Rockstar Volunteers: Vagaboom

Have you ever tried to stop and smell the flowers?

Our families and staff certainly have with the help from Amanda, a specialist in aromatherapy and botanical remedies made from natural ingredients you would find in the home.

Amanda came to Family House from a nonprofit called Vagaboom whose mission is to supplement diminished arts and physical education in schools, community centers, and women’s shelters.

We were lucky enough to have Vagaboom artist and therapist Amanda working with Family House throughout February. She taught patients, families, and even staff how to stop and relax through art and creative activities using your sense of smell to guide you through the process.

“It’s a smelly world out there,” said Amanda, "we should take the time to stop and smell something that we enjoy, that calms, and heals." Families got to make their own body scrubs, perfumed oils, and facial masks to take with them wherever they go.

Amanda believes that these small things can make our bodies relax, and can be incorporated in our everyday lives, no matter how hectic things get. We thank Amanda and Vagaboom for their support in making the families’ experience just a little easier at Family House.

Volunteer Spotlight: Caryn Pierce

Keeping a clean space for sick kids is one of the most important aspects of Family House, and volunteer Caryn Pierce knows better than most about germs.  A former microbiologist at UCB and mother of two, Caryn is easy to spot, wielding a can of Lysol the way an artist paints with a brush.  “Kids put their mouths on everything,” she says while wiping down banisters and everything at waist-height and below, “especially corners of walls.  My two kids loved to put their mouths on corners.”  Though Ali and Robbie are now in college, Caryn has obviously not forgotten what it was like when they were small.  Every Monday, she comes to our Irving Street location to disinfect all of the toys in the two playrooms - everything from matchbox cars to dolls to video games, and she’s been doing it since 2010.

Caryn’s hard work is not just inside Family House - she also plants and maintains the gardens at both locations, so the entrances are as welcoming as our homes can be.  Her passion for gardening is evident.  “Each house has a different microclimate, so the plantings are different.  Like an English garden, I mix annuals, perennials, native species, and just fun stuff.  I love the feedback from the families, neighbors, and visitors.”

When she comes to Family House, Caryn stops to say hello to everyone – staff, visitors, and especially families that are relaxing in the kitchens or living rooms.  While her regular routine includes disinfecting and gardening, she’ll pitch in with anything that is needed.  “I find lots of little jobs, nailing, gluing, vacuuming under the fridge, whatever it takes to help out to keep things moving smoothly.”

Of her experience volunteering with Family House, Caryn says, “I feel like the people who keep the vibe of safety, love, respect, and hugs are truly angels on earth.  Interacting with families while I work has been a joy, and I have learned so much about bravery and dignity.  It is an honor for me to work with the families. I am filled with compassion, gratitude, love, sharing, and friendship from my experience here. “

We are so grateful to volunteers like Caryn, that Family House regularly recognizes their central role by presenting Volunteer of the Month Awards, which Caryn could win every month.  Her regular visits mean that Family House will always be safe and comfortable for families.  “My favorite part of volunteering is the feeling I get when I come back with a new plant, or just have a chance to be a fellow mom and listen. My soul is rejuvenated.”

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