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Family House

Written by TechSoup Staff | Oct 10, 2017 12:28:14 AM

Tech Donations Help Families Stay Close to Their Hospitalized Kids

Family House provides temporary housing for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at the University of California San Francisco Benioff Children's Hospital. Family House serves as a home away from home for families of sick kids, providing physical comfort and emotional support free from financial concerns.

Each year the organization houses more than 2,000 families at its two facilities. Both facilities operate at nearly 100 percent capacity year-round, housing 107 people on a typical night. Depending on the nature of a child's illness, family stays can range from six weeks to nine months.

With an annual budget of $1.3 million and only eight permanent staff members, Family House depends on its 475 volunteers to achieve its mission. It also relies on a solid and dependable technology infrastructure. Donations of Microsoft Small Business Server and Office have been essential in keeping the organization's daily operations under control. Family House plans a major expansion in the next few years, and a donation of Adobe Creative Suite software has helped develop outreach materials that are being used to attract donations to finance the project.