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.
Reason for working at Family
House: I love the families, I love my job, I like all the staff in Family House - everyone is very nice.
Favorite thing to do in San
Francisco: Walk, enjoy the weather, visit friends.
What makes you special? I am a
very simple person and I feel special because I am a mom of four wonderful
kids. 2 girls - 18and 17, and two boys - 13 and 7, who are in El Salvador.
Lael Robertson is a superstar volunteer and has become an incredible asset at Family House. She started volunteering in May 2017 and has already made a huge impact in every department. She has logged more than 150 volunteer hours at Family House in just 9 months. Her dedication and compassion go beyond the tasks she performs, which include supporting volunteer group activities, helping with administrative tasks and house projects, and in the development office. Lael has also helped run our daily breakfast service so staff could take a break without negatively impacting the families. She will soon be helping to support the front desk staff that works directly with families.
Lael is willing and able to help with any task that is asked of her and understands the importance of supporting our families. She takes care and treats every family with respect and dignity.
Lael shares and is a living example of the beliefs of Family House. Thank you, Lael, for all you have done over the past months and we hope that you continue to volunteer with Family House for many years to come!
It’s clear that the 7-Eleven Golden Gate Market team is a family, and they really work together to make a difference in the Bay Area. Market Manager Robert Young encourages the hard work of Community Relations Leader Mindy Layon, and together, they work magic for Family House. They champion Family House at every turn, and do their best to rally the support of approximately 100 Bay Area 7-Eleven stores.
Robert’s team of Field Consultants (Mark Kwasigroch, Tim Lankford, Jamaal Brown, Khae Alvarado-Poblete, Nicole Wyatt, Don Hayden, Janae Dominguez, Trina Metoyer, Jim Rasmussen and Mindy Layon) are all very involved, and there is a core group of Franchisees (Harry Brar, Destiny Nguyen, Jasama Patel, Raj Uppal, Amar and Raman Johal, Sindy Singh, Basel Aldabyani, Kuljit Matharu, Phyllis Shideler, and Neil Khoury, just to name a few!) that help with donations and volunteering, as well. “Its important that our stores are involved with the communities they serve, and it’s a lot of fun”, says Layon.
It all began four years ago when Young, Layon, and a group of 7-Eleven franchisees volunteered at the Family House on 10th Avenue. “It’s the right thing to do. It’s a good partnership for us, it gets us involved with the community, and it gives us a way to give back to the less fortunate,” recalls Mark Kwasigroch. The group helped by disinfecting toys and organizing donated items - when they saw the impact they were having, they were hooked. “There is a certain amount of reward to giving back. In some ways it’s kind of selfish because it makes you feel good. It’s really rewarding,” admits Tim Lankford.
Since 2013, they have contributed to Family House in a huge variety of ways: they’ve donated product (coffee and pizza are the biggest hits); set up kiosks in stores to collect cash donations and pantry food items; hosted fundraising drives to purchase gifts for the Family House Secret Santa Program (10 families so far!); volunteered doing projects around the house; hosted parties for Halloween and the Super Bowl; and made surprise visits to drop off all kinds of goodies for our families. Harry Brar says, “We love spending time with the kids and the families - letting them know that there are people out there who care about them. It’s just about caring, and sharing, you know?”
When the team heard about the Capital Campaign to build the Nancy and Stephen Grand Family House, they upped their game, and just had to see the progress for themselves. Jamaal Brown points out, “It’s not just the sick kids who go to the hospital - it’s the families, the parents, too - they need the support system - and Family House provides it all for no charge. These families come from all over, and it helps out tremendously. Even giving two hours of your time is a huge help - it makes the kids feel better and have a better day.”
Jasama Patel remembers the first time she volunteered at Family House: “It was a humbling experience for me, because it could be my kids [who are sick]. Don’t take things for granted; you never know when it could be taken away. I’m looking forward to bringing my kids here to volunteer. You see how everyone here cares.”
