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JW House
Wish List:
Linens:
Twin XL & Queen Size White Sheets, White Towels (bath, hand, washcloth)
Gift Cards:
Safeway, Lucky, Smart&Final, Bed Bath and Beyond, Target
Pantry Items:
Muffin Mix, Granola Bars, Brownie Mix, Bottled Juices, Regular Ground Coffee
Cleaning Products:
Laundry Detergent (liquid HE, fragrance free), Liquid Bleach, Disinfectant Wipes
If you have items you would like to donate to JW House, please contact us at info@jwhouse.org or 408-246-2224 for drop off instructions.
Do you have a group of up to 6 people who would like to volunteer at JW House? We just launched our "Dinner is Served..." program where groups or local restaurants can cook meals for JW House families. For more information, contact april@jwhouse.org
Thank you for
your support!
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JW House
Board of Directors
President:
Andrew Kryder
Vice President:
Richard Caligaris
Secretary:
Diane Doolittle
Treasurer:
Patty Holaday
Founder's Representative:
Anne Marie Knapen-Asnong
Val Asbury
Steve Borkenhagen
Mary Danna
Sue Foltz
Linda Hitchcock
Geert Knapen
Sue Murphy
Issac Vaughn
Executive Director
Jill Mitsch
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
All of us at JW House are thankful for your support in our mission to keep families together during medical crisis by offering a warm and welcoming home just steps away from the hospital.
Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
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How JW House Helps Families
 I've known about JW House for a couple of years now and in theory thought it was a really good idea. I even did a volunteer dinner there one night with my triathlon team so I got to see its benefits firsthand. But it was not until this past September that I experienced how important and lifesaving JW House really is. My Dad went in for a test on September 12th and instead of getting the test, he was sent immediately to the ER and then admitted to the hospital that night. He stayed there for 2 weeks and 2 days until he died on September 27th.
If it had not been for the comfort and safety of JW House, I'm not sure how I would have made it through this horrible time. In addition to the four apartments for out-of-town families, JW House also has Day Use available. Day Use was perfect for my family since we are local and did not need overnight accommodations. While my Dad was hospitalized, we were spending 14 hour days in the hospital. It was emotionally and physically draining. The first couple of nights we ate out and it was very overwhelming to be in a loud restaurant with happy people while my Dad was dying in the hospital. In addition, it made me anxious to be too far away from the hospital in case something happened and I needed to return quickly. We ended up going to JW House for our dinners. It was a lifesaver for us. JW House gave me a sense of safety, some quiet time, and a nice meal with my family.
It wasn't just the dinners that saved me, but also the ability to get away during the day for a snack, some fresh air in the backyard or a nap. One morning my brother was called at 2:30am by the hospital to come in for my Dad. By the end of the day he was exhausted. He was able to go to JW House for a nap and dinner. JW House gave him a safe place to land during a hard time. Words cannot describe the benefits of JW House.
I will forever be thankful to JW House, its staff and volunteers who are dedicated to its mission to help families facing medical crisis. JW House is truly a safe haven for families who are hurting and going through some of the most awful times of their lives.
Thank you again JW House,
Diane Faraone
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Spotlight on JW House Volunteers
In this section of the e-Newsletter we spotlight one of our amazing volunteers. This month we are featuring Shawna and her son Christian.
Stop by JW House on a Sunday afternoon and you will likely smell the aroma of fresh-baked cookies or cupcakes. Walk into the kitchen and you will see a 13-year old boy wearing an apron, hard at work baking for the guests of JW House. That boy is my son, Christian.
Since very young, Christian has been interested in giving back to his community. He is a compassionate soul who wears his heart on his sleeve. As he got older, he expressed an interest in volunteering at a local charity with a cause he believed in. As a mother, I was very proud that he had taken this step on his own, and I liked the idea of us being able to contribute to something together. It would allow for some great "mother-son" time. We discussed various options and ultimately decided the JW House was the perfect fit. As a student of St. Clare School, where the Knapen children attended, Christian was intimately familiar with JW House. The school had been very involved in promoting JW's dream of opening a house where families could stay to take care of their loved ones while they were in the hospital. Christian drove our family's participation in the fundraisers to get the JW House built, and attendance to various events like "Light the Night." The JW House grand opening was special for us all.
We now volunteer together at the JW House every Sunday afternoon. Not only do our volunteer hours benefit guests of the JW house, it also strengthens our relationship. Some days we laugh as we work, other days we talk about the challenges the families are facing. We are always happy to lend an ear to a guest wanting to talk about their loved one, or play with children whose parents just need to relax.
When not baking for JW House, Christian is the intellectual type. He spends a lot of time understanding how things work and making them better. He is also a soccer referee. Christian is applying to attend Bellarmine College Preparatory School next fall, and plans to continue his education at MIT with a focus on bio-chemical engineering.
Beyond being the mother of 2, and a Strategic Marketing Manager at Cisco Systems, I enjoy participating in the pageant circuit with my 6-year old daughter, soccer, and reading. As a family, we travel the world together with our favorite destinations being Panama, Belize and Columbia. We will be cruising the Eastern Caribbean this December.
Arthur Jersild said "Compassion is the ultimate and most meaningful embodiment of emotional maturity." I cannot think of a better way to instill compassion in my child than spending time together for the sole purpose of helping those in need. It is a family experience that will shape who we are and influence what we choose to do with the rest of our lives.
Submitted by Shawna Jimenez
To learn about volunteering at JW House, contact us at volunteer@jwhouse.org. Children under 18 may volunteer if accompanied by an adult.
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Cast Your Vote Today!
Intuit's "Love a Local Business"
Vote to Help JW House Win Big!
Over $1 Million in grants are at stake;
your votes help decide who gets them.
Voting is easy, and fast.
Just share a few brief thoughts about why
you love JW House.
Each vote is like a raffle ticket.
The more votes JW House gets, the more
chances we have to win
one of the $25,000 Intuit Hiring Grants that are awarded each month.
One business will win the grand prize of $50,000!
Click here to vote today!
Forward this link to your friends, family, and colleagues
so they can vote for JW House as well!
Thank you for your support of JW House!
DID YOU KNOW: If you voted prior to October 2011, you can vote AGAIN for JW House as this contest period
is for October - December 2011.
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JW House
3850 Homestead Road
Santa Clara, CA 95051
(408)246-2224
info@jwhouse.org
www.jwhouse.org
JW House keeps families together during medical crisis by offering a welcoming home just steps away from the hospital, providing a caring and compassionate environment that inspires hope.
JW House is a
501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization.
Our tax ID number is 20-2034560.
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