Fire Engines Not Just For Fightin' Fires

Over the Labor Day holiday weekend, ChildReach decided to spend it riding a shiny big red fire engine. We took the San Francisco Fire Engine Tour from Fisherman's Warf over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and back.  We definitely rode in style on a 1955 open top Mac fire engine.  There were no doors, no windows and no roof so we really had to hang on (don't worry, we all wore our seatbelts).  We even got to wear authentic fire jackets!  We got a lot of attention as we drove through town, and we all made sure to wave and holler to let everyone know we were having a good time.  Going over the Golden Gate was certainly an experience our families will not soon forget.  Riding up above the cars with no top gave us an incredible view of the city and the bridge. Man, those columns are HUGE!  As soon as we got over the bridge, the fog lifted and we were enjoying more beautiful bay views, but this time in the sun.  We drove down the Sausalito strip, waving to everyone as we passed.  Then we stopped for an ever important photo opportunity.  Unfortunately, the fun had to come to end, and we had to bundle back up to cross the bridge back into the fog.  Good thing we had our red caps to protect us from the wind!  We had a great time, and look forward to chance to ride the big red fire engine again!

Back To School In Style

Can you believe it is time for school again?  Well, ChildReach kicked off the Back-To-School season with an incredible school supply give-away.  It all started the week before, when volunteers generously gave their time and support to Raphael House through the stuffing of bags filled with school supplies.  Pens, pencils, notebooks, crayons, and much more were stacked high and ready for the new students who will be using them throughout the coming school year.  All told, our NCL (National Charity League) volunteers stuffed over 200 bags for children either living in shelter, or those that have previously.  What a gift!  Then the big day arrived, and we were ready for the families.  They came through the doors ready for the first days of school.  The work crew for the day actually consisted of former residents and receipients of these school supplies, who had come back to lend a helping hand and give back to others for all that they themselves have received.  We had so much fun handing out supplies, that we almost even forgot we were working!  Serving over 200 children is hard work though, and I couldn't have done any of it without the wonderful support of our donors and volunteers.  Thanks to everyone, and we will see you again this time next year for another successful event.  

So Far This Summer...

This summer in ChildReach has been a busy one!  We've been out and about doing cool things and enjoying the warm weather (well, trying to at least!) Here are few of the highlights from our summer around the Bay.

We've celebrated Birthdays:

Every month ChildReach hosts a birthday party for any kids who have a birthday that month.  It's a great way for families and friends to connect over good food, games and of course, cake and presents.  This summer the parties were no exception to this.  The families had a great time and we look forward to continuing this special tradition.

We had fun and ate sweets:

One of our favorite field trips has become the Jelly Belly factory tour.  Located just a short distance North of the city in Fairfield, the Jelly Belly factory is full of fun jelly bean facts and history, a working factory tour, and of course FREE SAMPLES!  We had so much fun this summer at the Jelly Belly factory that I'm sure it won't be long until we return.

Play Time for Toddlers:

Habitot in Berkely is a children's museum designed with your little guy in mind.  There was so much to do, we could hardly pull the kids away for lunch.  There was a fire engine the kids could crawl inside, a veterinary and pet washing station, a place to practice walking and tumbling, a working car wash, and much more... Both kids and parents enjoyed getting down and dirty and using their imaginations.  We staff enjoying kicking  back and watching all the action.

Live Theater:
Another Raphael House tradition is the Mountain Play.  Every year we bus up nearly 50 people to the top of Mount Tamalpais to watch a live production in their beautiful outdoor ampitheater.  This year's production was Hairspray, and it was a great hit.  The families got a chance to explore the area before the show, and watch a puppet show or take a hike, and I am still hearing stories about both...  The show itself was full of singing, dancing and fantastic costumes and hairstyles.  It was a great chance for folks to get outside, enjoy the mountain and some amazing live theater.

Art Education:

Our kids have such amazing creativity and are great artists!  We thought we'd celebrate this by partnering with JellyFish Art Gallery to participate in their Storytelling exhibit.  Families traveled to JellyFish, which is located here in San Francisco, and were able to sit with real artists and create their own amazing stories and artwork.  They were also able to experience the exhibit and discuss what the art around them meant to each of them.  Both the kids and parents had many wonderful interpretations and were able to share some great art and creativity with the entire group.

Indepence Day:

As anyone who knows Raphael House knows, we have a 4th of July picnic in Golden Gate Park every year.  Well, this year we thought we'd try something a little different.  We had an independence day celebration on our very own roof deck.  The party was a great hit, there was BBQ, games, prizes, and even our friend Uncle Sam.  We even had a family photo booth and everyone got to take home their own souvenier to remember the day by.  The day was perfect, the food was delicious, and we are all eager to do it again next year!

Overnight and Environmental Education:

Lake Tahoe:

Our annual Lake Tahoe trip is a great way for kids to connect with nature, get some sun, and enjoy being kids.  This year we were joined by a group of amazing elementary kids.  We swam and hiked during the day, cooked together in the evening, played games, and even had a talent show.  The kids had a great time out of the city and enjoying true summer weather.  All the children are waiting patiently until they can go again in the winter to see the snow. 

Teen Whitewater Rafting:

This summer we also headed to the South Fork of the American River to raft down the river.  Over the years, ChildReach has developed a great relationship with ETC (Environmental Traveling Companions) an environmental guide group who led us down the river safely.  We camped for two nights and spent three days on the river, taking nature hikes, swimming, rafting and cooking together.  This trip was a wonderful way for the group to learn new skills, challenge their fears and learn to work together as a team to reach a common goal. 

Family Kayaking:
ETC also led us on a family kayaking trip this summer in Sausalito.  That trip was another great opportunity for parents and kids to learn to better work together, communicate and appreciate nature.  We paddled out along the bay, some of us using muscles we didn't know we had, but everyone pushed themselves to make it to our destination, and all felt great afterward.  It was a lot of fun to get out on the water and also experience how connecting with nature can change your perspective on how we live our lives and what is truly important. 

Rock Climbing in the Presidio

Last weekend a group of kids ages 6-12 headed into the Presidio to do some indoor rock climbing at Planet Granite.  From the first minute the kids were having a great time.  They got into their harnesses and our team leaders prepared them to climb the many levels of rock walls the facility has to offer.

It was a great experience for the student's some of whom had tried indoor climbing before, but most of whom hadn't.  The kids were eager to get started, and some of them made it to the top on their first tries.

Rock climbing is an excellent activity for gaining physical strength as well as developing problem solving skills.  A climber must evaluate where to move, and how to use their bodies to stay secure and reach new heights.  The kids all seemed to pick it up quickly and spent the entire afternoon at Planet Granite climbing all the different levels of walls.  Some of the kids even tried bouldering, where you can climb low rock walls without ropes. 

After climbing we headed to the beach for a beach picnic in January!  The sun was shining, the wind wasn't blowing, and it was so warm that some of the kids even made their way into the water.  They made sand castles, new friends, and had a wonderful time being outside in nature and learning new skills. 

Spring into Action!

ChildReach has hosted a series of family fieldtrips in the past few weeks that have promoted activities such as exercising, eating healthy, arts and crafts and reading together. Making these activities into a family affair strengthens parent/child and sibling relationships, builds teamwork and other social skills in children, and also works toward creating stronger minds and bodies for every member of the family.

Exercise

Five families joined us in Golden Gate Park for an afternoon bike ride. Many parents were nervous about riding a bicycle in a congested area like the Park but were pleasantly surprised to find the roads closed to cars and a team of pedal-carriages to ride. (A portion of Golden Gate Park, along JFK Dr near the museums, is closed to cars every weekend) Entire families piled into these 4-6-seater carriages and worked together to pedal through the park. We raced up and down hills and all had a great time.

Another weekend, parent and child pairs joined us in Sausalito for a day of kayaking on Richardson Bay. I mentioned that parents were nervous about biking; that was nothing compared to how nervous parents were to strap themselves in a kayak. However nervous they were, parents kept a straight face and remembered that this was a first for both them and their children and that no matter what, they were excited about trying something new. Some of our participants couldn’t even swim. It was very courageous of them to come out and give it their all. We rowed for 4 hours, stopped on a beach mid-way, ate lunch and played games together. It was nice to be able to laugh and play on a deserted island; we could see the city from where we were but couldn’t hear it or feel the bustle. We all took advantage of this mini vacation, appreciated each other’s company, soaked up a little sun, and learned a little bit about marine life and the ecosystem of the Bay.