As we approached the one year anniversary of the Nancy and Stephen Grand Family House, Robert’s team couldn’t wait to help. They donated a ton of food for the party (200 hot dogs, sides, beverages, and more!), and even took turns manning the grill so everyone could have fresh dogs!
We appreciate all that the Bay Area 7-Eleven team does for our families, and we’re so glad they’re part of the family!
Watch the video we put together featuring 7-Eleven volunteers:
Position at Family House: Hospitality Services Coordinator
Reason for working at Family House: Having the opportunity to help out in any way possible and being there for families (whether it is providing a smile or a shoulder to lean on!) is the reason why I work at Family House.
Favorite thing to do in San Francisco: My favorite thing to do in San Francisco is to spend a day at Ocean Beach with a good book, some yummy food, and great company.
What makes you special? We are all special in our own special way! (And I can juggle….Is that special enough??)
What's the story behind the photo? The photo is of me and Suzy, who is like a second mom to me. I spent a year and a half living with Suzy and her two children in Sydney, Australia. This photo is when she came to visit me in San Francisco and we took a ferry and spent the day in Sausalito. It was a day filled with sunshine, love, and laughter!
WorkLink volunteers shine at Family House - due to their incredible work-ethic and dedication to serving our families. Volunteers from WorkLink have aided Family House for nearly a decade, helping us to keep our house clean, tidy, and orderly. WorkLink volunteers are contagiously positive and kind to each person they encounter, especially to our families.
WorkLink is a transition and direct service provider that helps adults with disabilities find employment and other means of service. Since 2008, WorkLink has contributed over 7,000 hours of service to Family House at both our original Inner Sunset locations, and now in Mission Bay.
WorkLink volunteers are devoted to making every visit count! They are always professional, encouraging, and committed to the work they perform. From disinfecting our play areas to tidying the kitchens, we can continually depend on the amazing volunteers from WorkLink. We thank each volunteer for the many years serving Family House families.
I used to volunteer for Family
House when I was an undergraduate student at the University of San Francisco, and remembered how much I loved
working with the staff and how great it was to be a part of something that
provided so much support and empathy to families with children with cancer or
other serious illnesses. Considering my mom has been sick for a majority of my
life (kidney failure, then cancer), I know how an illness can affect not only
the one who is sick, but the entire family as well. I wanted to be a part of
the staff at Family House in order to provide families the support and love
they need in order to hopefully lessen some of the stress they may be facing.
Favorite
thing to do in San Francisco:
I
love trying new restaurants around the city! There are just so manydifferent places I want
to go and try that my list just keeps getting longer! I also love exploring
around the city. There are a lot of little gems around the city and whenever I
have free time I like to go adventure to find them.
What makes you special?
I always have colorful hair! I
enjoy dyeing my hair different colors and I have a tendency to change it up
often. Having colorful hair just makes me feel happy and so far it seems to put
a smile on other peoples faces, too, so that makes me even more happy!
What's the story behind the photo?
This photo was taken on my
birthday this year when I was at the Academy of Sciences with my partner. I
love being around plants and nature so when I saw this wall of plants it just
made me happy so I wanted a picture with it. So my partner started to take pictures
of me standing in front of it but instead of counting off or telling me he was
going to start to take a picture, he just kept snapping picture after picture,
during which I kept moving. This is one of the photos that resulted from the
“photoshoot” my partner decided to have of me standing in front of a wall of
plants. My friends and I also used to joke how I could just blend in with trees
and plants because my hair was so green during this little “photoshoot” - I kept
joking how my hair was a part of the plants!
A huge thank you to the San Francisco Giants'
Buster Posey and Kristen Posey for visiting Family House! What a treat for families to meet you both, sign autographs, and
take photos! (And you squeezed in a bit of coloring with the kids, too!)
