Volunteer Spotlight: Jackie Ruiz

Jackie Ruiz is an extra special Family House volunteer.  She just finished 
a semester at University of San Francisco – part of her studies included service hours at the 50 Irving Street office.  Not only is she very easy going, smart, reliable, and friendly - Jackie dedicated extra hours (beyond the 100-hour university requirement) helping at Family House to ensure that the holiday card was sent out on time to important supporters, ensuring that critical services are funded.

Jackie decided to volunteer at Family House because she wanted to be a part of something that would make her grow as a person and help others.  She really wanted to give back and support a cancer organization. Her personal connection? Her own mother just celebrated being cancer-free for 5 years.

Thank you so much Jackie for all of your help this semester. Your thoughtfulness is truly touching, and we appreciate everything you have done to help keep Family House running smoothly. We adore USF volunteers and we were very excited to have your help this semester! Thank you for everything!

You can get involved with Family House! Learn more at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html
 

 

Starbucks #603: Rockstar Volunteers!

Cole Munoz, a longtime Family House volunteer, had a brainstorm this holiday season that she named Jeans for Joy. As a manager of Starbucks #603 (at 74 New Montgomery Street in downtown SF), she encouraged her team to donate to Family House so they could wear jeans to work instead of the usual uniform. She also posted signs in-store to encourage customers to donate, and to help spread the word about the Family House mission.

Cole’s idea spread like wildfire through the Starbucks districts in San Francisco, and all told, 33 independent stores participated, raising funds for Family House families.

Cole first got involved with Family House through Director of Volunteer Programs Greg

Mora - the pair have been friends since high school. Cole has volunteered at fundraising events for the past 4 years, and she took the initiative to do something more personal this year. We hope Jeans for Joy will become a regular holiday Starbucks tradition!

Why did you get involved with Family House?

We asked some of our Young Professional Advisory Council Member's (YPAC) "Why they decided to get involved with Family House?" There are many great organizations out there and these are just some of the reason's why they chose Family House:

"Since graduating college and ending the community service through my fraternity I wanted to get involved with an organization, but didn’t know where to start. In the fall of 2011 the CFA Society of San Francisco hosted a weekend volunteer event at Family House on 10^th Ave.  After working there, seeing the families, and hearing the history of Family House, I knew this was an organization worth supporting. They provide a necessary assistance that is often overlooked. Being involved with YPAC has been a fulfilling experience. The people involved are a pleasure to work with and provide a noticeable impact to Family House."

-Paul Perrino, YPAC Member

"I became involved with Family House when my friend was receiving cancer treatment at UCSF.  During one of my hospital visits, we ate tacos his mom had cooked at Family House.  No matter where you are, there is always something wonderful about eating a delicious home cooked meal surrounded by family and friends.  I remember leaving the hospital and thinking, "Hospital visits aren't supposed to be fun."  It's amazing what Family House was able to facilitate; a gathering of family and friends, delicious food, and a comforting sense of normalcy.  I wanted to be apart of that.  Shortly after, I started volunteering at Family House."

-Erika Shue, Family Night Chair

"I originally became involved with Family House through my company (Triage Consulting Group) five years ago. Over the years I’ve volunteered at a number of Triage-sponsored fundraisers and activities and have become personally invested in Family House’s mission. I joined YPAC this year because I wanted to have the opportunity to invest more time with the families and be more consistently involved with this incredible organization. I LOVE Family House!"

-Erica Navarro, Membership Chair

Thank you YPAC! Your contribution to Family House is critical in providing a home away from home for families in crisis. Look for future entries from other YPAC member's.

Question: Why did you get involved with Family House?

Get involved with Family House! Learn more at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

Volunteer Spotlight: Raissa Bump

Raissa Bump has volunteered as the Family House Yoga instructor for the past 3 years. She heard about Family House through a previous volunteer. Raissa is dedicated to providing monthly yoga sessions to the families at Family House.  Each month she sets up a yoga class and offers the service to families and staff. She is able to teach all levels, from beginner to advanced, and takes extra caution when working directly with the patients. 

