a waiting list to use the apartments.
The University Rotary Club and the Texas Firefighters Home (set up in 2013 as its own separate non-profit charity) are hoping to transition to the next step which is leasing six apartments. Currently the cost to the charity per apartment is $15,000 to $20,000 per year.
Texas Firefighters Home will be hosting a reception, dinner and program fundraiser on September 30th at the Hilton Post Oak Hotel Galleria in Houston to collect enough funds to increase the number of apartments available to six.
Captain Ponce-Lopez welcomes sponsorships, donations and attendance at this fundraiser to support firefighters and other first responders. For more information on how you can help, visit their website at www.texasfirefighershome.org.
Lake Houston Rotary president, Eric Gomez (center), thanks representatives from the Texas Firefighters Home, Cerro Jimenez (left) and HF Captain Homero Ponce-Lopez for their presentation regarding the needs of their charity and how it helps first responders.
Our members live and/or work in the greater Lake Houston area. Guests interested in learning more about Rotary are welcome to attend one of our regular meetings in Kingwood and/or Summer Creek.
Meetings are held weekly from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., most Wednesdays at the Lake Houston Family YMCA, 2420 West Lake Houston Pkwy. in Kingwood.
The Summer Creek Satellite Club meets the 2nd and 4th most Tuesdays of the month from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., at Generation Park's 3rd floor Nimble Office Suite, 250 Assay St., Houston.
Check the club’s home page for dates of upcoming speakers at www.LHARotary.com
Additional information about Rotary and membership is available here: https://lharotary.com/page/who-we-are-what-we-do .