Tour of Family House

Come and learn firsthand about Family House: what the organization is, the people and community they serve, and how our Rotary Club responds to the Call to Action. This brief tour will be led by Project Leader and Past President Christopher Wiseman who brought this service project to our Club. After this tour, you can take a short 15-minute walk over to MoMo’s for our Club’s monthly Evening Meeting.  

Founded in 1981, the mission of Family House is to serve as a home away from home for families of children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses by providing physical comfort and emotional support free from financial concerns. Family House provides free, temporary housing to families whose children are being treated at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. Families may stay at Family House for as long as their child is receiving treatment at the hospital, whether a few days or more than a year. Family House is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Families of children receiving bone marrow transplants, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments are their most frequent guests, as well as those undergoing fetal surgery, organ transplants, and cardiac care. All families are referred to Family House by UCSF’s pediatric social workers who prescreen patient families by diagnosis (cancer is first priority); distance of residence from San Francisco (must live at least 50 miles away); and access to/ability to afford local accommodations. Of families served at Family House, UCSF Benioff Pediatric Social Workers report that approximately two-thirds qualify as low-income, according to the State of California Medi-Cal standards.