Yoga helps relieve some of the emotional, social, and physical stresses that our families are going through. Yoga practices breathing techniques, behavioral guidelines, and physical posture improvements that can be incredibly valuable.

Besides donating her time by volunteering with Family House, Raissa has a thriving business selling amazing jewelry, handmade knit items, and gorgeous clothing.

Raissa, we love your energy and dedication to the families each time you visit Family House. Thank you!

Get involved with Family House! Learn more at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

Boswick the Clown came to Family House!

     Boswick is the San Francisco Bay Area's premier family entertainer. An accomplished clown, juggler, and magician, Boswick has provided quality entertainment and fun for thousands of people across the country. He has been involved with Family House for many years and has provided endless laughter and joy to our families and their children.

  

           "I’ve been doing the Thanksgiving Family House event for a lot of years. I do a lot of shows, I’m approaching 7500 shows in my career but this is the show I get most nervous about. A lot of the kids have seen me, Raul’s family alone has been there now 2 years, they’ve seen me numerous times. Some kids will have nothing to do with me, the staff has certainly seen me and the volunteers look at me like this... “uh huh...a clown...” I’m a celebrity among these kids, they see my picture around, they all either own one of my DVDs or have easy access to it. In the Family House world, I’m Robin Williams. It’s pretty cool but a lot to live up to. And then there are kids like Lana, Hannah (who I called Hanukah), Max and Rubin, neither of whom could speak. These kids laughed and laughed hard. These kids are in my life forever, with their laughter.
           Kids need laughter like they need dessert. A child can live without both but that’s not a life you want for a child. It’s fun to see kids eat birthday cake and it’s just a kick to see children laugh. Each year I get the kids (and crowds) laughing harder and harder. I guess that’s what I get nervous about; can I top what I did the year before? Will the kids respond? I don’t know. Performing is walking a tight rope, I get big rewards in laughs and hugs but it’s a bit scary climbing to the wire.
           Hopefully I can keep coming back year after year. This is the show that makes me nervous, it’s also the show with the most reward."

-Boswick



        All of us at Family House really appreciate the smiles and laughs that Boswick brings us. A father staying at one of our houses sumed it up pretty well; "It's a beautiful sound when you hear any person, but in particular a little child, laugh so hard they can't control themselves. Those kids and (ahem) some of the adults, were "taken away" for awhile. Very therapeutic, very fun."

     So we thank you Boswick, so much, for entertaining us and for keeping our families laughing! Please visit Boswick's website for more informations: http://www.boswick.net/index.php?gclid=CPT5yfGuy6wCFacaQgodpChMJw 

Volunteer Spotlight: Danielle Sly

Danielle Sly first heard about Family House through a flyer posted at a local children’s shop, Chloe’s Closet, that donates children’s clothes to Family House. Danielle lives in the neighborhood and wanted to give back to a local organization after leaving the corporate world to raise 3 kids of her own.  She says about the community, “We are Inner Sunset residents and have a fondness for UCSF, as all of our children were born there. Our closest family member in the city is a nurse there. We plan on making this our home for the long term and helping an organization with such a wonderful mission would be mutually beneficial.”

Danielle’s help in the business office is invaluable – taking care of data cleanup tasks for our end-of-year mailings, silent Auction items for events, and even helping with our Capital Campaign. She has had many different volunteer experiences, from volunteering at United Cerebral Palsy, to helping teachers while in high school, to working in a Women’s Soup Kitchen in Boston during her college years. She has also read to students at low income schools during their lunch hour, and volunteers once per month at the SF Food Bank with her 6 year old son.  

When Danielle has free time she likes to  run, hike, bike and explore San Francisco with her kids and husband.

Thank you Danielle for all of your help at Family House!

