For those of you who watched the Fox Network reality show Secret Millionaire on December 11, you got to see this year’s Diocesan designated charity in action. Raphael House, conceived as the first shelter for children and families experiencing homelessness in Northern California , provides an environment of loving support where families and children are “G” is greeted by Carmela Biggs, AFTERCARE Coordinator, and Ashley Walheim, Residential Program Coordinator.able to restore and strengthen family bonds as they move toward brighter more hopeful futures.

On the Fox episode, under the guise of doing a documentary on poverty, local entrepreneur Gurbaksh Chahal volunteered one week at Raphael House back in March 2008, helping to Carmela introduces G to Nicole Cadiz, one of the RH cooks, as he prepares for his week of volunteering.make and serve dinner to the families. During that visit, he was so moved by the stories of the families who are served by this Orthodox institution, as well as the staff members, like Holy Trinity Cathedral’s own Carmela Biggs , who have truly dedicated their lives to serving them, that he contributed $35,000 of his own money to Raphael House and another $10,000 to one of the families that he met there.
While Fr. David Lowell, