YPAC's Childhood Cancer Awareness Fundraiser

The Family House Young Professionals Advisory Council is raising funds for Family House in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Every two minutes a child is diagnosed with cancer - about 300,000 kids worldwide are diagnosed with cancer each year. Family House provides a no-cost home away from home for families of children battling cancer at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. Watch their video at https://youtu.be/FdpT-L6PZhU or make a donation today

Brewtastic Bash is Coming Up!

The 6th Annual Family House Young Professionals Advisory Council’s Brewtastic Bash is coming up on June  23rd at the SOMA StrEat Food Park. What is Brewtastic Bash? San Francisco Bay Area home brewers that are part of the Sirwisa Brewing Collective pour tasty beers that you can’t get anywhere else, while judges from some of the Bay’s top beer purveyors use their expertise to pick their favorites. Your entrance ticket gets you unlimited tastings and access to a silent auction, all at our favorite Brewtastic venue. The entire event benefits Family House! Get your tickets now at familyhouseinc.org/brewtastic

3rd Annual Family House YPAC Brewtastic Bash

We kicked off summer early this year at the 3rd Annual Family House YPAC’s Brewtastic Bash at Beatbox this past Saturday. Thanks to all the wonderful home brewers, including the big winner of both Best Beer & People’s Choice - Euphemia Ales; plus New Normal, Comrades Brewing Co., and Gone Boating Brewing - you quenched our thirst deliciously!

Check out all the photos from this fun fundraising event on Facebook!

Family House in the Business Times

Did you see the Family House supplement in the San Francisco Business Times?

It outlines the past and future of Family House, including our move to Mission Bay. Check it out:

http://www.familyhouseinc.org/images/press/san-francisco-business-times-supplement-september-2014.pdf

Staff Spotlight: Amy Lenz

Interview with Amy Lenz, Development Associate

How did you come to be at Family House?
When I was at San Francisco State, in the Fall semester of 2005, I took a Community Involvement Course, where you get credit for volunteering. SF State had a whole wall of brochures of different places in the city to volunteer and get involved… I had worked at other nonprofits that raised money for cancer research and support, and since I love kids, Family House was a really good fit, where those things are all combined.

I was at Family House weekly throughout that semester, and I then became a Weekend Manager in 2006.  I worked in the hospitality industry for several years before joining Family House full time as the Volunteer Coordinator in 2009. Also in 2009, I helped start the Family House Young Professionals Advisory Council (YPAC), and was the first Chairperson - our first fundraiser was at Tonic in the Russian Hill neighborhood.

How has Family House changed since you first started?
We’ve hired more people since I’ve been here, so there’s more staff, which is good, because the organization as a whole has really grown as far as the amount of work there is.  We do a lot more outreach, a lot more events - specifically with the work that YPAC has done.  I think we’ve grown as a “brand” in San Francisco, and we’ve built a really strong community for our families and our volunteers through social media. 

When I first got here, we weren’t actively doing social media. We had a Facebook page, and every time we had a volunteer group, we’d put their photos on Facebook, and put that link in the “thank you” email. We still do that today,  but we have a marketing plan now!

And that doesn’t even consider everything that’s happening with Mission Bay. When I got here, the focus was on doing what we do really well, and continuing to get better with that; and now we’re actually looking to expand and scale what we do to a level that will help even more people.

What are some of your favorite Family House memories?
There’s a couple who stayed here, Hank and Ashley Stull, from Central CA - they really influenced me. Their baby, Lorenzo, didn’t develop a diaphragm, and everything in his chest cavity merged together and he ended up passing away.  It’s so sad, but that family, Hank and Ashley, were the sweetest couple, and Hank’s passion was food.  They stayed here for a week after Lorenzo passed, and since Hank was a chef, he ended up cooking a meal for the 10th Avenue staff - me, Greg, Jon, and Joe. They were just the most beautiful, positive people, and they made us this dinner, and they were so thankful… They came back for an anniversary of Lorenzo’s passing, and they had since gotten married and shared photos of their life with us…

It’s a great example of how even when things don’t turn out the way you want them to, there’s still a light. It was still a beautiful experience despite the tragedy.  And they were able to use the baby’s organs to save another child, they used his heart to save another baby. 