To learn more about volunteering at Family House, visit http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

Saint Veronica Student Council Serves Sensational Family House

by Diego M., Kyle McA., Tory P., Alex M., and Maya McG

On Friday, November 15, St. Veronica Student Council visited Family House in San Francisco. Family House acts as a “home away from home” for families with children that have terminal illnesses. Family House provides a place where they can take a break and live their normal life in a less hectic way. These families’ original homes are at least 50 miles away from UCSF Children’s Hospital. Being that far away from the hospital and having to drive back and forth everyday can exhaust the families. Staying at Family House brings them much closer to the hospital, and it models their lives back at home.

Once we arrived at Family House, we were taken aback at how much this organization does to support the families in need, and we were excited to work as its partner. At Family House, Student Council members were split up into three teams to stock the food pantries with donations we bought with money from our Haunted House and with food we received from our Bake Sale. Each group put the donations we collected as a school on the shelves for the families to take and eat. The groups wiped down the food packages to keep bacteria away and organized the pantries so that in the future, families can find food quickly and easily. Each floor also received new pillows and towels (donated by S.V.) that Student Council helped to put away. We did this because after a long day, some of the families just want to eat dinner and prepare for the next day of treatment. Family House is clean and organized so the families’ lifestyles won’t be chaotic.

Our experience at Family House changed our perspective on exactly how an entire family is affected when one member is sick. We take our health and our homes for granted, while these families wish they were at home in good health. In the future, we would love to help Family House even more.

Thank you Family House for our great experience!

From all of us at Family House, thank you, St. Veronica students, for being outstanding volunteers and giving back to your community!

Get involved with Family House! Learn more at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

University of San Francisco Volunteers

Love this new University of San Francisco video featuring Family House CEO (and USF Alum) Alexandra Morgan:

Read the full article here: http://www.usfca.edu/Newsroom/Equipped_to_Lead_and_Succeed/Alumna_is_Chief_Executive_in_the_Fight_Against_Cancer/

20th Annual Jordan & Kyra Memorial Golf Tournament

 Perfect weather, good friends, and a great cause: the 20th Annual Jordan and Kyra Memorial Golf Tournament on Friday, October 18th. Picture getting together with 150 of your golf buddies for your annual day-in-the-sun, all benefiting the Jordan & Kyra Memorial Foundation.  The Jordan & Kyra team went all-out with decorations at the Seascape Golf Club in Aptos, California - including photo boards with pictures from the last 2 decades.

The Jordan & Kyra Memorial Foundation was created in memory of Jordan Stuart and Kyra Pillsbury, and raises money for brain tumor research, and to provide free housing at Family House in San Francisco. Both Jordan and Kyra, along with their families, were guests at Family House before they lost their battles with cancer.  This annual event is a great way to cherish their memories, and keep their playful spirits alive through hope, dignity, and comfort of families currently undergoing treatment for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Congratulations to the Jordan & Kyra team for putting on such a successful event, and to all of the donors, volunteers, and attendees - this event shines because of you!

To see more event photos, visit:
http://on.fb.me/1dEjHpP

To learn more about the Jordan & Kyra Memorial Foundation, visit: http://www.jordanandkyra.org/

Volunteer Spotlight: Tricia Redor

Tricia Redor first heard about Family House through the Psychology Practicum class at the University of San Francisco, as do many of our USF volunteers. She was moved to help families and their children going through serious illness.

Tricia started helping Family House through managing group projects for the Volunteer Program, such as showing new volunteers where all the supplies are kept, and training them on setting up donations during our monthly give-away days. She has been instrumental in helping the Operations staff with house projects that include laundry, painting, cleaning carpets in bedrooms, and other necessary tasks to make sure the house is a clean and safe environment for immune-compromised children and their families.

Tricia has also given her time to working as a tutor, mentor, kitchen helper, office aide, and research assistant. She has experience working with children and homeless populations: she has volunteered at Glide and Project Open Hand, where she helped prepare and serve meals to those in need.

She spends her free time drawing, painting, running outdoors, listening to music, and going on adventures with her family and friends.

Thank you Tricia for caring for the families of Family House all semester!

Learn more about volunteering at Family House at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

UCSF Mission Bay Day in the Life Simulation

I don’t think anyone has ever had this much fun in a hospital!

