JW House announces upcoming donation drive and backyard birthday celebration on Sept. 30 in honor of what would have been founder Jan-Willem (JW) Knapen’s 33rd birthday.
JW House, a non-profit that offers support services to families in medical crisis, is inviting the local community into its backyard to donate essential household items, enjoy cake, and hear from members of the JW House team. Drive thru and walk-up donation stations will also be available for those not attending the backyard celebration.
Located in Santa Clara, JW House is a “home away from home” that offers meals, subsidized housing, showers, laundry facilities, and daytime support to caregivers with a loved one in the hospital. JW House’s founder, JW Knapen, was a freshman at Bellarmine College Preparatory when he was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer in 2002. Before JW’s passing in 2005, he raised gifts of time and money to support families in situations like his, building the foundation for what became JW House.
The drive-thru drop-off station and backyard celebration will take place from 4-6 p.m. and a walk-up donation box will be available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. All donated items will directly support families visiting Bay Area hospitals by stocking JW House and its affiliated apartment, Prometheus Family Suite.
Donations requested include paper towels, dish soap, laundry detergent pods, individually wrapped snacks, and other items which can be found on JW House’s donation list. The backyard celebration and donation drive are open to the public.
To learn more about the event, visit www.jwhouse.org/jws-birthday-donation-drive/.