Volunteer Spotlight: Silvia Villavicencio

Family House has many types of volunteers, from 
next door neighbors and corporate groups to Girl Scout 
troops and high school students. Some of the most amazing volunteers are our Family House families themselves!

To start the new year off with a bang, have had the help 
of one of our Family House moms, Silvia, helping with our meal program. She has been a tremendous help, setting up our daily continental breakfasts and evening dinners for all families to enjoy. Her help enables Family House staff to attend to other other important tasks. Silvia has made a big impact in our various department, including building operations, hospitality team, volunteer program, and in the administrative office. Silvia is at Family House taking care of her son,  and volunteering has helped her stay active and allows her 
to give back to Family House.  

Thank you so much Silvia for your help! We very much appreciate your willingness to jump in where needed. 
We know you are going through a lot, and we are here 
for you anytime! Lots of love from Family House!

Train’s Pat Monahan Visits Family House

Thank you to Train's Pat Monahan for visiting Family House on the heels of your “Train Does Led Zeppelin II” tour! We love that you brought your kids to meet our kids (and make all the moms blush!). Thank you for taking such an interest in everyone here, taking time to listen to their stories, and above all, for caring. We appreciate all that you do for us and can never say Thank You enough! See more at https://www.facebook.com/148667470276/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10156951482930277

Volunteer Opportunity: Family Breakfasts and Family Dinners

If the kitchen is the heart of the home, then we need your help to make sure our heart is full of love! Family House families are constantly on the go between the hospital and Family House, and making sure that the whole family is eating right is a challenge.

Providing a continental breakfast is an easy way to help ease the stress for families and start their day off right! In the evenings, Family Dinners are a gift to parents who may not have the energy to cook a healthy meal for themselves and their children. It’s a great way to give parents a night off and let them unwind and reconnect with all of the families at Family House. Bring board games or an arts & crafts activity to make it a fun time for everyone!

Family Breakfasts and Family Dinners are an excellent volunteer opportunity for a small group of volunteers. You can bring and serve a pre-made meal, or bring the ingredients and cook in our kitchen!

BREAKFAST:
* Plan for 20-25 people
* Arrive at 8:30am to set up
* You are welcome to use the kitchens at Family House to prepare your meal or heat up food
* Buffet style breakfast from 9:00am-10:30am in all 3 kitchens
* Clean up at 10:30am-11:00am (pack and distribute leftovers throughout the house, and straighten up communal areas)
* Please bring: Coffee, creamer, sweeteners; juice; fruit; bagels or pastries, spreads for bagels; disposable cups, plates, napkins, and utensils; 6 large resealable containers for leftovers

DINNER:
* Plan for 20-25 people
* Arrive at 4:30pm to set up
* You are welcome to use the kitchens at Family House to prepare your meal or heat up food
* Set up tables and chairs for additional seating
* Buffet style dinner from 5:15pm-6:30pm
* Clean up at 6:30pm (pack and distribute leftovers throughout the house, straighten up communal areas, put away tables and chairs)
* Please bring: Beverages (wine is OK); ice; disposable cups, plates, tablecloths (for 2 6’ tables), table decor (optional); 6 large resealable containers for leftovers
* Menu ideas: tacos; chili bar with cornbread; soup, toasted cheese sandwiches, salad; breakfast for dinner (eggs, pancakes, sausage, etc.); baked potatoes with toppings (cheese, sour cream, broccoli, bacon); homemade pizza with toppings; sandwich bar; hot dogs with salads/sauerkraut; meatloaf and potatoes; vegetable/meat lasagna; sloppy joes; spaghetti and meatballs, salad, garlic bread; salad bar; soup and salad; stir fry

With your help, Family House families will be able to take better care of themselves during their time of crisis. For more details, or to sign up, please contact our Volunteer team: Karen Banks: kbanks@familyhouseinc.org or Tarence Dixon: tdixon@familyhouseinc.org, or fill out our Volunteer Application.

 Thank you for your support!

New Volunteer Opportunities: The Nancy & Stephen Grand Family House

As we look to the Grand Opening of the Nancy & Stephen Grand Family House at Mission Bay, we are excited about all the additional volunteer positions that we will need to fill to better serve our families.

Corporate Groups
Large groups of 50-70 people are needed to help us move into the new house at Mission Bay. Specific projects include setting up communal spaces (unpacking and organizing kitchen ware, setting up toys, games, and books in living rooms, etc.) and disinfecting surfaces before families move in. These projects will take place throughout February and March, and are extremely important!