To help the doctors, nurses, and support staff get ready for the opening of the new UCSF Hospitals at Mission Bay, last week was the first of several “Day in the Life” simulations, where volunteers came together as patients and family members in real-life scenarios.  Family House staffers (and about 30 other volunteers) got to check out the new hospital, be pretend patients and parents, work with our partners at Child Life, and even got to see the helicopter (Bear Force One) take off from the helipad. We’re so excited about all the ways that this new facility is going to be able to serve thousands of Family House families every year!

Click here to read about the new Nancy & Stephen Grand Family House that is currently under construction, just blocks from the new UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital at Mission Bay:  http://www.familyhouseinc.org/mission-bay.html

Family House Partners with Coach Art

Family House is very excited with our new partnership with Coach Art - this program is great in so many ways - it offers an ongoing experience for talented volunteers who want to help sick kids and their siblings in recreational activities. This is an opportunity to work with a child over a long period of time, rather than a one-time volunteer experience.

Coach Art gives volunteer teachers an opportunity to see their students grow and thrive, and to see how they are really impacting the students' lives. On the flip side, it gives students a regular opportunity to do something creative that interests them; it's dedicated attention, and something to look forward to each week.

We love that Coach Art includes siblings, too, since the whole family is affected by one child's illnesses.  For longer stays at Family House, families are away from home for months at a time. Kids are pulled away from their regular community of school and friends (and teams and art and music classes), and may not have this kind of outlet available to them through Child Life Services at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.  Child Life provides a wonderful complement of services to patient families, but they simply can't recreate all the comforts of home.

Thank you, Coach Art Mentors for helping to bring a bit of home to Family House kids!

http://www.coachart.org

Get involved with Family House! Learn more at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

Volunteer Spotlight: Violet Banta

The Family House staff knows a friendly voice when they pick up the phone and a cheerful voice says, "Hello, Darling!" This is none other than the self-titled "Queen of Irving Street," Violet Banta. Violet is 86 years old and has lived in the Inner Sunset District for 52 years. She is a true volunteer all-star as far as Family House is concerned!

Violet has committed to soliciting donations from neighbors and businesses near and far on behalf of Family House. She has collected donations of food, clothing, and toys for families; auction items for fundraising events; and monetary donations, too. Local businesses that Violet has brought on to "team Family House" include Park Chow, Social Brewery, Andronico's, Nopalito, Walgreens, Chloe's Closet, and many more! Chloe's Closet are her downstairs neighbor's, so she often brings bags of clothes for babies and children that Chloe's cannot use. Violet first found out about Family House through Bobby "The Bunny" Thomas, who hosts an annual Easter party at Family House.

When Violet is not fundraising on behalf of Family House, she loves to tap dance, eat Filipino food, and volunteers with a veterans charity. Thank you, Violet, for all of your hard work! We love you, and Family House wouldn't be the same without you!

Get involved with Family House! Learn more at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html 

Update! How I Got Involved with Family House by Erika Shue

What sorts of Family House activities have you been involved with since you started volunteering here?
When I first started volunteering at Family House in November 2011, I had a weekly volunteer shift on Friday mornings.  I did a lot of checklists - making sure the families on every floor had what they need (toilet paper, laundry detergent, food label stickers, etc.)  I joined the Family House Young Professionals Advisory Council when my schedule no longer allowed for a weekly volunteer shift.  As a YPAC member, I helped put together family activity nights.  The YPAC Family Activity Nights included snacks and a seasonal craft.

Are there any events/experiences that stand out for you?
One of my favorite experiences at Family House was making valentines at the February YPAC Family Activity Night.  This is a special memory for me because my friend, Steven, and his family joined us.  Steven is the reason why I started volunteering with Family House - while he was receiving treatment at UCSF, his family stayed at Family House.  It was wonderful to not only see my friend healthy, but also see him and his family providing peer support to the families.

What do you like best about being involved with YPAC?
The people - YPAC members, Family House staff, volunteers, and the families. I feel very lucky to be around such wonderful people.