Each of the staff here connect differently to different families, and anytime I’ve really had a chance to connect with anyone - the kid or the parents (usually the parents, for me) - it really makes a strong, positive impact on me, and you get a sense of how what we do really helps.

Their story was one of the first posts on our blog: http://www.familyhouseinc.blogspot.com/2011/07/food-filled-with-love.html

Triage Consulting Group: Rockstar Family House Volunteers

If you've been to a Family House fundraising event in the last few years, Triage Consulting Group volunteers have been there, helping with everything from set-up to check-in to selling raffle tickets and more.  If you've been to Family House as a guest or visitor or volunteer, there's a good chance you've been there with volunteers from Triage, there throwing a party for the kids, reorganizing the garage, painting a stairwell, making a meal…

Triage Consulting Group addresses the financial needs of health care providers in the Bay Area and beyond. The company offers its 450 employees in San Francisco and Atlanta Volunteer Time Off (VTO) to each employee, and everyone is encouraged to take time to help out in their community. This culminates in a special "Founder's Day" project - Family House has been a fortunate recipient of Triage's partnership for several years now. On "Founder's Day," Triage volunteers do a complete overhaul of a Family House bedroom - repainting, adding brand new closet organizers and decorations to the room - really sprucing it up to make it something special for families staying there.

James Zackler has been working at Triage since 2010, and has become an enthusiastic champion for Family House - joining the Family House Young Professionals Advisory Council, and now becoming YPAC Chair. Here's what he had to say about Triage, Family House, and YPAC:

"Throughout the year, Triage typically brings anywhere from 25-35 people to Family House for a party, like the Halloween party: pumpkin decorating, t-shirt/costume making, mask decorating, face painting, and trick-or-treat bag decorating. Triagers also put up Halloween decorations inside and outside of the house. While we run these activities, other Triage volunteers are cooking meals for families: lasagna, individual chicken pot pies, rice krispy treats, and pumpkin pie bars. We do something similar in December: we decorate the house with lights, stockings, trees, etc., and cook a big meal for everyone to enjoy.

"Triage has a lot of young, fun employees, which creates a very enjoyable work environment where many create lasting friendships outside of the office. Outside of work hours, we organize volunteers for Family House fundraising events such as Cabernet for Connoisseurs, San Francisco Magazine's Best of the Bay, the Annual Spring Gala, and Bubbles & Bling.

"I got involved in YPAC out of an interest in being more involved in Family House. I had spent many hours working at Family House events through Triage and was looking for an outlet to give back in my personal life as well. I was blessed to be born to a family whose values dictated that in exchange for food security, a good education, and a loving atmosphere, it was my duty to help others who were not as fortunate. Family House has provided me an ability to give back in many ways.  Plus working with Amy, Karen, Greg, and the others is always fun. We are looking to come up with new initiatives (e.g. kickstarter campaign, more networking events/newsletters) and to improve on our previous successes (Shipwrecked, young professional outreach). 

"I feel like Triage will never stop trying to help Family House. As our firm continues to grow in size, this means more VTOs, while exploring original ways to help further Family House’s mission. With Family House's new Mission Bay location, I am sure there will be fresh opportunities for Triage to provide support as well.

"I can genuinely say that the volunteer work Triagers do – while providing benefit to Family House – is a great benefit to Triagers and their future communities. Providing new Triagers the opportunity to visit Family House and help at Cabernet for Connoisseurs & Best of the Bay instills personal philanthropy in many of them. Each year, there is a new group of Triagers that makes the transition from the mindset of a college student that has little money and skill to offer the community to a young professional that has more of both. So – thank you Family House and thank you Triage for providing opportunity to discover the personal benefits of community service. "

Family House could not exist without volunteers like those from Triage. We love you so much and thank you for everything you do for our families! http://triageconsulting.com/

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

Update! How I Got Involved with Family House by Erika Shue

What sorts of Family House activities have you been involved with since you started volunteering here?
When I first started volunteering at Family House in November 2011, I had a weekly volunteer shift on Friday mornings.  I did a lot of checklists - making sure the families on every floor had what they need (toilet paper, laundry detergent, food label stickers, etc.)  I joined the Family House Young Professionals Advisory Council when my schedule no longer allowed for a weekly volunteer shift.  As a YPAC member, I helped put together family activity nights.  The YPAC Family Activity Nights included snacks and a seasonal craft.

Are there any events/experiences that stand out for you?
One of my favorite experiences at Family House was making valentines at the February YPAC Family Activity Night.  This is a special memory for me because my friend, Steven, and his family joined us.  Steven is the reason why I started volunteering with Family House - while he was receiving treatment at UCSF, his family stayed at Family House.  It was wonderful to not only see my friend healthy, but also see him and his family providing peer support to the families.

What do you like best about being involved with YPAC?
The people - YPAC members, Family House staff, volunteers, and the families. I feel very lucky to be around such wonderful people.

What's coming up next for YPAC, and what is the long-term future of YPAC as you see it?
YPAC's 2nd Annual Shipwrecked on the Barbary Coast was a few weeks ago, on September 21st - what a great night!

I am so excited to see what the future holds for YPAC, especially once Family House moves to Mission Bay.  Shipwrecked is sure to continue to be one of YPAC's main events.  In addition, I hope to see YPAC have move direct involvement in the House.

Camp Okizu offers summer-camp experiences for kids with cancer and their families. Some Family House families have had life-changing experiences at Okizu.  How did you get involved with them?
There was a summer camp job fair in the Student Union at Sacramento State University.  Since I got out of class early and had a few extra minutes before meeting my friends, I thought, "Why not check it out?"  I was just about to leave when I met Grams and Mold (we have camp names at Okizu - mine is Pumpkin).  I can't remember exactly what they told me about camp, but I remember walking away thinking "I want to be a part of that!"  Okizu wasn't something I actively sought out.  I just happened to be at the right place, at the right time, and I am so thankful for that.

What was a favorite experience/memory at Camp Okizu?
Baseball lunch is my favorite camp event.  We eat hot dogs, dress up in our favorite baseball gear, and dance to music.  I usually like to dance, but one summer I skipped out on the dancing to sit with a couple of kids who didn't feel like dancing.  It was wonderful watching everyone dance.  They were all having so much fun; you would never know that they were affected by childhood cancer.

Have you ever met any Family House kids/families there?
This summer I met a camper who stayed at Family House.  Hearing how highly he spoke of Family House made me feel proud to be a Family House volunteer.

To learn more about volunteering with Family House, or about our Young Professionals Advisory Council, click here: http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

To learn more about Camp Okizu, click here: http://www.okizu.org/

Jessica Schroeder: How I Got Involved as a Volunteer with Family House

 In September 2009, Jessica Schroeder was hired at Triage Consulting Group, one of the companies that frequently participates in group volunteer projects at Family House.  With Triage, she participated in "done in a day" volunteer projects that included painting and deep-cleaning bedrooms and common areas.

"I fell in love with the organization and the mission immediately," says Jessica, and she contacted our volunteer coordinators to find out how she could get involved outside of work.  That's when she started as an Event Volunteer in her free time, helping out with various fundraising events such as Cabernet for Connoisseurs and San Francisco Magazine's Best of the Bay party.

Jessica wanted to be a bigger part of Family House, so she joined the Young Professionals Advisory Council in January 2011. As a YPAC member, Jessica was able to take on the role of Volunteer Captain at events, organizing as many as 70 volunteers for a single event.  As Senior Associate Consultant at Triage, she is now also the liaison between Family House and Triage, and is one of the leads for bigger volunteer projects like Triage Founders Day, where a group takes the lead on renovations of bedrooms by painting, installing closet organizers, and adding wall art "to make the rooms feel more like home."