Healthy Eating

Diana Moscowitz, a trained dietitian, visited Raphael House and spoke to 5 families about the importance of eating good food, and of knowing what you’re putting in your body. She stressed that we look at labels before purchasing. We learned that nutritional facts can be deceiving depending on the serving size. For instance, we found that generally twice the recommended serving size is served in the morning. Parents and children joined this really important discussion on food, learned lots and asked for follow-up workshops.

Arts and Crafts

Our kite decorating activity was a fantastic success. 33 people joined us in the After Care Building to enjoy lunch and paint kites. Children enjoyed using sea animal stickers to decorate, parents liked the painting portion, and everybody loved stapling all sorts of shapes and materials on their kite-tails. Many parents mentioned that they had forgotten how relaxing and therapeutic art projects were, and how much they enjoyed working with their children.

Celebration and Education

In an effort to celebrate the changing of the seasons and the joy of learning, we held a Spring Carnival at the end of April. We set up games on the roof, including an egg hunt, had a barbeque lunch and set up a library where parents and children could sit, read, and take home as many books as they wished.

This Carnival was a chance for parents to get some great literature in the house for kids to read, learn, and build their language skills. It was also a welcome opportunity for people to gather, visit old friends and make new friends. It was one of those rare, beautiful days in San Francisco, on which 80 people came out to enjoy this event and celebrate with Raphael House.

In an effort to celebrate each other, ChildReach has been hosting monthly birthday parties for children, which involve an art activity or game and a family-style dinner with members of the Raphael House community.

A South American Journey in Music & Stories

Last weekend, we enjoyed the music of the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra and the Trio Chaskinakuy. The trio plays traditional South American instruments, and they even took the time to explain them to our group.
On our journey we listened to the flute, bassoon, clarinet, violin, viola, cello, upright bass, charango, pan pipes, trumpets, drums, and the beautiful voice of Francy Vidal.

The performance was brilliant and the conductor was delightful! He was playful, ran around the stage acting out his music, let the audience clap and dance in the aisles. During the performance, we learned about lots of different instruments, including:

The CHARANGA, little brother of the Spanish guitar, which is traditionally made out of the back-shell of an armadillo:

Four different trumpets, two that were made out of cow horns, segmented and bound together with cow hide:

One trumpet made out of a shell that is most commonly known as a CONCH.

And the last was a 10-foot long trumpet traditionally used on farms where it is played on a hill into a valley to send messages to workers. The sound echoes against the surrounding mountains or hills and becomes so loud that it stretches across the field, and every worker knows at the same when to stop working or come in for lunch.

The last type of instrument we encountered was Pan Pipes. We had never seen such a diverse collection of pipes before. They are the quintessential community instrument, made with two rows of pipes so that they can be split and shared between two friends. The trio played pan pipes that were 4-feet long; these are known as “grandma” pan pipes and are known for making “the sound of the Earth breathing.” We also saw smaller pan pipes that were traditionally made out of the feathers of condors. Since condors are now endangered animals, the Trio had ones with feathers from a different large bird. These made the sound of the bird themselves, such a high-pitched sweet tune.

This concert taught us all much about the evolution of music and instruments; we learned that you can make music out of just about anything, and that music from around the world is delightful.

Lake Tahoe in the Snow

Winter in Tahoe is spectacular.

Over the recent Martin Luther King long weekend, fifteen children between age 6 and 12 joined the ChildReach crew in the snow at Lake Tahoe.   The trip to Tahoe is designed to give the kids a sense of what the changing seasons are like in places where there are distinct seasons, unlike San Francisco. 

Everyone was eager the day of, so much so that many kids showed up early, packed and were ready to go.  After we packed up our snow boots and warm coats we left Raphael House and headed for Tahoe.

As soon as we got to our Tahoe home, it was flooded with screams of joy, whoops for being out of the car, and hollers for the fun we were about to have. The sun set too early for us to play outside on the first evening, so we made grand plans to watch a family movie over some hot chocolate and popcorn but disaster struck!!! Half of the lights went out in the house, and all power to our televisions and DVD players.  This may have been a challenge for another group, but our kids just played Hide n' Seek,  and card and board games before retiring to bed.  We did still get our hot chocolate, thank goodness for that!

The blackout was an unexpected lesson for us all in keeping our heads cool in an emergency, and how much we rely on and for what things we use power. 

