Happy Anniversary CFO Jessica Creager!

Everyone at Family House is delighted to celebrate our CFO, Jessica Creager, on the occasion of her 20th anniversary at Family House. Jessica is the hub of our wheel, making sure that our business/administrative office runs smoothly and efficiently. Far more importantly, Jessica’s sweet spirit of kindness and inclusion toward ALL who she encounters is the embodiment of our wish to make everyone feel welcome at Family House. 

Her professional achievements from HR to finance and management all things related to our business office have only increased over the past 20 years, and we look forward to the next 20 years of her leadership and guidance in many ways. Jessica, thank you for your stellar work (it hasn’t been easy!), and for making us all better people by your example of calm, warm, and professional demeanor.  You mean so much to everyone at Family House that we couldn’t be successful without your experience and expertise. On behalf of the Board of Directors, the families, volunteers and especially the staff, we mark this anniversary with gratitude and joy for our amazingly wonderful colleague.

Family Stories: Paula’s Family

Watch the latest Family House Families Story: Paula's Family - our first "then and now" video:

Volunteer Spotlight: Anne Finigan

We love Anne Finigan! She's been volunteering at Family House since the early days in 1981!

Remembering Violet Banta

“Hello, Darling!”

The “Queen of the Inner Sunset,” Violet Banta was everywhere, it seemed. Over the last 3-4 years, Violet made it her personal mission to “tell one person every day about Family House - and to get them to donate,” and wow, did she succeed! Thanks to Violet, Family House has received countless in-kind donations - everything from cheese to granola bars to items for auctioning at fundraising events, and so much more.

Jon Hodo, Resident Manager of the Family House 10th Avenue location, wrote this poem, which he shared at her memorial service:

A Violet blew through my window one day smiling and waving looking to say hey

She had the kindest soul, and the biggest heart.
Her love for all was truly off the charts.

We've seen you laugh, we've watched you cry
I'll miss the days where we chat to say hi

Even though you've left, you're never forgotten
I can see you smilin' while I'm down here sobbing

So here's plenty of love that I'm sending your way
Until we cross paths once again someday

She always had a smile and a kind word for those she would meet, and it was important to her to get to know everyone in her community. She was 88 years young, but with the energy and enthusiasm of a woman far younger. We love you, Violet, and will all remember you fondly!

 

Nickels for Non-Profits

Family House is the beneficiary of the Nickels for Non-Profits program at the Haight Street Whole Foods! Bring your reusable shopping bag and a donation will be made to Family House! Runs through September 27th, so there’s lots of time to make a big impact!

Click here to learn about other ways to make a donation to Family House at no cost to you: http://www.familyhouseinc.org/donate.html

Help Bobby "The Easter Bunny" Raise Money for Family House

The bunny is coming! The bunny is coming! It’s almost time for Bobby “The Bunny” Thomas’ amazing annual fundraiser for Family House. Each year, he rallies the Inner Sunset neighborhood to donate whatever they can for Family House kids. Thank you, Bobby, and everyone who donates to give the kids an amazing party!

Volunteer Spotlight: Danielle Sly

Danielle Sly first heard about Family House through a flyer posted at a local children’s shop, Chloe’s Closet, that donates children’s clothes to Family House. Danielle lives in the neighborhood and wanted to give back to a local organization after leaving the corporate world to raise 3 kids of her own.  She says about the community, “We are Inner Sunset residents and have a fondness for UCSF, as all of our children were born there. Our closest family member in the city is a nurse there. We plan on making this our home for the long term and helping an organization with such a wonderful mission would be mutually beneficial.”

Danielle’s help in the business office is invaluable – taking care of data cleanup tasks for our end-of-year mailings, silent Auction items for events, and even helping with our Capital Campaign. She has had many different volunteer experiences, from volunteering at United Cerebral Palsy, to helping teachers while in high school, to working in a Women’s Soup Kitchen in Boston during her college years. She has also read to students at low income schools during their lunch hour, and volunteers once per month at the SF Food Bank with her 6 year old son.  

When Danielle has free time she likes to  run, hike, bike and explore San Francisco with her kids and husband.

Thank you Danielle for all of your help at Family House!

To learn more about volunteering at Family House, visit 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 

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?

A Sweatshirt to Remember...

One of our families wrote a lovely story about the Family House Sweatshirt - enjoy!

"Whether perambulating through the Inner Sunset fog, playing an impromptu game of catch in Golden Gate Park, or hunkering down for a long winter's nap among the beeping IV pumps and bright lights of 7 Long, the Family House hooded sweatshirt is a sure hit.

The 50-50 Poly/Cotton fleece blend surrounds you in snuggly softness.  Oversize hood is perfect for screening out noise, light and cold drafts. (Our friends tell us it also serves a subtle cloak for tears, faces that betray emotions, or a beautiful bald head.)

The kangaroo pocket warms chilly hands and serves as a hideaway for your iPhone, Nook or PDA.
The embossed, two-tone Family House Logo is an attractive accent that is sure to draw respectful nods of acknowledgement from friends, strangers, and fellow travelers.  It also tells people your not a smash-and-grab thief or convenience store bandit.
Manufactured in Honduras.  Free."

-Dave Monicken