What's coming up next for YPAC, and what is the long-term future of YPAC as you see it?
YPAC's 2nd Annual Shipwrecked on the Barbary Coast was a few weeks ago, on September 21st - what a great night!

I am so excited to see what the future holds for YPAC, especially once Family House moves to Mission Bay.  Shipwrecked is sure to continue to be one of YPAC's main events.  In addition, I hope to see YPAC have move direct involvement in the House.

Camp Okizu offers summer-camp experiences for kids with cancer and their families. Some Family House families have had life-changing experiences at Okizu.  How did you get involved with them?
There was a summer camp job fair in the Student Union at Sacramento State University.  Since I got out of class early and had a few extra minutes before meeting my friends, I thought, "Why not check it out?"  I was just about to leave when I met Grams and Mold (we have camp names at Okizu - mine is Pumpkin).  I can't remember exactly what they told me about camp, but I remember walking away thinking "I want to be a part of that!"  Okizu wasn't something I actively sought out.  I just happened to be at the right place, at the right time, and I am so thankful for that.

What was a favorite experience/memory at Camp Okizu?
Baseball lunch is my favorite camp event.  We eat hot dogs, dress up in our favorite baseball gear, and dance to music.  I usually like to dance, but one summer I skipped out on the dancing to sit with a couple of kids who didn't feel like dancing.  It was wonderful watching everyone dance.  They were all having so much fun; you would never know that they were affected by childhood cancer.

Have you ever met any Family House kids/families there?
This summer I met a camper who stayed at Family House.  Hearing how highly he spoke of Family House made me feel proud to be a Family House volunteer.

To learn more about volunteering with Family House, or about our Young Professionals Advisory Council, click here: http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

To learn more about Camp Okizu, click here: http://www.okizu.org/

Volunteer Spotlight: Joey Jordan

Family House has a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with the University of San Francisco. We have had a number of volunteers come to volunteer each semester through Service-Learning classes, as well as community clubs on campus.     For the first time, Family House has its own ACE student for the 2015-2015 school year. ACE stands for Advocates for Community Engagement, and is focused on “developing socially responsible, civically-engaged student leaders who facilitate quality service-learning experiences for all stakeholders and advocate for the common good of the community” per the USF ACE website. During the 2015-2013 school year, ACEs managed and led reflective activities for over 200 service-learning students.

Family House’s amazing ACE student, Joey Jordan, will be working with 14 USF students this semester, as well as providing his own service hours to help Family House at events, manage volunteers, and even TEACH Zumba lessons to the families. Joey is very inspired by Family House and is excited to support in any way he can.

He was drawn to Family House as he can understand how hard it is for a family going through treatments when they are so far from their own families.
       
When Joey is not volunteering or working on school work, he enjoys running in Golden Gate Park, spending time admiring the scenery, as well as volunteering at various non-profits including Project Open Hand, St. Vincent de Paul, and Raphael House.

Thank you Joey for all of your help this year at Family House!

You can get involved with Family House! Learn more at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival Recap - September 14th and 15th

The sun was shining, the chocolate was flowing… well, it was a little melty, anyway (see the previous comment about the sun), but that didn't stop anybody from having an amazing time at the 18th Annual Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival on Beach street.

With the America's Cup racing boats behind us on the water, the foot traffic was better than usual this year. We talked with hundreds of chocolate fans - Bay Area natives, chocolate enthusiasts from across the country, and even visitors from as far away as Canada and Europe! (Now, these folks are REALLY dedicated to their chocolate addiction!)
 

Family House volunteers and staff were invited by our friends at Personality Hotels to share their booth on Sunday. The event's proceeds benefit Project Open Hand, a San Francisco nonprofit that is dedicated to feeding people with life-threatening illnesses; and so we were excited to have an opportunity to tell event attendees about the Family House mission - providing free, temporary housing to families of children with life-threatening illnesses. It was a great way to tell LOTS of people about Family House, and make new friends.

