Volunteer Spotlight: Mary Kane

Mary Kane is one of our weekly volunteers - and she truly shines like the star she is. Mary is devoted to making every visit count and creates such a positive environment for families. She is always professional, encouraging, and committed to the work she performs.

Mary started volunteering November of 2016 and has given more than 100 hours to Family House!

"I always leave Family House with a full heart." – Mary

On behalf of the families and staff, we say THANK YOU to Mary for all that she offers and her help in making Family House a better place.

Clean = Safe

This bucket of cleaning supplies is so much more than meets the eye - every volunteer who helps clean common areas at Family House is helping to keep immune-compromised kids safe. That's one of the most important things about Family House - that it's not just a free place for families to stay, but that parents know that it's OK for their sick children to crawl on the carpet, to play with the toys, to touch and read all the books....

Click here to learn about how you can make a difference at Family House.

MLK Day of Service 1/20/2020

Did you know that the 3rd Monday in January, the observed birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is the only U.S. holiday that is also designated as a national day of service? If you have the day off from work or school, consider ways to give back to our community: volunteer, donate, or simply make a point of being kind to those around you. It’s easy to make a difference, and the circle of caring will continue to go around. Here are just a few ideas of ways to honor Dr. King and celebrate his contributions:

* Volunteer at a local nonprofit. (Family House is a great choice!)  Also look at resources like Volunteer Match or Hands on Bay Area

* Make a monetary donation. Every nonprofit requires money for overhead, and your donation ensures that no family will ever be turned away from Family House 

* Organize a drive for those less fortunate in your community - food, toys, and items like socks or toothbrushes for homeless shelters

* Random acts of kindness: buy someone a cup of coffee, let someone go ahead of you in the supermarket line, or compliment a stranger. Remember that there are lots of people with hidden struggles, and simply being kind can make a huge difference in someone’s day.

2019 Family House Year in Review

2019 Year in Review

Just released! Read the 2019 Family House Year in Review. See the most exciting highlights of the year, along with some of the many corporate partners and community groups who help Family House support families all year long.

Family House Families are Real Superheroes

For Halloween, lots of kids like to dress up as their favorite superhero, but we’d like to acknowledge how the children at Family House are year-round superheroes. The patients here often endure terrible treatments in order to save their lives - and usually, they are the bravest people in the room! Even when they aren’t feeling well, the children at Family House are kids first: they want to play, they want to cuddle, and they want to be normal kids. Sometimes they even put on a brave face so their parents won’t worry. 

Their siblings, whether at Family House or back at home, are equally strong and deserve their own recognition. It’s hard to be concerned for the health and happiness of a brother or a sister who is going through treatments; it’s hard to have parents who are worried and stressed; it’s hard when the whole family can’t be together. Even for a child who is well, having a sick sibling can have negative physical and emotional consequences, and we want to acknowledge them for their strength, patience, and compassion.

And let’s not forget the parents, who go above and beyond for their children, often putting their own wellness aside. We love you, SuperMoms and SuperDads, and applaud you for all you do!

This Halloween, when you see superheroes out trick or treating - remember that we have some of the most amazing superheroes right here at Family House - every day.

Holiday Volunteer Opportunities at Family House

Fall has only just begun, but holiday planning is already underway at Family House!
Every day of the week, volunteers and staff serve a healthy Family Breakfast to all of our residents, setting a positive tone for the day ahead. Most weeknights, volunteer groups cook or bring in a beautiful Family Dinner to be shared by all Family House guests. Both are satisfying ways to fulfill a practical need (food) while providing emotional support and love to families during a difficult time. Check out the Family House Family Meal Calendar for more details and to sign up for a shift.

We know that the dates through the end of the year are filling up fast, so consider alternate activities at Family House, like a midday meal or family activity, such as arts and crafts or board games. Contact us with your desired date & time and your idea for an activity!

If you don’t live near Mission Bay, but would still like to support Family House families during the holidays, consider doing a collection drive. We have an Amazon Wishlist with items that our families need. We also give out gift cards to families - gas cards, Safeway grocery cards, and gift cards to Target are extremely useful. See all of the wishlists at familyhouseinc.org/amazonsmile

To make a financial gift in support of Family House families, please visit give.familyhouseinc.org. It costs $150 per night to house a family here, and all stays are 100% cost-free to all families, thanks to the generosity of donors.

