Quotes from families about Family House

"It's a place where everyone's going through the same thing. You should see the chiildren coming to Family House after being outside: first thing, they throw off their hats or wigs. being bald in this house is no big deal."

"You make special friends here, and I'll really miss everyone when we go home. I've made some discoveries of my own since I've been here. It's the little everyday things that count in my life. The great big events don't happen very often, and most of them are overated anyway. Fresh flowers on the table, walking on the beach on a sunny day with these children-it's little daily things like this that are important." 

"We were amazed and relieved to find a place like this. The staff was friendly and the facility was nice and clean with all the needs we could think of. There are many occasions when we just stop and think of how much of a blessing it has been to have Family House available."

What our Families Say About Family House

Just a couple of Quotes I found about Family House...

"It gives parents a chance to have some privacy", said one parent who has been through it all. "So many terrible and emotional things happen that if they want to read or cry or beat the walls without being observed by everyone else, they can do it."

"Sounds strange, but living here has been one of the richest experiences of my life. Everyone's so real here and everyone cares about each other. We all have our down times, but we support each other through them. If one of the children is having a bad day, another child's mother or father will say, "Don't worry, he'll be better tomorrow. I know, because I've been there too."

A Word from Dr. Michelle Hermiston at UCSF

"The children we care for at UCSF come from all walks of life - serious
illnesses in children do not discriminate on the basis of socioeconomic
status or ethnicity. Since children do not have the opportunity to
choose their parents or their lot in life, I sincerely believe they all
deserve the best care possible and a chance for a long and healthy life.
Family house ensures that all kids and their families have the
opportunity for cutting edge care and the best we have to offer. Thank
you Comcast (and family house and all your fabulous volunteers) for
making this happen."

The Feeling of Family House

My coworker Amy Lenz, who is the Volunteer Coordinator at Family House was walking down the stairs to her office in the 10th House when she walked by a family and overheard a mom say to her little boy,

“Ah, were home”. 

After getting back to her office, Amy immediately emailed me this story...because these are the kind of moments that we (the staff) live for here at Family House. We want to be the home away from home you never knew you had. We want to be the community you can come to for support, who will always be waiting with open arms to help shelter you from life's little storms. So for any who find yourself knocking on our door for a place to stay...Just know you are always welcome, and I hope you will feel at home here.

A Lovely Reminder

The first lines from William Blake's poem "Auguries of Innocence" captures the beauty and wonder of life...some people spend their whole lives working towards such an outlook...     But in only four lines he gives us a goal to work for.

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And a heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
And eternity in an hour.

Quote of the Day

"Don't Count the Days, Make the Days Count."