The Love Boat

Enjoy Marisa’s thoughts about the upcoming Love Boat gala! ~ Chapin

For many people, it was the place to be on a Saturday night. The Love Boat  TV show offered a fun escape from the weekly grind and something to look forward to each week. So, with unashamed excitement, I have to let you know that IT’S BACK!!! The Love Boat is back! Well, at least to some extent. Let me explain…

One of our auxiliaries—amazing groups of volunteers that come together to host events and raise awareness of Peninsula Family Service—is holding their largest annual event on February 4^th. The Love Boat Gala hosted by Hillsborough Auxiliary to Peninsula Family Service is definitely going to be worthy of Captain Stubing. Held at the Pavilion by the Bay on Treasure Island, the Gala will have cocktails, a sumptuous dinner, live music by Double Funk Crunch, a raffle and a great auction with some incredible packages, including Be My Valentine…A Year of Romance. Think about this, Men. You would be guaranteed an exciting date for you and your partner each month, and all you would have to do would be to show up. How great is that?!?

The other really exciting thing about the evening, in my mind, is that money raised from the evening will help support a disabilities clinician in the child development and education programs at Peninsula Family Service. By helping identify developmental delays early, disabilities clinician ensures children receive help for special needs at an early age. This makes a big difference for kids. If you’ve ever seen the powerful Head Start advocacy video “One Window of Opportunity,” (we offer Early Head Start!) you’ve been reminded that kids learn more in their first 5 years than at any other time. If they are behind their peers in certain skills when they start formal education, there is a very real chance that they may never fully catch up. We have the power to change that with some early intervention.

While I know I’m going to love the Love Boat for the fun outfits, the awesome people involved and the beautiful views, I already love the Love Boat because of what it will help make possible for another generation of Peninsula children. I’m looking forward to spending another Saturday night with the Love Boat.

For more information about the Love Boat Gala or our programs, please contact info@peninsulafamilyservice.org or call 650-403-4300.

The Importance of Volunteers (And Holiday Entertaining)

I’ve volunteered before and never thought too much of it. But I recently heard a statistic that blew me away. I just learned that if volunteers were paid, they’d receive 43% of the nonprofit sector’s wages! That’s huge. Volunteers are an integral part of nonprofit operations.

We’re lucky to have many different types of volunteers here. Just about a week ago, on Saturday, September 24, a group of volunteers from Oracle came out and helped us clean our outside play area for one of our child development centers. Yes, I said Saturday. I don’t know about you, but I was definitely sleeping in Saturday morning! It’s really cool that they chose to use their time that way.

While one time projects like that are important, Peninsula Family Service has long-term volunteers that function unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. They’re groups called auxiliaries, and they put on events and raise awareness for Peninsula Family Service. We have three active auxiliaries: Hillsborough, Red-Car-Bel, and Foothill. The groups work tirelessly for us throughout the year – Red-Car-Bel even manages and staffs (with volunteers, of course) Family Tree, a second hand shop in San Carlos. All proceeds from the store are in turn donated to Peninsula Family Service. I’ve only been there once, and I’m really only one to shop for what I need, but I ended up walking out with a beautiful tablecloth and oil and vinegar bottles. And my coworker bought these cute pants that were such a steal! Family Tree really has some great finds – I hope to go back soon.

There’s a Foothill Auxiliary event coming up, and I’m curious to attend and see what the energy is like in the room. It’s called Holidays on a High Note, and it seems like a really creative event. From what I understand, designers will have displays set up that show how you can decorate your home when entertaining guests. There will be tablescapes, floral artwork, and even a how-to demonstration by Keith Shaw, who’s won awards world-wide for his floral arrangement work. If you want to come, I included some information about it at the end of this post. Just make sure you buy tickets in advance – I hear they require reservations. Come say hello if you come by, I’d love to meet you!

A Floral Arrangement at Holidays on a High Note in 2009

I’m glad Holidays on a High Note is coming up. I don’t know about you, but I definitely could use some guidance about making my place more festive for the holidays. And I’m not just talking about hanging a wreath on the front door – I want something innovative and new. I have a feeling that Holidays on a High Note will be the perfect place to get the latest tips.

Beyond the designer displays and how-to presentation, there’s going to be a lunch and an auction. The best part – all proceeds from ticket sales, auctions and 20% of boutique sales will benefit Peninsula Family Service! Wow. It’s astonishing to me that such a big event is being put on solely by volunteers out of their own generosity. We have so much to be grateful for with this partnership.

I can’t wait to go to Holidays on a High Note and meet more Auxiliary members. I’d like to meet more general volunteers at Peninsula Family Service, for that matter. I can’t stop thinking about that 43% statistic that I mentioned at the beginning of the post – even though I don’t necessarily know yet what volunteers are doing or how many hours they are putting in, clearly, volunteers are a big part of what we do! It makes me think about my own volunteer work that I’ve done – I guess it made a bigger impact than I ever realized. I wonder where I should volunteer next?

Holidays on a High Note will be next Monday, October 17 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Menlo Circus Club in Atherton. Tickets are $100 per person, and advanced reservations are required. For tickets or more information, contact Eileen Sullivan at 415-309-3412.