We appreciate you taking the time from your busy schedules to take a
tour and see our home away from home. Thank you for bringing volunteers
with you from some of your sponsors and supporters - BODYARMOR
SuperDrink, Esurance, Marucci, New Era Cap, Topps, Creative Artists
Agency, and more! All the volunteers were excited to hear about our
mission and jump in with a cleaning/disinfecting task in one of the
kitchens. Thank you all for bringing a delicious Family Breakfast, and
most of all, for bringing your love and caring to Family House!
Help us celebrate the season with our 12 Days of Christmas - 8 Nights of Hanukkah wish list drive! Each day from 12/13 through 12/31, we are highlighting items that our families need now and throughout the year.
Purchase items from our Amazon Smile wishlist, or use it as inspiration for shopping at your local store. Thank you!
Sign up to receive 12 Days of Christmas/ 8 Nights of Hanukkah emails - send a note to jkotfica@familyhouseinc.org and put "12 Days of Christmas - 8 Nights of Hanukkah Signup" in the subject line. Thank you for supporting our families!
Family House is the only home Joseph has ever known. He has been staying at Family House since he was weeks old, and he will be turning 4 years old this February.
Joseph stays at Family House with his mother, Nina, and his two teenage sisters, Emily and Denise, while his father Daniel works in LA. Daniel comes to SF as often as he can.
Joseph and his family have come to know our Hospitality Services team like family, and other children staying at Family House, like Edrey, as good friends.
Joseph continues to be in and out of the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital for treatments related to Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome, but his prognosis is excellent.
Caroline Mierwza is a senior at Carmel High School who interned at Family House during the summer of 2016. She has always had a passion for volunteering, and it showed through her extraordinary service. She plans on being a pediatrician, and from our time with her, we know she will be incredible.
During her time at Family House, she mastered multiple roles, including conducting orientations with new families, guiding tours with visitors, leading volunteer groups, and even directing her peers in our Summer High School Volunteer Program. She became so skilled in each department of Family House that we began to view her as part of the staff.
Caroline loves to cook, paint, draw, read, and hike, and she brought those talents to Family House. She even hosted a Family Dinner for our families, preparing the entire meal from scratch. She developed into such a reliable asset that we all (families included!) came to depend on her. Caroline’s service was invaluable - thank you, Caroline!
Have you ever considered volunteering at Family House? This video explains why volunteers make a difference in our community, what opportunities exist, and what is involved in signing up to volunteer at Family House. Learn more at familyhouseinc.org/volunteer
1) Give back to your community 2) Directly support families in crisis 3) Contribute to a cause that you care about 4) Make a difference 5) Help others 6) Gain a sense of accomplishment 7) Learn new skills 8) Meet new people 9) Make lifelong friends 10) It feels great! 11) Actively contribute to make the world a better place 12) Comfort those who need it most 13) Brighten up someone's day 14) Help provide exceptional cost free service 15) Feel involved 16) Get satisfaction from helping others 17) Be a shoulder to cry on 18) Be a caring heart and a listening ear 19) Immerse yourself in a new community 20) Devote yourself to a cause 21) Give to a local San Francisco charity 22) Be where individual contributions matter 23) Be a part of something bigger than yourself 24) Advocate for a mission you believe in 25) Spread the mission to your networks
Thank you for your interest in becoming a Family House Volunteer!
Volunteers play a pivotal role in the success of our mission by assisting our staff in providing a safe and comfortable home for families in crisis. There are a variety of opportunities for you to volunteer at Family House, depending on your interests and availability. We work with each volunteer to make sure your time is used efficiently and productively. We have been fortunate to work with an abundance of hard working San Franciscans, including those at corporations, schools, churches, scouts, and community groups. Learn more about volunteering at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html
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.
It’s #GivingTuesday - be part of a movement - make a difference in the life of a child with cancer today!
Family House is on the brink of its greatest growth in our 35-year history, and we
need your help today to make sure our ability to house more families is
successful!
