Volunteer Spotlight: Paul & Leslie Radcliffe

Family House volunteers are some of the most dedicated, understanding, and caring individuals there are! Two amazing volunteers who have come to Family House are husband and wife Paul and Leslie Radcliffe. Paul and Leslie have become regulars several times a month at Family House by hosting monthly family dinners, helping on Saturday volunteer days, and providing event support at Family House fundraisers.

Leslie Radcliffe began volunteering with Family House when she took over managing an online group called Giving Tree through the website Meetup.com. Leslie plans and organizes different volunteer opportunities with non-profit organizations throughout the city. In addition to helping at Family House with dinners and Saturday activities, she and Paul have volunteered at Family House’s Young Professional Advisory Council’s 1st Annual Shipwrecked boat party in 2012. With volunteers such as Leslie and Paul, the event raised over $17,000 for Family House. Leslie will also be volunteering at the Bubbles & Bling event in November 2013.

Thank you so much to Leslie and Paul for your dedication to the families staying at Family House. You thoughtful meals and help at events and on the weekends enable Family House to continue to provide the services we offer! We are so lucky to have such amazing community support!

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

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/

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/

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

Staff Spotlight: Paul Goold

Interview with Paul Goold, Director of Operations

How did you come to be at Family House?

My wife, Megan, was the Resident Manager here at Family House and that was in September of 1997 or 1998. Then in 2001 I became a Weekend Manager. And in 2002 I became the Resident Manager.

How has Family House changed since you first started?

When I first started, Megan and I were living in the manager’s unit at the 50 Irving Street house – we had only 10 bedrooms available for families, and at the time, this was the only building Family House had to work with. It was light and lean; a wonderful small nonprofit serving families primarily in the oncology department. We had three rooms for patients receiving chemotherapy, three rooms for bone marrow transplant patients, and three rooms for radiation patients. There was an unfortunate limitation of families served due to our limited resources. Then in 2002, when we opened the new house on 10^th and Irving, we were able to help house the entire out-of-town pediatric oncology patient population. We went from ten rooms to thirty-four rooms, and that was very exciting!  

What are some of your favorite Family House memories?

Definitely giving guitar lessons to kids, singing songs with the kids, and Christmases are definitely a highlight. I will always remember being Santa Claus on Christmas Eve - putting presents outside families’ doors and giving them just a little jolt of good Christmas cheer while they are all so far away from home. Nothing is as satisfying as being able to give these families a little bit of happiness while they are going through such a difficult time in life.

Learn more about the caring staff at Family House:  http://www.familyhouseinc.org/staff.html

Volunteer Spotlight: Jordan Phan and Justin Azar

How does one define an amazing volunteer? Family House defines this as dependable, friendly, outgoing, and motived, with a strong desire to help families. With that being said, we have had the pleasure of having two amazing and devoted summer high school volunteers - Jordan Phan (graduating class of 2014) and Justin Azar (graduating class of 2015). Not only did they volunteer for the program last year, they have also stepped it up to lead an entire team of high school volunteers during the summer of 2013. Jordan and Justin were introduced to Family House at the 2012 St. Ignatius Volunteer Fair, where they received information about the Family House Summer Volunteer Program. Their creativity, drive, and ideas were key in completing the summer project to make a Thank You video for the band Train.

What makes these two so special is that they came back to Family House to lead the next year’s class of summer volunteers. They planned and managed activities for the incoming sophomores and juniors for the summer 2013 Program. They have brought their own special talents to Family House as well. Justin isn't just the top swimmer at his school; he also loves to bake, and has led some tasty activities including baking cakes, cookies, and other treats for the families. (He plans to return to Family House in 2014 to lead the next group of Summer Volunteers!) Jordan, who will graduate high school this coming school year, has plans to attend medical school. She has participated in another service learning project at Habitat for Humanity, and currently attends undergraduate anatomy classes at Stanford University.

Thank you so much to Justin and Jordan for your amazing abilities, your creativity, and the care you give to the Family House mission. Family House adores you both, and we look forward to seeing you succeed in your future endeavors!  You have both worked so hard over the past year and half, and Family House wouldn’t be the same without you!

To see the photos from the Summer Volunteer Program, click here: http://www.facebook.com/FamilyHouseSF

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

Jessica Schroeder: How I Got Involved as a Volunteer with Family House

 In September 2009, Jessica Schroeder was hired at Triage Consulting Group, one of the companies that frequently participates in group volunteer projects at Family House.  With Triage, she participated in "done in a day" volunteer projects that included painting and deep-cleaning bedrooms and common areas.

"I fell in love with the organization and the mission immediately," says Jessica, and she contacted our volunteer coordinators to find out how she could get involved outside of work.  That's when she started as an Event Volunteer in her free time, helping out with various fundraising events such as Cabernet for Connoisseurs and San Francisco Magazine's Best of the Bay party.