After the move, we will continue to have volunteer opportunities for groups of up to 70 people for maintenance and disinfecting tasks, as well as event support at the house and at fundraisers.

Reception
The Nancy and Stephen Grand Family House will have a reception desk, and volunteers here will be the first point of contact for incoming families! We are looking for dedicated individuals who can volunteer for at least 4 hours per week, with a 6 month commitment. This will enable us to thoroughly train volunteers on all the situations which could arise, and also give some stability and a “familiar face” for our families.

Concierge
This volunteer position will work closely with clients, in tasks such as giving directions; signing out passes, tablets, and video games; and generally making sure that families have what they need. In such a large building, the Concierge volunteers will ensure that everyone feels safe and welcome at Family House. We are looking for dedicated individuals who can volunteer for at least 4 hours per week, with a 6 month commitment.

Family Meals
We are excited to expand our Family Dinner program to serve dinners 7 nights a week for all 80 families! Volunteer groups can bring pre-made meals to Family House, or bring groceries and cook the meal on site. This is an excellent way to get to know families, and strengthen the Family House community. The meal program is great way to make a big impact with a single visit. Groups can come just one time, or can schedule a regular meal that is weekly, monthly, or quarterly.  Later in the year, we will look to expand the program to regular breakfast meals as well.

Food Drives
Community food drives are a key supplement to families who are able to cook at Family House.  We are always in need of non-perishable shelf-stable (non-refrigerated) food items including: canned food, rice, mac and cheese, top ramen, sugar, flour, salt, pepper, granola bars, breakfast bars, juice boxes, and kids snacks. A food drive is a great way to get your school, church, or community group involved with Family House!

Need more ideas? Contact Director of Volunteer Programs Karen Banks at kbanks@familyhouseinc.org or (415) 514-6663 for more information or to sign up for a new volunteer shift at the Nancy and Stephen Grand Family House at Mission Bay.

Volunteer Spotlight: Wendy Chang

 Great volunteers make their way to Family House through all sorts of different channels. Wendy Chang first heard about Family House through our very own Social Media Coordinator, Joey Kotfica. Wendy and Joey volunteer together at Project Open Hand in San Francisco. Wendy has dedicated a majority of her time to volunteering at various organizations including: Hand on Bay Area, Aidswalk SF, AIDS Foundation and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Wendy has been an extraordinary help to Family House both in the Business Office as well as at our Thanksgiving, Christmas parties and at our largest fundraiser of the year, Cabernet for Connoisseurs where over $1 Million dollars was raised.

In addition to volunteering, Wendy works part-time as an exam proctor for city and state government jobs and as a theater usher. She also enjoys reading, gardening and walking around San Francisco.

Wendy, you provide tremendous support to help events and projects run smoothly and always have a smile on your face! Thank you so much for your support at Family House!

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

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 

New Kitchens at Family House

 Thanks to a grant and generous donations, Family House is renovating all 6 kitchens at the 2 houses! Brand new countertops and cabinets will make for a nicer cooking experience for all of the families. The new cabinets have a larger capacity; this will really make a difference for families who are staying at Family House for a long time, since they are allowed to keep food only in the kitchen (to help prevent pest issues!). The kitchen is the heart of many homes, and Family House is no exception: it's one of the main places that families can bond over shared experiences, and be able to support each other.  This renovation project took a lot of time and effort for the Operations staff, but we are all so pleased with how the work looks in the end.  What do you think of the new kitchens?

Volunteer Spotlight: Helena Karnilowicz

Volunteer leader, marathon volunteer, research assistant. Is there anything that Helena Karnilowicz doesn’t do? Read more about the Family House July Volunteer Spotlight, and why she’s so awesome!

The work of a Volunteer Leader at Family house is never quite what one would expect. There are various ways in which they assist the staff at Family House: data entry, helping to manage family dinner nights, helping with the summer high school program.

Additionally this summer, Helena Karnilowicz took on the job of working the SF Marathon at a water station on behalf of Family house. She has been a huge help to the volunteer program as well as to other staff members helping with office projects.

Not only does Helena volunteer, but she also works for UCSF in a research program capacity understanding neurological and physiological aspects of the human brain. On top of everything, she is the President of her Psi Chi chapter at the University of San Francisco.

When Helena has a spare moment, she loves cooking, reading, exercising, and even cleaning1 Helena has gotten to know a lot of the volunteers and families, and is a huge help to the Volunteer Program. Thank you, Helena, for all of your hard work! Family House wouldn't be the same without you!

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