I would like to express to you my deepest thanks and admiration for your understanding and caring for others. You all have made us feel very welcome and at home. Truly, you all are a blessing in the lives of people who are in need.

History

The idea of providing housing for temporary visitors at the UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento originated in the 1980s when people from the Bradley E. Wilson Memorial Foundation for Cystic Fibrosis were looking for temporary housing for families of people being treated at the hospital.

Local Kiwanis Clubs in Sacramento were alerted to this need for temporary housing and had the vision that they could help. They located a modular structure and provided furnishings, carpeting, appliances, and all that was required to make the Kiwanis Family House a home.

In 1984, the Kiwanis Family House opened its doors, and the Kiwanis motto — “We Build” — became a reality.

The original House had seven bedrooms, showers, a kitchen, dining area, laundry room and a common living room, providing guests at the Kiwanis Family House a safe place to rejuvenate while remaining close to their family member being treated at UC Davis Medical Center. During a family crisis, the emotional support of being around other families in similar circumstances and near loved ones in a close, safe environment helps with the healing process.

Guests at the Family House have immediate access to their child’s bedside, free shuttle service to the hospital, and a staff of caring volunteers available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In the 1989, the Kiwanis Family House was expanded through volunteer labor and donated materials, doubling its size to fourteen bedrooms, two kitchens, a television room, two sets of bathrooms, two showers, laundry room, food closet, clothes closet, reading areas, a play yard and a picnic area. Each family's bedroom is furnished with twin beds and extra rollaway beds if needed. The parking lot includes five pads with full hookups for recreational vehicles.

In 1997 a major repair project lead by Home Depot was completed. Sleep Train provided 34 mattresses. Click here to read all about that project.

Since opening in 1984, over 11,000 families have stayed at the Kiwanis Family House from all over the country and the world.

The Kiwanis Family House has provided shelter and a quite comforting place close to the hospital during traumatic family events.

Nearly fifty Kiwanis Clubs located in the California-Nevada-Hawaii district remain instrumental in providing financial assistance and physical labor in the continued maintenance and staffing of the House. Many more are joining in the effort to keep the Kiwanis Family House running smoothly.