The adventure continued the next day. We ate a big breakfast, and braved the snow to sled on some mini slopes in the back-yard, have a giant snowball fight and make snowmen! Some children helped make a slope by fastidiously digging and shoveling snow to the top of the hill. Mostly, it got too cold and everybody retreated inside. Later in the afternoon we decided to hit the real slopes and found a great sledding hill where children slid down two by two. Some of us took a short walk to find gorgeous views of Lake Tahoe at sunset.

We then returned home to play more games, enjoy each other’s company and watch icicles melt from the roof through our windows.  Next, everyone pitched in to help make a delicious dinner. 

The electricity remained on and it’s a good thing too. We needed all of the stoves and ovens for we were feasting in honor of our birthday boy! We ate cake and cobbler to our heart’s content.

The next morning we packed up, and headed home. The drive back was just as spectacular as Tahoe itself. The children noticed our rapidly declining elevation by the ear pops they suffered. They noticed that the vast snowy peaks and pine trees disappeared quite suddenly after a certain point, and that there was a stark difference between the alpine forests we left to the farmland of the central valley.

The kids that went on this winter trip will also get the opportunity to go in summer to compare the seasons and what they like (or dislike) about each.  One child, who had been on the summer trip, decided that he liked the summer better because it didn't make his hands go numb, a common casualty of being in the snow too long.  Another child said she much preferred the winter because it was so fun to sled down hills and the snow tasted just like water!  We are all looking forward to what the kids will have to say about the next trip to Tahoe!

A Christmas Story

Every year at Raphael House, we celebrate Christmas morning by re-enacting the Christmas Story, the story of the journey of Mary and Joseph and the birth of the baby Jesus. 

This year's play was another stirring success.  The children were all in costume as they acted out the story of how the Wise Men followed the star, and came to Bethlehem to bring the baby gifts to welcome him. The children, parents, and our community and neighbors all enjoyed the show immensely.   We are all looking forward to next year's production.

Birthday Parties Are Fun For the Whole Family

ChildReach has recently started hosting monthly birthday celebrations!  This is a great opportunity for kids and parents to come back and connect with Raphael House through dinner, games, and friendship. 

This event is 1 ½ hours of family time, where we serve a sit down dinner, including birthday cake and presents.  

We start off the festivities with a chance for everyone to mingle and make friends through birthday games such as pin the tail on the donkey, scavenger hunts, or musical chairs.  Then dinner is served!  After dinner comes cake and presents!  Each month proves to be a great way for families to make valuable connections and for the children to have a true birthday party experience.

Holiday Heroes

The month of December was jammed packed with fun and festive parties and celebrations, and the Holiday Heroes party was no exception!  We had a great time at AT&T Park looking out at the baseball field.  But the party itself was filled with food, games, music, and even face painting!

Everyone had a fantastic time, and enjoyed the opportunity to stay out late, meet Santa and enjoy a truly fun holiday party.

Adopt-A-Family Holiday Extravaganza

 This year Raphael House was able to provide over 240 families with Christmas presents and/or holiday meals during the Holiday season.  By being active participants in the Raphael House After Care program, these families were  matched with community  donors who generously provided the necessary gifts and food to make their holiday that much brighter.  The event began in October, when wishlists were sent to families.  Through October and November information was collected and distributed to donors.  Once December arrived, the house was abuzz with excitement over the piles of presents and food that came pouring in the doors.  The ChildReach staff could barely keep up! 

But we all worked hard and focused on making the holidays bright and wonderous for all the families we serve.  Volunteers generously donated their time to sort gifts, making sure that everything went as smoothly as possible.

The fun of meeting the donors, and seeing the expressions on the faces of the children as they came to pick up their gifts made all the work worth it ten times over!  Some kids wanted to know why we were giving them their gifts and not Santa, and we explained that we work with Santa, and that he was so busy this year he had to enlist our help.  One child even wanted to know if I was married to Santa.  Although it was a flattering statement, I could never fill the shoes of Mrs. Claus...  

But in all seriousness, this year's program was a huge success and the contributions made by our amazingly generous donors really did make this holiday one that will live on in the memories of the families and the staff of Raphael House.  So, a HUGE thanks to all the families and donors that participated, and we look forward to next year’s Adopt-A-Family give-away!