The “average” guest stays at Kiwanis Family House for about 3 days, stays only one time and we never see them again because their family medical emergency has been resolved. Other guests stay with us over and over as their medical crisis may take longer and require one or more follow up visits or surgeries. This is the story of two of those families. SEAN Sean lives in Texas. In March of 2015, Sean and his wife, Marilyn were visiting their son in Placerville, awaiting the arrival of their grandchild. Sean became ill and was brought … [Read more...]
July Director’s Letter | Dan Germain
Like many Kiwanis members who attended the recent International convention in Paris, we were drawn to some of the city’s landmarks during our stay - Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Palace at Versailles, the Hotel Ritz, and the River Seine. Each of these beams its own history, its own legacy, and its own significant impact on the lives of many. I have returned to my desk at Kiwanis Family House (KFH) with these landmarks still fresh in my memory. Far be it from me to associate KFH with the aforementioned wonders of … [Read more...]
July President’s Message | Guy Blair
I am optimistic about the things the Board of Directors will accomplish in the coming year. Last year the Board developed a Strategic Plan that established a good foundation from which we have achievable action items in 2017-18. We have already made changes to our Committee structure and we are working on other changes to our process for electing Board Officers. We lost some very talented people in the retirement of five of our Board members at the end of June, but we also gained some new Board members with gifts and talents that … [Read more...]
June President’s Message
The Kiwanis Family House fiscal year ends June 30th and so does my term as the 16th President of the Board of Directors. How quickly time flies… This has been a memorable year in many ways and much has been accomplished to maintain a consistently high level of customer service. The eleven member Board of Directors was very engaged, worked in harmony, and functioned as a team throughout the year. Focus continued to be placed on the mission, vision, and values of the organization; guiding principles which have served the … [Read more...]
June Director’s Letter
"Everything starts with one step, or one brick, or one word, or one day." ~Jeremy Gilley The brick in the north patio reads, “MYRON AND JUDY HAHN (AND COREY DOG).” Even though few will ever know the story that this particular brick memorializes, it holds a meaningful and personal message to whoever caused it to be there. We can say the same for every one of our more than 1,300 engraved bricks at Kiwanis Family House (KFH). Woven together in our courtyards and patios, these individual cubes of honor blend into a single … [Read more...]
Volunteer Spotlight | Charlie Bussey
Since before I started working here in July of 2013, our outside landscaping was being tended by some dedicated volunteers, Jim Legler, a “proud and happy member of the Galt Kiwanis Club”, and Carol Frost, a longtime member of East Sacramento Kiwanis. Jim and Carol spend two or three hours every week mowing, edging, trimming, pruning and weeding. They do whatever is necessary. As a result, the planting areas and lawns around our facility look fantastic. As many of you know, for the past year, Jim has also been the President of the Kiwanis … [Read more...]
May Director’s Letter
Springtime conjures up impressions of renewal and regrowth. Each year, these few months are a period of transition for Kiwanis Family House (KFH). The spring of 2017 has brought an extraordinary sense of anticipation for me. In addition to familiar annual transitional processes – adoption of a new operating budget and the election of new directors for our Board – I believe we have set the stage for KFH to make meaningful long-term improvements in effectiveness, capacity, and relevance. This is by virtue of the new … [Read more...]
May President’s Message
I would like to take this opportunity to express my personal appreciation and that of the entire Board of Directors for the support from everyone who made a financial contribution to the Kiwanis Family House on the “Big Day of Giving“ held on May 4th.. We set a goal to raise $75,000 during the 24-hour giving period and we ended the day with an astounding total of $75,918! This total is especially extraordinary considering this was our 4th year to participate in the event and in our first year we raised just over $16,000. The “Big Day … [Read more...]
April President’s Message
Recently I was privileged to represent the Kiwanis Family House at a reception hosted by the U.C. Davis Medical Center. The reception was to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new and expanded Children’s Surgery Center on the Medical Center Campus and also to acknowledge their certification by the American College of Surgeons as a Level 1 Children’s Surgery Center. (This designation makes the U.C Davis Medical Center the only Level 1 Children’s Surgery Center on the West Coast and only one of five in the nation.) At the … [Read more...]
March Director’s Letter
I strive to pen a column each month that is focused on a single impactful message or story. However, many noteworthy story lines are swirling as I sit to compose this month’s message. Coincidentally, I celebrate my fifth anniversary as Executive Director of Kiwanis Family House, a milestone that has me in a broadly reflective place anyway. So, without apology, I offer this medley for your consuming pleasure. Baton Rouge: For the past two years, we have communicated with some friends in the Louisiana-Mississippi-West … [Read more...]