Staff Spotlight: Luis Gay

 Name: Luis Gay

Where did you grow up?
San Diego in a town called Point Loma.

Position at Family House:
Hospitality Services Coordinator

Reason for working at Family House:
The reason I work here is because I love interacting with families, listening to their different stories and experiences, and helping them feel comfortable through what might be a difficult situation.

Favorite thing to do in San Francisco:
Picnics at Golden Gate Park, Dolores Park, and Baker Beach

What makes you special?
When I was in marching band, I played the saxophone and spun rifles in the color guard.

What's the story behind the picture?
This is a picture of me hiking at Glen Canyon. My classmates and I were catching dragonflies.

Staff Spotlight: Cait Spitek

Name: Cait Spitek

Where did you grow up? 
I was born and raised in Woodland, CA

Position at Family House: 
Hospitality Services Coordinator

Reason for working at Family House: 
I love working with children and families from all different backgrounds and creating a positive environment for them to call home away from home.

Favorite thing to do in San Francisco:  
I love exploring the array of food in the city and finding new breweries. I also love going to the beach and practicing yoga!

What makes you special? 
I am a master at driving stick shift in the city! Hehe A real talent I never thought I would excel in.

       

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.

Staff Spotlight: Elizabeth Flores

Name: Elizabeth Flores

Where did you grow up? In El Salvador

Position at Family House: Housekeeping Lead

Reason for working at Family House: Everyone is very friendly at Family House, I feel a lot of peace working in here, and I love kids.

Favorite thing to do in San Francisco: Going for walks, going to see the views, and I love the weather.

What makes you special? The way everyone treats me here at Family House they make me feel like we are all one big family. And I feel special because and the mother of one beautiful smart girl.

Staff Spotlight: Beryl Velasco

Name: Beryl Velasco

Where did you grow up? Guadalajara, Mexico

Position at Family House:
Hospitality Services Coordinator 

Reason for working at Family House:
I love helping others and I am so glad I can do it in a place so welcoming and amazing like Family House

Favorite thing to do in San Francisco:   

Having brunch at Art’s Café in the Sunset and soak up some sun at Dolores Park.

What makes you special? 

I can count to ten in 5 languages: English, Spanish, French, Japanese and Italian

What's the story behind the photo?
This is the time I went to Tomales Bay and I learned how to open oysters!

Welcome Joanne Gold, Chief Development Officer

Please join us in welcoming the new Family House Chief Development Officer, Joanne Gold! Joanne comes to us with a wealth of development experience, and we’re so excited that she’s part of the team!

Staff Spotlight: Karen Banks

Name: Karen Banks

Where did you grow up?
Born in Southern California, but raised in the East Bay.

Position at Family House:
Director of Volunteer Programs

Reason for working at Family House:
I absolutely love helping our families and seeing the joy on their faces. They are going through such an emotional time in their lives, and it means the world to me if we can bring them some joy, even just for an afternoon.

Favorite thing to do in San Francisco: 
I love running around the city and have run the full San Francisco Marathon.

What makes you special?
I try to have compassion for everyone I meet, and learning is an ever-evolving process. My favorite quote is, “Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't.” – Bill Nye

What's the story behind the photo?
In 2015, I took my first trip to Canada, and went to visit Butchart Gardens in Victoria. It was the most gorgeous and mesmerizing botanical garden that I have ever been to.

Staff Spotlight: Anna Lark

Name: Anna Lark   

Where did you grow up?
Ceres, CA

Position at Family House:
Hospitality Services Coordinator

Reason for working at Family House:
My family stayed at Family House while my brother went through treatment for AML. I loved Family House and always wanted to give back. I feel really happy working in an environment with people from all over the world who all have amazing stories to tell.

Favorite thing to do in San Francisco: 
I love to draw random people on public transportation.  I love spending days walking through Golden Gate park and stopping at the botanical gardens, the Academy of Sciences and the DeYoung Museum all in one day.

What makes you special?
I often make art for the families who stay at Family House.
       
What’s the story behind the photo?
This is me with one of our clients, Joseph. He put the fire truck on my nose, of course.

Staff Spotlight: Alexandra Morgan

Name:
Alexandra Morgan

Where did you grow up?
San Francisco      

Position at Family House:
CEO

Reason for working at Family House:
Love

Favorite thing to do in San Francisco:
Go to Golden Gate Park

What makes you special?
Family House does!

