The Friends of the Storks Nest is the board that facilitates the Storks Nest Cottage program on Camp Lester. The Stork’s Nest provides free, temporary housing for high-risk pregnant patients, parents of infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and relatives in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the Pacific region.

We serve all military branches. These women, and sometimes their respective families, stay for free in small cottages on Lester while they are being treated, during their pregnancies and/or during their baby’s stay in the NICU. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Naval Hospital Okinawa (USNHO), Friends of the Stork’s Nest, and the ASYMCA. Our program is funded solely through donations.

There are many exciting volunteer opportunities with our program. In addition to a volunteer board consisting of a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, we also maintain several committees for our various outreach programs. We have a thriving meals program which provides hot, home-cooked meals to our residents once a week from diverse island-wide organizations. In addition, we have a frozen meal program which maintains a supply of prepared frozen meals for those late night arrivals.

Furthermore, we have several military affiliated organizations that serve as room sponsors providing décor and comforts of home to our cottages.

We are always looking for new volunteers and fresh ideas to support our program mission and welcome your input.