Jessica wanted to be a bigger part of Family House, so she joined the Young Professionals Advisory Council in January 2011. As a YPAC member, Jessica was able to take on the role of Volunteer Captain at events, organizing as many as 70 volunteers for a single event.  As Senior Associate Consultant at Triage, she is now also the liaison between Family House and Triage, and is one of the leads for bigger volunteer projects like Triage Founders Day, where a group takes the lead on renovations of bedrooms by painting, installing closet organizers, and adding wall art "to make the rooms feel more like home."

When she's not at Family House, you can find Jessica running, cooking, reading, or traveling.  She'll be starting at Darden School of Business (University of Virginia) this fall.

To learn more about YPAC or volunteering with Family House, please visit our website: http://familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

Family House Community

           As many of our families tell us when they open up about their favorite aspects of Family House, the sense of community built up here is incredible. Families that stay here are able to meet others going through similar situations and form bonds that help support them while here. Many parents have told us that the relationships they’ve forged during their time at Family House are irreplaceable connections that will remain long after they leave. The other weekend, two families currently staying at our 10^th Avenue home went on a little trip that exemplified what our Family House community truly is.

           We recently interviewed the Atwood family, who came to us from Fresno a number of weeks ago so that their young daughter Laci could receive radiation treatment. While here, they met the Courtemanche family and instantly became friends. Meanwhile, back home, John and Karissa Atwood’s friends were organizing a monster truck racing fundraising event for Laci. The Atwood’s decided to invite their new friends along for the trip, and both families packed up and made the drive down to Bakersfield for the weekend.

In their hometown, the Atwood’s provided everything for the Courtemanche’s to make sure they felt welcome and supported. Then, the day of the event, the community of support fostered at Family House became even more apparent as Abbi Courtemanche stepped up to help in the fundraising for Laci as she went around with a hat collecting donations. The fundraiser ended up being a huge success, due in part to Abbi’s help in gathering donations. The Atwood family then made a great gesture of friendship in sharing the proceeds of the event with the Courtemanche family.

It is connections and friendships like these that embody the sense of community at Family House, and we thank all of our families for always thinking of each other in such generous and thoughtful ways!

The VanDyke Family Shares Their Story

The VanDyke's at our 10th Avenue home

Seven years ago, the VanDyke family welcomed granddaughter Justice into the world. Justice’s grandma Kim recalls that when she held her for the first time after being born, she knew something was not right. Within two days, Justice was med-flighted out to UCSF children’s hospital, for what would be the first of many years of procedures. The family would soon learn that, among other complications, Justice was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Originally from the Modesto area in California, Justice’s grandparents have been coming to Family House intermittently since that first trip to UCSF seven years ago. Staying anywhere from six days to three months at a time, the VanDyke’s have come to think of Family House as a second home. The first year was the scariest for their family; being out of their element was hard, but they say that having a place to “come home to” began to make it less terrifying.

More recently, they have been bringing Justice’s 10 year old sister Lexi to come stay here with them as well. Kim notes the relief they have knowing that they don’t have to leave Lexi behind anymore; the relief also seems to have positively impacted Lexi, who has improved academically as well as socially since she began staying at Family house.

For the kids, coming here is so nice that they often tell Kim they don’t want to leave to go back home. For Kim and her husband Tony, one of the best things about Family House is that “no matter how long you stay, you never feel like less of a person”. Admitting that her family can be proud and are not ones to take handouts, Kim says that what is incredible about Family House is the way that coming here feels like staying with friends or loved ones rather than a charity. She thinks this has been achieved because of the humble and genuine staff who, according to Kim, have “found where they belong”. When asked to describe the atmosphere here at Family House, Kim spent a moment thinking of the right words to use to illustrate how her family feels when they are here, and announced that it “feels like a big hug”.

A Volunteer's Story

Micah Porat learned 
about Family House in 2010 and started volunteering by bringing presents 
and baking cookies during the holidays. His time with the siblings at the house last
 year was very meaningful for him. We would like to share his story:

Visiting my brother while he was at the hospital helped me understand
 the importance for patients to have family with them. As I walked
 through the hallways at night, I heard kids cry for their parents. We
 were fortunate to have one of the greatest hospitals in the country a
 few steps away, but many families suffering like ours travel long
 distances for good medical attention. Two years ago I learned about and
 began volunteering at Family House, which gives families a
 place to stay while their critically ill child is being treated at UCSF Benioff Children’s hospital. I play with the 
siblings while their parents are at the hospital. I can relate to the
 siblings' feelings, and I give hope to their families by telling them
 how my brother survived. Helping these kids reminded me of the
 importance of giving back. When my family needed help, so many people
 were available. Now that my family is healthy, it is important for me to 
help the families who are in need.

 My work at the Family House strengthened the values I had already gained
 when I was young and helping my own family.  I took my own harsh
 situation and turned it into motivation to help others. These
 experiences will help me live my life with responsibility and
 compassion, which are values I learned throughout receiving and giving
 help.