Several of our community partners, including British-American Business Council member companies: Aramark, the Fairmont Hotel and Claremont Hotel & Spa, LifeWorks Restaurant Group, and the San Francisco Waldorf School, have come together to ensure that Raphael House families have a wonderful Thanksgiving. “As a privately-funded nonprofit, Raphael House depends solely upon the support it receives from the community to provide families with the resources they need to achieve stable housing and financial independence,” says Raphael House’s director of development Jenna Ervice. “But we also depend upon the community for these special touches—the in-kind donations and day-to-day support of our partners and volunteers—that provide the warm and dignified experience at Raphael House that has been at the core of how we’ve been helping families move toward brighter futures for nearly 45 years.” Aramark donated 20 turkeys, and a long-time donor who wishes to remain anonymous contributed 4 more. 
LifeWorks Restaurant Group, a division of Aramark, contributed several specialty desserts, including carrot cake, crème brulee, double-chocolate cake, and cheese cake. 
This past month, the children and staff at the San Francisco Waldorf School collected several bags of canned goods and other pantry items for Raphael House families. 
The folks at the Claremont Hotel & Spa, now part of the Fairmont Hotels, donated several boxes of china and glasses in time for Thanksgiving and for Raphael House families to enjoy for the future. 
“As we embark on the privileged task of remodeling and maintaining Stewardship of the Claremont Club & Spa, a Fairmont Hotel, for its next 100 years, we are humbled by our sense of community and place,” says Claremont executive chef Chad Blunston, who facilitated the donation. “In line with this, an opportunity presented itself. We have many pieces of Chinaware and Glassware that we could donate. The Raphael House philosophy of Inspiring Families and Illuminating Hope, struck a chord with us. Nothing brings a family together more often than a meal. Knowing that these pieces will have a small place in the nurturing and supportive environment around the Dinner table at Raphael House, brings a smile to our heart.” On Thanksgiving Day and the day before at least 16 volunteers from the community will spend time at Raphael House prepping, cooking, and serving up a delicious meal for our families. “The colleagues of Fairmont San Francisco have proudly supported Raphael House and the essential services and programming they provide to further alleviate family homelessness and poverty, says Thomas Klein, the regional vice president for the Fairmont and general manager of the Fairmont San Francisco. “Over a century ago Fairmont Hotels & Resorts was founded on an enduring connection to the communities and people where we do business. Energizing our commitment to ‘think globally and act locally’, we are proud to support hotel-based initiatives that support regional philanthropic partners.” The staff and board of Raphael House are truly touched by the outpouring of support received from our community partners thus far for Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season. We’ve also had several people and companies sign-up to adopt families this year through our annual Adopt-a-Family program. We have 40 more families who still need adopting, but we are hopeful that we will be able to match those families in over the next two weeks. To learn more about supporting Raphael House this holiday season through programs such as Adopt-a-Family, please contact Megan Neubrand in the Raphael House development office at 415.345.7263 or mneubrand@raphaelhouse.org. To make a donation to Raphael House, please visit raphaelhouse.org/donate.