When she's not at Family House, you can find Jessica running, cooking, reading, or traveling.  She'll be starting at Darden School of Business (University of Virginia) this fall.

To learn more about YPAC or volunteering with Family House, please visit our website: http://familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

Lauren Becker: How I Got Involved with Family House

Even though she lived just one block away from Family House, it took a chance interaction on Muni with one of our families for volunteer and YPAC Board Member Lauren Becker to find out about Family House.

“I thought it was a large apartment building conveniently located right across the street from UCSF - a perfect location for nurses, doctors and other hospital staff.  I did not know that 50 Irving Street was one of two houses where thousands of families have called home since 1981.”

One evening, on her way home on a crowded rush-hour N train, Lauren noticed a woman sitting with a sick child and several suitcases.  The woman placed her son on her lap and offered the seat next to her to Lauren.  Though she tried to decline, the mother insisted that Lauren take her son’s seat.

Once they were sitting together, Lauren asked the woman where she was headed.  The mother said that she and her son had been travelling via train for several hours from Northern California so that her child could receive cancer treatment at UCSF.

“Living so close to the hospital and having a car in the city, I asked her if she needed help with anything, and said that I’d be happy to go grocery shopping, or whatever else she needed. To my surprise, the mother declined my offer. With a huge smile and a small sense of relief, she told me she was being taken care of.  I asked where, and she said Family House.”

That fall evening in 2009, Lauren went online and signed up to be a volunteer.  Not only has she been a tremendous asset to Family House as a volunteer (she started with house cleaning/organizing tasks, then moved into working in the office with the development team), she is also a member of our Young Professionals Advisory Council.  Through YPAC, Lauren helps to organize fundraising events for Family House, as well as in-house activities for families, like arts & crafts and family dinner nights.  Thank you, Lauren, for being a caring part of our community.  Your love and compassion helps make Family House a home!

To learn more about volunteering with Family House, please click here: http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

Why did you get involved with Family House?

We asked some of our Young Professional Advisory Council Member's (YPAC) "Why they decided to get involved with Family House?" There are many great organizations out there and these are just some of the reason's why they chose Family House:

"Since graduating college and ending the community service through my fraternity I wanted to get involved with an organization, but didn’t know where to start. In the fall of 2011 the CFA Society of San Francisco hosted a weekend volunteer event at Family House on 10^th Ave.  After working there, seeing the families, and hearing the history of Family House, I knew this was an organization worth supporting. They provide a necessary assistance that is often overlooked. Being involved with YPAC has been a fulfilling experience. The people involved are a pleasure to work with and provide a noticeable impact to Family House."

-Paul Perrino, YPAC Member

"I became involved with Family House when my friend was receiving cancer treatment at UCSF.  During one of my hospital visits, we ate tacos his mom had cooked at Family House.  No matter where you are, there is always something wonderful about eating a delicious home cooked meal surrounded by family and friends.  I remember leaving the hospital and thinking, "Hospital visits aren't supposed to be fun."  It's amazing what Family House was able to facilitate; a gathering of family and friends, delicious food, and a comforting sense of normalcy.  I wanted to be apart of that.  Shortly after, I started volunteering at Family House."

-Erika Shue, Family Night Chair

"I originally became involved with Family House through my company (Triage Consulting Group) five years ago. Over the years I’ve volunteered at a number of Triage-sponsored fundraisers and activities and have become personally invested in Family House’s mission. I joined YPAC this year because I wanted to have the opportunity to invest more time with the families and be more consistently involved with this incredible organization. I LOVE Family House!"

-Erica Navarro, Membership Chair

Thank you YPAC! Your contribution to Family House is critical in providing a home away from home for families in crisis. Look for future entries from other YPAC member's.

Question: Why did you get involved with Family House?

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