My Time at Family House by Trevor Sipos

In the fall of 2016, I was a senior at the University of San Francisco on the verge of graduation.  As part of the school’s curriculum, I was required to complete a service learning component.  From a variety of options, I decided to spend the semester volunteering with Family House.

Prior to the start of my service learning course, I was unaware of Family House and the good work they do.  However, I was quickly brought up to speed as I attended my orientation.  I remember my first day working at Family House; something just clicked.  There was something special going on here.   I knew that I would make an impact and I could see the families who I was helping were experiencing very difficult times.  Anything I could do to help make their lives a little better would be very meaningful to them and to me.  The most memorable moment of my first day was getting to see the reactions on children’s faces who were able to play with a therapy dog.  It was very heartwarming.

The more time I spend at Family House, the more I learn about the families who reside there.  I heard one young woman’s story of battling brain cancer and her deep appreciation for Family House.  On another day, I had a long conversation with a woman whose children had been coming to Family House for over 20 years.  It is the service that Family House provides which allows families the opportunity to receive world class medical treatment at UCSF Benioff Hospital. 

As I begin the next stage of my life as a working professional, I will continue assisting Family House.  I value working with such amazing people for an incredible cause.  I want to continue to meet the families who stay at Family House and build relationships with them, and the great team of co-workers.  Family House truly is a home away from home and I will continue to give back in order to due my part to help the organization thrive. 

Learn more about volunteering at Family House at familyhouseinc.org/volunteer