What’s the story behind the photo?
Photo taken by Kate Nagle, a very talented photographer and Family House mom!

Staff Spotlight: Allyse Culcasi

Name: Allyse Culcasi

Where did you grow up?
Half Moon Bay

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!

Staff Spotlight: Monique Ngo

Where did you grow up?
San Jose

Position at Family House:      

Hospitality Services Coordinator

Reason for working at Family House:

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 many different 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!

Staff Spotlight: Alison Blom

Where did you grow up?
Petaluma, California

Position at Family House: Development Associate

Reason for working at Family House:
I love seeing the smiling faces of families walk down the hall every day and spreading the word about all of the amazing things Family House does for people.

Favorite thing to do in San Francisco: 
Run through Lands End on a really nice day

What makes you special? 
I love, love, LOVE French Bulldogs (and all dogs, for that matter). And I have hiked the largest sand dune in the world!

What's the story behind the photo?
Manny the Frenchie came to Family House and it was terr-wooof-ric!

Staff Spotlight: Ung Ly

Where did you grow up? 
San Francisco

Position at Family House: 
Maintenance Supervisor

Reason for working at Family House: It feels great to work at a place that helps others.   

Favorite thing to do in San Francisco:  Running in Golden Gate Park, along the Embarcadero, in the Presidio, and across the Golden Gate Bridge.

What makes you special?
The willingness to help others before myself.

What's the story behind the photo?
Here is a picture of me with my family on the swings at the park. I am with my 11-month old daughter, Keira, and my wife, Chris, is with my 2-year old daughter, Jada. Both kids love to play on the swing.

Staff Spotlight: Monica Rodriguez

Name: Monica Rodriguez

Where did you grow up? Born in San Jose, Costa Rica and moved to Oakdale, California when I was 3 years old. Grew up in Oakdale, and moved to San Francisco when I started college at San Francisco State.

Position at Family House: Hospitality Service Coordinator

Reason for working at Family House: I have a passion for helping others and being a support system to anyone who is going through a rough time. I have a big heart and want to spread love in any way I can!

Favorite thing to do in San Francisco:  Catch a Giants game and eat lots of Ghirardelli chocolate.

What makes you special? I’ve got red lips, a heart of gold, and deep love of Hispanic cuisine!

Staff Spotlight: Sarah Eastland

Name: Sarah Eastland 

Where did you grow up? Sebastopol, CA

Position at Family House: Hospitality Coordinator 

Reason for working at Family House: I love getting to work directly with the families who stay at Family House. 

Favorite thing to do in San Francisco: I’m currently on the hunt for the best burger in San Francisco. The research for this project has been one of my favorite things to do. Ask me for some recommendations! 

What makes you special? : I have lots of unusual skills – I can juggle, tap dance, and I’m a trained balloon artist. 

What's the story behind the photo? 

This picture was taken by my lovely coworker, Anna Lark, during a day of adventures.

Anna Lark, Family Services Coordinator

Interview with Anna Lark, Family Services Coordinator

How did you come to be at Family House?

I’m originally from the Modesto area, and actually first came to Family House in 2001 when my brother, Joshua, was being treated for cancer. I stayed at the original 50 Irving Street Family House with my parents and siblings.  (Joshua has now been cancer free for 10 years, and he lives in San Francisco, too, after graduating college.)

Years after staying at Family House, I came to San Francisco and attended San Francisco State University, studying Studio Art, Holistic Health, and Art History. I felt “disconnected” from Family House because I hadn’t been back for such a long time, and one day just felt compelled to knock on the door at the 10th Avenue house to ask about volunteer activities (which is kind of funny because I had never stayed at there!).

So that was in 2012 that I started volunteering once or twice a month, hosting arts and crafts activities. I later signed on as a Weekend Manager, and worked regularly in that position through 2013, while I was finishing college. I graduated from SF State in 2014, and decided to stay in the Bay Area after that. I feel like I’m really a “San Francisco girl,” and I attribute that to staying at Family House. I really fell in love with the city, with the people at Family House, the nurses… We were treated with so much love, and had so many amazing opportunities: we went to lots of Giants games - JT Snow (a first baseman from the Giants) would buy out a section for charity at each game; we were treated like movie stars at the Star Wars Episode 3 Premiere (in 2005).

