Triage Consulting Group: Rockstar Family House Volunteers

If you've been to a Family House fundraising event in the last few years, Triage Consulting Group volunteers have been there, helping with everything from set-up to check-in to selling raffle tickets and more.  If you've been to Family House as a guest or visitor or volunteer, there's a good chance you've been there with volunteers from Triage, there throwing a party for the kids, reorganizing the garage, painting a stairwell, making a meal…

Triage Consulting Group addresses the financial needs of health care providers in the Bay Area and beyond. The company offers its 450 employees in San Francisco and Atlanta Volunteer Time Off (VTO) to each employee, and everyone is encouraged to take time to help out in their community. This culminates in a special "Founder's Day" project - Family House has been a fortunate recipient of Triage's partnership for several years now. On "Founder's Day," Triage volunteers do a complete overhaul of a Family House bedroom - repainting, adding brand new closet organizers and decorations to the room - really sprucing it up to make it something special for families staying there.

James Zackler has been working at Triage since 2010, and has become an enthusiastic champion for Family House - joining the Family House Young Professionals Advisory Council, and now becoming YPAC Chair. Here's what he had to say about Triage, Family House, and YPAC:

"Throughout the year, Triage typically brings anywhere from 25-35 people to Family House for a party, like the Halloween party: pumpkin decorating, t-shirt/costume making, mask decorating, face painting, and trick-or-treat bag decorating. Triagers also put up Halloween decorations inside and outside of the house. While we run these activities, other Triage volunteers are cooking meals for families: lasagna, individual chicken pot pies, rice krispy treats, and pumpkin pie bars. We do something similar in December: we decorate the house with lights, stockings, trees, etc., and cook a big meal for everyone to enjoy.

"Triage has a lot of young, fun employees, which creates a very enjoyable work environment where many create lasting friendships outside of the office. Outside of work hours, we organize volunteers for Family House fundraising events such as Cabernet for Connoisseurs, San Francisco Magazine's Best of the Bay, the Annual Spring Gala, and Bubbles & Bling.

"I got involved in YPAC out of an interest in being more involved in Family House. I had spent many hours working at Family House events through Triage and was looking for an outlet to give back in my personal life as well. I was blessed to be born to a family whose values dictated that in exchange for food security, a good education, and a loving atmosphere, it was my duty to help others who were not as fortunate. Family House has provided me an ability to give back in many ways.  Plus working with Amy, Karen, Greg, and the others is always fun. We are looking to come up with new initiatives (e.g. kickstarter campaign, more networking events/newsletters) and to improve on our previous successes (Shipwrecked, young professional outreach). 

"I feel like Triage will never stop trying to help Family House. As our firm continues to grow in size, this means more VTOs, while exploring original ways to help further Family House’s mission. With Family House's new Mission Bay location, I am sure there will be fresh opportunities for Triage to provide support as well.

"I can genuinely say that the volunteer work Triagers do – while providing benefit to Family House – is a great benefit to Triagers and their future communities. Providing new Triagers the opportunity to visit Family House and help at Cabernet for Connoisseurs & Best of the Bay instills personal philanthropy in many of them. Each year, there is a new group of Triagers that makes the transition from the mindset of a college student that has little money and skill to offer the community to a young professional that has more of both. So – thank you Family House and thank you Triage for providing opportunity to discover the personal benefits of community service. "

Family House could not exist without volunteers like those from Triage. We love you so much and thank you for everything you do for our families! http://triageconsulting.com/

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

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/

Giving Comfort

Family House is a proud distribution partner of Giving Comfort, a program that provides free "comfort kits" to cancer patients nationwide. These wonderful kits are tailored to the needs of cancer patients, with goodies like a warm blanket, a stuffed animal, games, crayons, and animal crackers - items designed to help the physical and emotional comfort of patients while they go through the unpleasantness (and boredom) of cancer treatment. Thank you, Giving Comfort, for sharing love and coziness to kids in need!


Sign up to learn more about Giving Comfort at: http://www.givingcomfort.org/

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/