Halloween 2022 at Family House

by Susan Ruhne, Family House Volunteer

Published on November 5, 2022

Witches, dinosaurs, skeletons, princesses, unicorns, Harry Potter and a Hotdog Dragon?  Yes, it was the annual Halloween Party at Family House in Mission Bay! So many great costumes on all attendees.  Families picked up costumes and accessories from the lobby that were sent in from the Amazon Halloween wish list and then joined in the fun on the patio. Family House doesn’t let a single holiday go without celebration, so I try to check the lists periodically to look for opportunities to send in some supplies.

Team Salesforce (many in costumes ourselves) was able to help in person thanks to safety protocols and testing on arrival, and we were so happy to be back.  We decorated the lobby and patio, set up craft stations, pumpkins from SFPD; and lots and lots of treat bags donated by friends of Family House.  Then we helped all the party guests find activities and fill big bags with more treats!  As we come from departments across the company, we also had a chance to chat with each other & make connections. Our special guest was Pascal Joseph, a Salesforce employee from France who traded homes for a month & is exploring San Francisco while volunteering at a different organization each day.

The families were able to spend some time outdoors enjoying the fun, talking to other families, staff and volunteers while the kids did crafts or just ran around.   Treat bags included lots of candy, plus stickers, pencils, games and more.   We also had decorations and supplies for those that wanted to decorate a patients room at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, or their Family House door.

The fun continued all weekend and Halloween Monday with more treats being shared in the lobby.  The Staff were all busy showing off their creative costumes – I think I saw Tarence in two or three different ones just on Thursday.