Inspiration to get you through your day!

"If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or fight like hell."

                  --Lance Armstrong

A Moment of Inspiration

THE HOUSE OF BELONGING

I awoke
this morning
in the gold light
turning this way
and that

thinking for
a moment
it was one
day
like any other.

But
the veil had gone
from my
darkened heart
and
I thought

it must have been the quiet
candlelight
that filled my room,

it must have been
the first
easy rhythm
with which I breathed
myself to sleep,

it must have been
the prayer I said
speaking to the otherness
of the night.

And
I thought
this is the good day...

by David Whyte

Seamus Berkeley: Portraits of Family House

What would Family House look like through the eyes of an artist?

Seamus Berkeley, a soft-spoken painter residing in Berkeley, has embarked upon a multi-year artistic endeavor entitled Portraits of Family House. The goal of the project is to capture the heart and soul of Family House by painting patients, families, staff, and volunteers. Family House is a nonprofit in San Francisco that offers free, temporary housing to families of children being treated at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Seamus first came to know Family House through Volunteer Coordinator Karen Banks. Though she was not yet a staff member, Karen said, "Let's talk about what I'm passionate about!" and told Seamus all about the organization and the families served. Instead of a straight donation, Seamus said, "I want to do something bigger, more meaningful."

"I thought it was a great project, and then I started meeting people, and it was way beyond what I ever imagined. When your world has just been pulled out from under you and you don't know what you're going to do next, I want to know 'What gets you through this?'  For example, the painting of Kelly and Devon - she's had a continuous series of difficulties in her life.  She said, 'Sometimes I feel like I'm in this darkness, and when I close my eyes, I call out, and see a white light.' So in the painting of her and Devon, you see that she is surrounded by a white light."

You might recognize the tender portrait of Kelly and Devon, recalling the Madonna and Child. The photograph that Seamus took for this painting was featured on the recent Family House Mother's Day card, along with a snippet of Kelly's story.  Devon is Kelly's miracle baby, and the loving bond between them is captured in Seamus' art.

Among the faces of the Portraits of Family House, you will see a large-as-life portrait of Dr. Arthur Ablin and his wife, Debbie Ablin, set in the back yard of their North Bay home.  Together with the help of other pediatric oncologists at UCSF, the Ablins founded Family House in 1981. The portrait now hangs proudly in the living room at 50 Irving Street.  It is important to tell the story not just of the patients and families, because Family House is a community of people giving and sharing and celebrating life together.

"I have three children, all adults and grown up now.  We didn't have any medical traumas like the families here are going through… but having had some experience of a traumatic event, and knowing how disconcerting that can be…" Seamus trailed off, but continued, "Everyone here is helping other people manage and get through their trauma."

It is fitting that Karen be a subject in this series, and hers is the latest portrait completed.  "There is always the challenge of how to paint anyone; every painting is a new thing."  When pressed to describe the process of this particular project, following decades of experience with portrait work, Seamus smiles, "Honestly, I think it's some of my best work."

To learn more of the Portraits of Family House project, click here: http://seamusberkeley.com

To make a donation to the project, visit: http://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/fiscal/profile?id=6255

You can also follow Seamus on Facebook to get the latest updates: http://www.facebook.com/PortraitsOfFamilyHouse

To learn more about Family House, please visit: http://www.familyhouseinc.org

Family House Volunteer Spotlight: Cari Cronquist

 The Family House June Volunteer Spotlight shines on Cari Cronquist, "the girl with the smile!" We are so lucky to have such kind, generous volunteers!  Even something as simple as a great attitude can go a long way.  Thank you, Cari, for volunteering with Family House!  You rock!

"Cari Cronquist volunteered as the Operations Volunteer Leader in the Spring 2013 semester at 50 Irving St. However she has become so much more in her role at Family House.

Cari has become an important part of maintaining the 50 Irving Street facility. Throughout the semester, she has been supporting Paul Goold, Director of Operations, in tasks such as disinfecting, organizing,  and deep-cleaning common spaces, bedrooms, and the garage. Cari was also no stranger to managing other volunteers as she helped lead corporate groups and weekly volunteers perform various house functions.

Besides volunteering with Family House, Cari used to tutor and work with underprivileged kids in an after school program at two different elementary schools in San Jose. She has also done a lot of volunteer work with kids as a soccer coach for summer camps; she currently volunteers as a Research Assistant at UCSF  in the Langley Porter Institute.

In her spare time, she loves to play soccer and work out. Cari is known for her smile because you'll never see her without her signature ear-to-ear grin. Cari, we love your smiling face every day you are at Family House. Thank you!"

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

Family House Staff Spotlight: Jessica Creager

Interview with Jessica Creager, Director of Finance and Special Events

How did you come to be at Family House?
When I first started at Family House in November 1997, as Assistant Administrator, there were only three full-time staff members. I heard about the position through the then-Executive Director, Cliff Berg, who was looking for someone who knew how to do Quickbooks, and I had that experience. I never knew about Family House before I was offered the job, but I've grown to love it!

How has Family House Changed since you first started?
When I first started, we housed 10 families a night, and now we house 34 families a night.  We had only one building; now we have two.  The annual budget has increased from $350,000 to $1.6 million. We were only three staffers, and there's eleven of us now.

What are some of your favorite Family House memories?
The Giants stadium AT&T Ballpark event! We got to celebrate Family House's 30th Anniversary with families from so many different years. It was great to see so many families that I've gotten to know while working at Family House, and to see the continuity.

Also, getting to know Nayiri Torigian, who was a young woman who battled cancer. She and her family, they were just so sweet.  She sadly passed away, but getting to know that family was really important, especially important for me, for when I later went through cancer treatment.  She was inspiring to me.

Working at Family house before my cancer diagnosis gave me so much insight to what was coming. Knowing all the kids and all the families that I'd met actually made me more brave in the face of dealing with the treatments. Treatment wasn't as scary to me because I had known personally, especially little ones, who had faced it with no problems.  So, I figured I couldn't be a total wimp about the whole thing!  [Laughs.]  The great acceptance I felt, having a personal illness, and coming back and being greeted with open arms…  not ostracized, not something strange, since at Family House, it's the norm. I've been cancer-free since 2002, and am now officially cured!

Another great thing about being at Family House has been getting to know Family House founders, The Ablins.  They've been so welcoming to me, kind of treating me like family through all these years.  It's been an honor to get to know them and hear their stories, and how they started Family House, but also how they've done so many other amazing things throughout their lives.

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

Gratitude

A personal note from Joey Kotfica, Social Media Coordinator:

I'm still "the new girl" at Family House - I've only been on staff since February 2013.  I've grown so much this year - sharing the joys and sorrows of the families who stay here. Our offices are in the same building, and so, we will have morning coffee with parents, or take a little foosball break in the living room with some of the kids in the afternoon. I've gotten to know and admire so many people who pass through our doors: the families for their strength; the patients for their courage and optimism; the volunteers and donors for their generosity of time, talent, and treasure; and my amazingly compassionate co-workers.

The air these last few weeks here at Family House has been a little different - more energized. The phones and doorbells are ringing, we're getting emails, cards, and social media messages from so many people wanting to know how they can help.  We're getting messages of gratitude from our families in every form possible. Last week, a young couple who have been staying at Family House regularly all year came downstairs, and as one of them started to say thank you for the services we provide, she started crying, unable to speak her words of thanks. (So of course, I started crying with her.)

I've known for years what a special place Family House is, but it hasn't been until this year that I've been able to truly appreciate all of the love (really, just so much love) within our little family.  Thank you all for sharing that with me, and with each other.

Happy holidays to each of you, and best wishes for a healthy 2014.

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