Thank you for helping to make Family House a home away from home, especially for those who will be in San Francisco and away from their extended families this holiday season.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month

Go gold this September in support of kids battling childhood cancer! In the United States, more than 15,000 children will be diagnosed with cancer each year. The most complicated cases are referred to major children’s hospitals like the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in San Francisco, which means that families are often far from home for extended periods of time while their child receives treatment.

Family House provides a home away from home for these families, and becomes a center of community and family for those who are away from their usual support networks. Every family has a clean, comfortable bedroom with a private bathroom, and shares a communal kitchen, living, and dining spaces. Staff and volunteers host breakfast every morning, and volunteer groups regularly host dinners for all Family House guests. We help fill hours outside of the hospital with fun activities like therapy dog visits, arts and crafts, music therapy, movie nights, and playtime on our 9,000 square foot courtyard.

Only those who have a critically-ill child can really understand what it’s like - there are stresses beyond stresses: doctor’s appointments, hospital stays, uncertainty about your child’s health and future; medical copays, travel expenses, lost wages; supporting siblings, and self-care. The families at Family House “get it,” and support each other through good times and bad. It’s one of the most important aspects of our mission - community care.

Every family stays for free at Family House for as long as they need; but it is not without cost. It costs Family House $150 per night for a family to stay with us; we are entirely supported through private donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Make a difference for a family going through the most difficult time of their lives: give a gift now.

Family House Impact

Just released! Read the Fiscal Year 2018 Annual Report - Family House Impact:

http://e.issuu.com/embed.html#31716150/70050357

National Volunteer Week 2019

To the amazing volunteers at Family House!

I want to take this moment to say thank you for all that you do for our families. With this week being National Volunteer Week, I want to reflect on how meaningful your service is, day in and day out. There are never enough hours in the day, but you, our volunteers, are able to donate your time and efforts to support families in crisis. Whether it's helping serve breakfast each morning; bringing your therapy dog for support; keeping the house disinfected; providing a beautiful family dinner; and everything in between, we absolutely could not provide the level of support that we do without our incredible volunteers.

Last year, we had over 4,200 volunteers support Family House (that is a staff-to-volunteer ratio of 1:140) and the impact is measured not just in numbers, but through the magic and love that is felt every day when you walk through the doors. We know there so many amazing nonprofits out there and you choose to help us. We are incredibly grateful for the love and support you bring to Family House. Thank you on behalf of Family House.

With Love and Appreciation,
Karen Banks

24th Annual Cabernet for Connoisseurs

The 24th Annual Cabernet for Connoisseurs raised more funds than ever before to support families of children with life-threatening illnesses! Thank you to the event committee, led by co-chairs Scott Miller and Jeff Smith; the 38 Napa and Sonoma vintners who poured incredible wines; Chef Mourad Lahlou for cooking an amazing dinner; entertainer Kelly James; auctioneer Charles Antin; the 100+ volunteers who helped make it all happen; and to the many, MANY generous donors who made this the most successful Family House fundraiser yet!

Book Review: When Your Child is Sick, A Guide to Navigating the Practical and Emotional Challenges of Caring for a Child Who is Very Ill

Book Review: “When Your Child is Sick, A Guide to Navigating the Practical and Emotional Challenges of Caring for a Child Who is Very Ill” Written by Joanna Breyer, PhD

I had the great pleasure of meeting Joanna Breyer last month as she toured Family House.  She was in town as she put it, “to see that this book of hers landed in the hands of the people who would benefit from it the most.”  Ms. Breyer is a psychologist who has worked with children with cancer and their families for over 25 years at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Boston Children’s Hospital. This book is meant to serve as a comprehensive guide for families navigating the most uncertain and difficult circumstances of having a child diagnosed with a life-threatening illness.  She informed me that she intends for the book to be used as a resource guide; as different parts of the book will be relevant to families at different times. The book is presented in three sections.  Part I is on treatment, which includes everything from entering into the medical world, to coping techniques, being a parent to your other children, medications, to stem cell transplants and sibling as donors.  Part II discusses survivorship.  She writes about surviving Cancer, dealing with the emotional effects of a serious childhood illness, healthy living, and transitioning to adult medical care.  In a very compassionate tone, Part III addresses the topic of when your child’s treatment does not work.