How has Family House changed since you first started?

The staff has expanded by so much, but it’s maintained the same key players - [CEO] Alexandra Morgan, [Director of Finance & Special Events] Jessica Creager, [Director of Operations] Paul Goold…  When I first stayed at Family House, there were only 10 families a night, and now it’s 34 per night, which is incredible. And that’s going to change again to serve even more families, which is unbelievable!  I love the communication amongst all the staff - I’ve never had a job before where everybody claps for each other during a staff meeting. It feels like a team, like a family.

I love the amount of people we can help, and the connections that we build here. The one thing that’s stayed the same is how connected people become here: the families really work to create a family environment, and everyone is so willing to work together to do that. It’s a loving community, which is amazing when you’re going through something so difficult as having a sick child.

What are some of your favorite Family House memories?

[Director of Operations] Paul’s dog Sing! I didn’t like dogs, but I was super fond of Sing (and Paul, of course) - it was a pleasure to have her around. And [former Resident Manager] Kent Smith’s dog, too! One day, Paul and Kent got the dogs little paw mittens, and the two dogs were running around - it was so cute and charming.

I was homeschooled by my mom while we were staying on the third floor at 50 Irving. And it was amazing to be up on there doing arts and crafts volunteering with the kids. I remembered doing homework and writing reports in that room - so many fond memories.

Learn more about Anna and the rest of the Family House staff at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/staff.html

Welcome Tarence Dixon, Volunteer Coordinator!

Welcome Tarence Dixon, our newest Family House family member! Tarence starts this week as the new Volunteer Coordinator, working closely with Karen Banks. Tarence first started at Family House as a student volunteer, so he is well-versed in the Family House mission and operations. Please welcome Tarence if you see him at the 10th Avenue Family House!

Learn more about volunteer opportunities at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

Staff Spotlight: Tyler Scurr

Meet Tyler Scurr, the "newest" Family House staff member!

How did you come to be at Family House?
In 2010, I was home from college for the summer and was looking for a job. I knew about Family House through my mom, Kim Scurr, who is a Family House Board Member and Executive Director of the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. Family House was looking for a summer intern, so I interviewed with CEO Alexandra Morgan, and then spent the summer at Family House. I worked on and off since then, and around March of 2014, I joined the regular Weekend Manager staff. I’ve been working at Family House an average of 2 weekends a month (plus holidays!) since then.

How has Family House changed since you first started?We have more new people on staff than before, and the scope of the organization was a lot smaller. Of course, the fact that there’s a new building going up in Mission Bay is really cool and exciting. That’s the main thing that’s changed - we’re getting bigger - but we’re providing the same kind and quality of service that we have since I started here.

What are some of your favorite Family House memories?
There were 4 families staying at once that all had little kids, around 6 or 7, and every day that I came in, I got to play with the kids all day. They needed a lot of attention, but I was happy to give it to them.

I also got pretty close to one of the dads, Daniel, because he and his family were staying with us for a while. He and I made a bet, and I lost, and he got to shave my head.

Getting to know the families is the best part of my job.

Click here to learn about how you can get involved at Family House.

Behind the Scenes of Family House Social Media

by Karen Banks,  Human Resource & Volunteer Manager

Are you one of the over 3,500 followers that interacts with the Family House Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages? Do you ever wonder who is on the other end liking your comments, sharing photos and writing a response to you?

Well, it is none other than our Marketing Manager, Joey Kotfica! Joey has been working for Family House for over 2 years, and she manages all electronic outreach for Family House, including the Family House website.

Joey works with a handful of extremely talented designers to create all of the print marketing materials for our fundraising events,  annual holiday cards, the annual report, blog posts, and more - and is part of our excellent Development team, raising funds for the organization.

She has the privilege of interviewing families for the Family House Family Stories videos that are shared on our website and Facebook.  Each family’s story is unique, and Joey discovers the perfect way to capture each one to share with the Family House community.

So next time you get a “like” or a comment from the Family House Facebook, just know that Joey Kotfica is behind the scenes making sure you know how much you mean to Family House!

Be sure to follow us wherever you are on the web:

http://www.facebook.com/FamilyHouseSanFrancisco

http://twitter.com/familyhousesf

http://instagram.com/familyhousesf

http://www.familyhouseinc.blogspot.com/

http://familyhouseinc.tumblr.com/