We talked with everyone who came by about Family House, and about Personality Hotels' new "Save Me, San Francisco" hotel package.  Personality Hotels came up with this great idea to help support Family House. When you stay at one of their fantastic boutique San Francisco hotels, you can add on the "Save Me, San Francisco" package, which includes a bottle of Train's award-winning Soul Sister Pinot Noir, two wine-pairing bars of Ghirardelli/Save Me, San Francisco Chocolate, late checkout (after your night on the town!), and a direct cash donation to Family House.

 This package brings together support and love from Personality Hotels and from the Save Me, San Francisco Wine Company - what could be better?  Chocolate Festival VIPs had a chance to taste some Save Me, San Francisco Wine in the Cadillac Wine and Chocolate Pavilion - and event volunteers there were able to tell the story about how rock band Train found Family House and how they've been incredible supporters ever since!  If chocolate equals love, man, this day was one serious love fest!

Big shout outs to Personality Hotels, Ghirardelli Chocolate, Train, and the Save Me, San Francisco Wine Company, and to all our friends that we saw at the chocolate festival - Three Twins Ice Cream, the San Francisco Bulls, and of course, Project Open Hand and all our new friends that we made that day!

Ready to book your stay at a Personality Hotel? Click here to add a Save Me, San Francisco package! http://info.personalityhotels.com/blog/bid/187364/Save-Me-San-Francisco

You can get involved with Family House! Learn more at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

Family House in the Business Times

Did you see the Family House supplement in the San Francisco Business Times?

It outlines the past and future of Family House, including our move to Mission Bay. Check it out:

http://www.familyhouseinc.org/images/press/san-francisco-business-times-supplement-september-2014.pdf

Why I Became Involved with Family House - by Erika Shue

I became involved with Family House when my friend was receiving cancer treatment at UCSF.  During one of my hospital visits, we ate tacos his mom had cooked at Family House. No matter where you are, there is always something wonderful about eating a delicious home cooked meal surrounded by family and friends.  I remember leaving the hospital and thinking, "Hospital visits aren't supposed to be fun."  It's amazing what Family House was able to facilitate; a gathering of family and friends, delicious food, and a comforting sense of normalcy.  I wanted to be a part of that.  Shortly after, I started volunteering at Family House.  

 - Erika Shue

Get involved with Family House! Learn more at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

Volunteer Spotlight: Marco Rodriguez

Marco Rodriquez first heard about Family House through the Psychology Practicum class at the University of San Francisco. He joined Family House as the an Operations Volunteer Leader at 10th Ave and worked to maintain the garden areas to provide a peaceful and well kept areas for the families.

He was drawn to Family House as he had helped at UCSF by volunteering to pass out books and magazines to critically ill patients. Marco has also volunteered in the St. Anthony’s soup kitchen preparing fresh meals for clients needing their services.

Marco was successful at completing his summer project at Family House which was to restructure the irrigation system to ensure the flowers and plants received the correct amount of water all year long.  On a day-to-day basis Marco also helped our Operations team with house projects, manage volunteer groups and even has been able to utilize his Spanish speaking skills at Family House.

When Marco isn’t volunteering or working on school work he enjoys spending time reading at home, cooking delicious meals and swimming. Thank you Marco for all of your help this summer at Family House!

Get involved with Family House! Learn more at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

Saturday Volunteer Day

Every second Saturday of the month Family House hosts a Volunteer Day during which we take care of various projects around the house. Last Saturday was a huge success as we had fourteen wonderful individuals show up to work.   

Bernice, Samantha, and Rebecca, reorganized the linen closets and made sure everything had a place. Victor, Aaron, Gordon, and Adam, helped make the house look new again by painting 4 bedroom door frames. Kristina and Marina, gave Family House that special home feeling by baking banana muffins for all of the families. Julian, Mardoux , Erica, Billy, and Emily, helped keep our communal toys safe for the children by disinfecting them and the communal areas. They also helped completely restock the house of supplies so the families would have everything they could possibly need. We would not be able to provide the level of comfort and support for our families that we do if it was not for volunteers like them. 

So a big THANKS goes out to all of you who helped make our August Volunteer Saturday another huge SUCCESS!