Ms. Breyer’s decades of experience and dedication to the families and children she has worked with throughout her career is felt on every page.  It just might be one of those books that finds a home on your shelf to refer to as you manage the multiple practical and emotional complexities of this unimaginably difficult time in your life.  I highly recommend it.

This book review was written by Family House Social Worker Elan Slavin, MSW, as a resource we recommend. It can be purchased here:  https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/0147517583/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

A Letter to Family House

January 16, 2019

Kneeland, California

Dear Family House families, staff, and friends,

Happy new year! Since my son finished a three and a half-year course of treatment for leukemia last September, I’ve had some time to reflect on what Tristan and our family went through during that period, and what that period, much of it spent at Family House, means to me. I wanted to share my thoughts with you.

First things first: I have no regrets. Of course, if I were given the choice, I would choose for my toddler son to not develop leukemia. I’d be a nutter otherwise. But I didn’t get to make that choice, and there are lots of things in my life that are not the way they would have been if we had not been through all that we went through. They’re better. Tristan and I share a wonderful closeness; I’m a different person from the one I was before, more confident and willing to take on new challenges that would have been prohibitively intimidating before; and I now have in my life a group of incredible friends whom I would not otherwise have met. Most of these people – warrior moms and warrior kids, I call them – I met at Family House.

Sitting around the dining table at the old Family House in the Sunset District, and later in the sunny, new Mission Bay kitchens, one by one I met people – parents and kids – who were so bravely toughing it out through the most horrendous experiences you can imagine. I saw such love from parents, for example when teenage Bianca’s father stood protectively behind her chair while she told me the story of her double lung transplant. It was like he needed to be as near to her as possible to guard her while she replayed the story, and, if you heard the story, that would make sense. Bianca, you are one tough chick. I felt such kindness from parents who, in solidarity over the fear and uncertainty we faced every day, shared their love with me – I’ll never forget those delicious enchiladas that Kristina, Ivan’s mom, fed me one night. Thank you, Kristina, for your warmth and generosity, and for your husband’s salsa, which was amazing. I saw such strength in warrior moms who were fighting for their kids with every neutrophil and platelet in their mama bodies, and who were finding creative ways to make it all okay. Coco, those henna designs covering your daughter’s bald head were stunning; I’ve never seen anything like it.

I learned and grew with each warrior mom and warrior kid I met, and I’m not the same person I was when Tristan and I began this whole adventure. I know much more about how people suffer, but, more importantly, I know much more about how strong people, including me, can be, and about how much love is out there, and that there is a lot of good in the universe. Thanks, Family House, for connecting me with others who taught me these things.

Much love,

Toni

Become a Family House Volunteer Leader

Do you have what it takes to be a Volunteer Leader? 

Family House Volunteer Leaders have the unique opportunity to manage volunteer groups that visit Family House to host meals and other activities which are important for the families staying with us. The leadership role will include training new volunteers, welcoming and orienting group volunteers, completing house tasks, managing volunteer projects, and spending time with the families we serve. 

Interactions with families are essential to our organization and we need your help to lead events that foster impactful moments. Becoming a Volunteer Leader is a fantastic way to meet families, create friendships, learn leadership skills, build your resume, and give back to the local nonprofit community. Volunteer Leaders will have the opportunity to manage volunteer groups and activities during the mornings between 7:30am - 10:30am for breakfast; or evenings between 4:00pm - 7:00pm for dinner. 

We are asking Leaders to commit to 1 shift per week for 6 months (or longer). Ideal candidates are independent, self-starters, flexible, and determined to improve the lives of Family House families.

Volunteers are critical for the success of Family House and your leadership could be crucial to the support we offer our families. Consider becoming a Volunteer Leader and make a lasting impact on our children and families. 

To volunteer at Family House, applicants are required to complete a volunteer application, background check, photo release, and submit immunizations. We work with immunocompromised children and our requirements are for the health and safety of our families.

