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?

Family House Family Stories: Faye's Story

What do you do when your 2-month old becomes seriously ill? Yifan and Kip Baumann were faced with this terrible question in 2009 when their little girl started to show symptoms of liver failure.

"Faye was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia (BA) at the age of two months. BA is a rare, life-threatening liver disease, and there is no hospital to treat her disease in the Sacramento area where we live," recalls Faye's mother, Yifan. Faye was taken by ambulance to San Francisco for surgery and treatment at the UCSF Children's Hospital on July 31, 2009. Though the surgery was successful, afterwards, Faye suffered three separate bouts of Cholangitis, a life-threatening infection of the bile duct system, and the family found themselves in and out of San Francisco for treatment at UCSF over the course of many months.

 "Kip and I were both exhausted by that time, so Faye's grandparents came to help. They lived in the Family House for about 2 weeks and cared for Faye during the day. We greatly appreciate the help from the Family House during our most difficult time!"

Three years have passed since the Baumann family were regulars at UCSF and Family House. There is now a new face in the family, Faye's healthy baby brother, Kai.  Faye can never be "cured" of BA - it is a disease that will be with her for life. Unless science can discover a way to stop the progression of the disease, a liver transplant may be in her future. For now, she is healthy and vibrant.

 For her 4th birthday, Faye's parents requested that friends and family make donations to Family House in lieu of gifts.  "Family House is doing great things to help people in need and I want to let people know that. A donation to Family House is much more meaningful to us than gifts. We will explain to Faye that the gifts from her guests were sent to Family House to help other kids, so they can also have birthday parties.

"When she gets older, we will encourage her to participate in charity and community service. I saw many many great people during our difficult time and I want to Faye to learn from them."

To learn about ways that you can help Family House, please click here: http://www.familyhouseinc.org/donate.shtml


Volunteer Spotlight: Helena Karnilowicz

Volunteer leader, marathon volunteer, research assistant. Is there anything that Helena Karnilowicz doesn’t do? Read more about the Family House July Volunteer Spotlight, and why she’s so awesome!

The work of a Volunteer Leader at Family house is never quite what one would expect. There are various ways in which they assist the staff at Family House: data entry, helping to manage family dinner nights, helping with the summer high school program.

Additionally this summer, Helena Karnilowicz took on the job of working the SF Marathon at a water station on behalf of Family house. She has been a huge help to the volunteer program as well as to other staff members helping with office projects.

Not only does Helena volunteer, but she also works for UCSF in a research program capacity understanding neurological and physiological aspects of the human brain. On top of everything, she is the President of her Psi Chi chapter at the University of San Francisco.

When Helena has a spare moment, she loves cooking, reading, exercising, and even cleaning1 Helena has gotten to know a lot of the volunteers and families, and is a huge help to the Volunteer Program. Thank you, Helena, for all of your hard work! Family House wouldn't be the same without you!

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

Introducing Family Stories Videos

Introducing Family House Family Stories - videos that feature the brave and inspiring stories of families of children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.  Watch the first Family Stories video - Nino's Story:

http://www.familyhouseinc.org/family-stories.html

Seamus Berkeley: Portraits of Family House

What would Family House look like through the eyes of an artist?

Seamus Berkeley, a soft-spoken painter residing in Berkeley, has embarked upon a multi-year artistic endeavor entitled Portraits of Family House. The goal of the project is to capture the heart and soul of Family House by painting patients, families, staff, and volunteers. Family House is a nonprofit in San Francisco that offers free, temporary housing to families of children being treated at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Seamus first came to know Family House through Volunteer Coordinator Karen Banks. Though she was not yet a staff member, Karen said, "Let's talk about what I'm passionate about!" and told Seamus all about the organization and the families served. Instead of a straight donation, Seamus said, "I want to do something bigger, more meaningful."

"I thought it was a great project, and then I started meeting people, and it was way beyond what I ever imagined. When your world has just been pulled out from under you and you don't know what you're going to do next, I want to know 'What gets you through this?'  For example, the painting of Kelly and Devon - she's had a continuous series of difficulties in her life.  She said, 'Sometimes I feel like I'm in this darkness, and when I close my eyes, I call out, and see a white light.' So in the painting of her and Devon, you see that she is surrounded by a white light."

You might recognize the tender portrait of Kelly and Devon, recalling the Madonna and Child. The photograph that Seamus took for this painting was featured on the recent Family House Mother's Day card, along with a snippet of Kelly's story.  Devon is Kelly's miracle baby, and the loving bond between them is captured in Seamus' art.

Among the faces of the Portraits of Family House, you will see a large-as-life portrait of Dr. Arthur Ablin and his wife, Debbie Ablin, set in the back yard of their North Bay home.  Together with the help of other pediatric oncologists at UCSF, the Ablins founded Family House in 1981. The portrait now hangs proudly in the living room at 50 Irving Street.  It is important to tell the story not just of the patients and families, because Family House is a community of people giving and sharing and celebrating life together.

"I have three children, all adults and grown up now.  We didn't have any medical traumas like the families here are going through… but having had some experience of a traumatic event, and knowing how disconcerting that can be…" Seamus trailed off, but continued, "Everyone here is helping other people manage and get through their trauma."

It is fitting that Karen be a subject in this series, and hers is the latest portrait completed.  "There is always the challenge of how to paint anyone; every painting is a new thing."  When pressed to describe the process of this particular project, following decades of experience with portrait work, Seamus smiles, "Honestly, I think it's some of my best work."

To learn more of the Portraits of Family House project, click here: http://seamusberkeley.com

To make a donation to the project, visit: http://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/fiscal/profile?id=6255

You can also follow Seamus on Facebook to get the latest updates: http://www.facebook.com/PortraitsOfFamilyHouse

To learn more about Family House, please visit: http://www.familyhouseinc.org

Our first Mission Bay success!

Our first Mission Bay success!  Thanks to the overwhelming response of letters in support of the new Family House at Mission Bay, we are happy to report the Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency has approved our petition to move forward with land acquisition.  We still face several more Committees before the land is officially ours, and we appreciate your ongoing support and love!

Read the latest about the Nancy & Stephen Grand Family House at Mission Bay: http://www.familyhouseinc.org/mission-bay.html

Family House Volunteer Spotlight: Cari Cronquist

 The Family House June Volunteer Spotlight shines on Cari Cronquist, "the girl with the smile!" We are so lucky to have such kind, generous volunteers!  Even something as simple as a great attitude can go a long way.  Thank you, Cari, for volunteering with Family House!  You rock!

"Cari Cronquist volunteered as the Operations Volunteer Leader in the Spring 2013 semester at 50 Irving St. However she has become so much more in her role at Family House.

Cari has become an important part of maintaining the 50 Irving Street facility. Throughout the semester, she has been supporting Paul Goold, Director of Operations, in tasks such as disinfecting, organizing,  and deep-cleaning common spaces, bedrooms, and the garage. Cari was also no stranger to managing other volunteers as she helped lead corporate groups and weekly volunteers perform various house functions.

Besides volunteering with Family House, Cari used to tutor and work with underprivileged kids in an after school program at two different elementary schools in San Jose. She has also done a lot of volunteer work with kids as a soccer coach for summer camps; she currently volunteers as a Research Assistant at UCSF  in the Langley Porter Institute.

In her spare time, she loves to play soccer and work out. Cari is known for her smile because you'll never see her without her signature ear-to-ear grin. Cari, we love your smiling face every day you are at Family House. Thank you!"

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