Saint Veronica Student Council Serves Sensational Family House

by Diego M., Kyle McA., Tory P., Alex M., and Maya McG

On Friday, November 15, St. Veronica Student Council visited Family House in San Francisco. Family House acts as a “home away from home” for families with children that have terminal illnesses. Family House provides a place where they can take a break and live their normal life in a less hectic way. These families’ original homes are at least 50 miles away from UCSF Children’s Hospital. Being that far away from the hospital and having to drive back and forth everyday can exhaust the families. Staying at Family House brings them much closer to the hospital, and it models their lives back at home.

Once we arrived at Family House, we were taken aback at how much this organization does to support the families in need, and we were excited to work as its partner. At Family House, Student Council members were split up into three teams to stock the food pantries with donations we bought with money from our Haunted House and with food we received from our Bake Sale. Each group put the donations we collected as a school on the shelves for the families to take and eat. The groups wiped down the food packages to keep bacteria away and organized the pantries so that in the future, families can find food quickly and easily. Each floor also received new pillows and towels (donated by S.V.) that Student Council helped to put away. We did this because after a long day, some of the families just want to eat dinner and prepare for the next day of treatment. Family House is clean and organized so the families’ lifestyles won’t be chaotic.

Our experience at Family House changed our perspective on exactly how an entire family is affected when one member is sick. We take our health and our homes for granted, while these families wish they were at home in good health. In the future, we would love to help Family House even more.

Thank you Family House for our great experience!

From all of us at Family House, thank you, St. Veronica students, for being outstanding volunteers and giving back to your community!

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

Volunteer Spotlight: Jordan Phan and Justin Azar

How does one define an amazing volunteer? Family House defines this as dependable, friendly, outgoing, and motived, with a strong desire to help families. With that being said, we have had the pleasure of having two amazing and devoted summer high school volunteers - Jordan Phan (graduating class of 2014) and Justin Azar (graduating class of 2015). Not only did they volunteer for the program last year, they have also stepped it up to lead an entire team of high school volunteers during the summer of 2013. Jordan and Justin were introduced to Family House at the 2012 St. Ignatius Volunteer Fair, where they received information about the Family House Summer Volunteer Program. Their creativity, drive, and ideas were key in completing the summer project to make a Thank You video for the band Train.

What makes these two so special is that they came back to Family House to lead the next year’s class of summer volunteers. They planned and managed activities for the incoming sophomores and juniors for the summer 2013 Program. They have brought their own special talents to Family House as well. Justin isn't just the top swimmer at his school; he also loves to bake, and has led some tasty activities including baking cakes, cookies, and other treats for the families. (He plans to return to Family House in 2014 to lead the next group of Summer Volunteers!) Jordan, who will graduate high school this coming school year, has plans to attend medical school. She has participated in another service learning project at Habitat for Humanity, and currently attends undergraduate anatomy classes at Stanford University.

Thank you so much to Justin and Jordan for your amazing abilities, your creativity, and the care you give to the Family House mission. Family House adores you both, and we look forward to seeing you succeed in your future endeavors!  You have both worked so hard over the past year and half, and Family House wouldn’t be the same without you!

To see the photos from the Summer Volunteer Program, click here: http://www.facebook.com/FamilyHouseSF

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

In Memory Of

It's a sad fact of Family House life that sometimes young patients at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital don't get better.

We love to share the inspiring stories of patients and families who live through the struggle of a life with cancer or another life-threatening illness, so you can see the important work that we do. We want you to share in the triumphs of the amazing families we serve, and learn to share their strength with others in your life.

Every time one of our children passes away, it affects all of us. When the families come here, they are often here for so long that Family House truly becomes their home.  It's common to hear longtime families speak of "my kitchen" or "my room," even though they haven't slept here in years. Family House and San Francisco become as much a home to each of those people as to the staff and volunteers who spend countless hours at 50 Irving Street and 1234 10th Avenue.

We have photos of kids and families in every conceivable space here, and yet, there are other surprising little reminders that come up all the time: a construction paper card written in crayon, found in a file drawer; origami pumpkins found in a bin of event supplies in the garage; a hand-made bracelet from last year's Valentine's Day party hidden in a box of rubber bands.

One of the most special ways that we are reminded of a child who is no longer with us is when we receive "in memory of" gifts. These donations are often small amounts of money given by a friend of the family, a member of the family's church or school, or someone who perhaps never had the blessing of knowing the child, but heard through a friend of a friend that Family House helped them when they needed it most. The staff is always touched when we receive an "in memory of" donation, because they are reminders that though the family has moved back home, that child will never be forgotten. And through the generosity of the community that child has left behind, Family House is able to continue our mission of helping other families through what may be the hardest experience of their lives.

Click here to learn more about Family House families:
http://www.familyhouseinc.org/family-stories.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: 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