The new Nancy and Stephen Grand Family House in
Mission Bay will open on March 2, 2016 to house 80 families per night,
more than double our current capacity. To ensure that families can be
as close to the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital as possible, we must
raise the funds to run the new house, and we can only do that with your
support.
Without your
support of the Grand Family House, our families would sleep in their
cars or hospital waiting rooms for days and weeks at a time.
Please join us in keeping families together by providing care, courage,
and a comforting “home away from home” completely free of charge. It’s
the best holiday gift you can give.
As this is my last year working at Family House, I took a
moment to reflect on the time I’ve spent here. My history with Family House
began when a dear friend, who was a Weekend Manager at the time, told me about
Family House when we were having classes together at San Francisco State
University in 2006. She told me Family House was a very special organization I
would like to be a part of. As she was moving to Paris, she suggested for me to
apply for her part-time positon. Since I already had a hospitality background,
I decided to give it a try. It was Paul Goold and Kent Smith who gave the tour
and interview. I was amazed at the broad population of people Family House
helped and the distances they traveled. Family House was welcoming, warm, and
clean. The families knew Paul and Kent intimately like they were part of the
family themselves. When they offered me the position I didn’t think twice to
say, “YES.”
I began working as a Weekend Manager - giving orientations
to families, working with the social workers at UCSF, managing room turnover, as
well as being on-call for the families one weekend a month. The more I people I
met, the more I wanted to be at Family House. It was such a special place where
families were able to get the help they needed, no matter what it might be. In
the process, I had the pleasure of meeting CEO Alexandra Morgan, when she
stopped by on the weekends. As you could imagine, she and I got along right off
the bat! She would tell me, “Greg! We need to keep you somehow.” Soon after, in
2008, Debbie Bosetti called to offer me the job of Volunteer Coordinator. I
couldn’t believe I was given the chance to be a Family House full-time.
Since then, I have had the pleasure of being the conduit
between the communities who want to help and our families who need it the most.
I have been able to create programming that nurtures a supportive and welcoming
environment for all the families who stay with us.
Thank you to all our corporate partners, community leaders,
local students, and past families who have done everything possible to ensure that
families at Family House feel supported and cared for.
After 9 years of being a part of this wonderful organization,
I have made the decision to move on and establish roots for my future family in
Costa Rica. Being of Costa Rican decent, I’ve spent most of my life traveling
to Costa Rica to visit my family who still live there. I have always dreamt
of living there and seeing them on a regular basis. My wife and I decided to
move there for a while to live, work, and buy a home that we can come back to with our future
family one day.
In the 13 years I have spent in San Francisco, I’ve created a
community I am truly grateful for. In that time, the most meaningful community
I have been a part of is the one a Family House. Thank you for all the love and
encouragement you have given me throughout the years. I am honored to have been
a part of an organization that strives for nothing but the best for all the
families it serves.
I am pleased to announce that Karen Banks will be taking my
place as Director of Volunteer Programs. Throughout the time I have worked with her in our Volunteer Program, Karen has shown an abundance of compassion and hard
work. I am confident that Family
House’s Volunteer Program will continue to grow and succeed under Karen’s
leadership.
With love and admiration for the community that has helped
us throughout the years, thank you.
As a student at the University of San Francisco, Kendall Parks class has a set number of service hours to be completed at a local nonprofit. She is one of six Psychology Practicum students from USF volunteering this fall at Family House. This semester, Kendall has been volunteering in the Family House business office helping with much needed data cleanup, as well as sending out thank you letters to our wonderful donors, and helping with the Family House photo archive project.
Kendall has many years of experience giving back to the community. She volunteered at Cedar Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on the neurology floor where she read, talked, and delivered items to patients. She also has tutored middle and high school students in science, math, and basic Spanish for the Upward Bound program.
In her free time, Kendall likes to do yoga, reads, and is interested in classical dance. On behalf of the families and staff, we say THANK YOU to Kendall for all that she offers and for her help in making Family House a better place.