If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Volunteer Coordinator, Tarence Dixon at tdixon@familyhouseinc.org 

2018 Year in Review Video

See some of the highlights of “Family House magic” in action in 2018! We are so grateful to our amazing community for the tremendous support that allows moments like these to happen, making Family House a home away from home for families of children with life-threatening illnesses.

https://youtu.be/q2SVDHyqwsw

Family Stories: Felicita and Maria

Felicita has been coming to Family House since 2006, when she first traveled from Guam to the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in San Francisco for medical treatment for her infant daughter, Maria. Hear how they are doing now, and why the bonds they form at Family House are so important for healing.

https://youtu.be/vK-P5feoys4

Family Stories video: Natasha’s Journey

Natasha looks back at the 14 years that she’s been coming to Family House since her successful cancer treatment in 2004 at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. Hear what Family House has meant for her recovery.  https://youtu.be/o9HuQwjSIeM

Rockstar Volunteer: Ashley Frolich

Ashley Frolich is an excellent volunteer who continually shines at every instance while at Family House. As a student at the University of San Francisco, Ashley majors in psychology and wants to eventually become a child and family counselor, and she is off to an incredible start.

Both inside and outside of Family House, Ashley has displayed extraordinary leadership. She is dependable, friendly, outgoing, and motived, with a strong desire to help families. These attributes truly shined through her work at the Family House Fall Fest Gala. She proved to be indispensable as a volunteer leader, directing and managing other volunteers and making it an unforgettable night.

Ashley has been a remarkable asset to the Family House volunteer team. She understands the essences of the house and how the families and team function. When families or staff need additional support, Ashley is always able to bring her extraordinary skills to the table. She can work independently, yet at the same time, she can skillfully manage individual volunteers, volunteer groups, and volunteer activities. We are so fortunate to benefit from her enthusiasm, kindness, and abilities. 

Thank you so much, Ashley, for your determination, your creativity, and the care you give to the families and staff. Family House sincerely appreciates you. We look forward to seeing you succeed in your future endeavors, and you continue to make a valuable impact on all of us at Family House. 

Fall Fest Gala Recap

The 37th Annual Family House Gala, Fall Fest, held on October 27, 2018 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel raised more than $1 million to help families of children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses! Co-chaired by Nancy Grand and Susan Mall, and honoring Okta for Good, Fall Fest was the most successful Family House Gala to date, and will help Family House serve its mission of providing free, temporary housing for 4,000 children and families as they undergo treatment at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in the coming year. Special thanks to all of our committee members, sponsors, and donors who helped make this an amazing night!

Watch the video to re-live all the excitement: https://youtu.be/ZeOci0ptqws

Family Story: Natasha’s Fight

Four days before her 12^th birthday, Natasha Anderson was diagnosed with osteosarcoma – a bone cancer – in her right leg. 

 “It was hard, watching all my friends doing their hair and their eyebrows, and I didn’t have any eyebrows OR hair, and it was sad and embarrassing, and I felt ugly at times. But you just stay strong and do the little things that make you feel good. You’ve just got to keep moving forward, and stay positive, and try to be surrounded by positive, supportive, motivating people. 

“Family House made my cancer experience (which was horrible and sad and depressing) that much better. How can something like Family House make this better?  It was really cool to have a place like Family House to come to. When you come here, you’re not judged. And being a part of Family House, it’s like a family. We’re not related, and everyone’s different, but everybody has a good heart. It’s great to come here, and feel comfortable, and know that you’ll be alright. If you need some help, there’s somebody here who will help you.

“We basically had to live in San Francisco for a year and a half while I was going through chemo. My mom had to quit her job and stay with me in the hospital every single day. We couldn’t have done it without Family House.

“And now, 13 years later, I’m thankful that I’ve made it through cancer, I beat it, and I was able to have 2 kids of my own. I’m thankful to have my life, and thankful to have Family House a part of it.”

Learn about how you can help fighters like Natasha at familyhouseinc.org

Volunteer Stories: Boswick the Clown

Boswick isn’t kidding around when it comes to his volunteer service at Family House - he takes clowning very seriously. He’s been entertaining kids and parents at Family House for over a decade with his goofy jokes, amazing tricks, and beautiful balloon animals. Hear from Boswick about all the ways he makes kids laugh, and why Family House is so important to him. https://youtu.be/im6Vh6FZN68