JW House student board spotlight

             The JW house began as an idea by Jan-Willem (JW) Knapen, a boy who in the midst of battling cancer, wanted to do something to help other children and families facing similar situations. He understood the struggles that families of inpatients who lived far from the hospital faced.  JW began raising gifts of time and money from those around him. Within a couple of years, he raised several hundred thousand dollars from all over the world. He helped with the sale of blue wristbands with his motto: “Never Ever Give Up!” and inspired bake sales, pancake breakfasts, lemonade stands, art shows , and a Christmas concert. Thousands of individual and group donors, young and old,  sent in donations ranging from 2.00 to $100,000! When he passed away,  people in his community continued raising money and built a house on the Kaiser Campus.              The Student board (consisting of Notre Dame, Mitty and Bellarmine students) raises money for the JW House through selling Jamba Juice cards, their annual pancake all you can eat breakfast, and an annual dodgeball game. At least six times a year, the student board makes and serves dinner to the families staying at the JW house. Ca Dao Pham’20, a member of the JW house student board, reflects on her last two years and says, “I got to learn about an important figure in our community, that was able to help so many people and I am grateful to have this opportunity to be a part of this community. I’ve learnt about fundraising, publicizing and teamwork through my service with the JW board”. Emily Tieu’ 20 , president of the student board, says, “The JW house is a great opportunity to get more involved in your community and give back to those who need it most”. The JW board has helped served 7,467 dinners and provided over 2,125 nights to families in need and will continue to touch many members in their community.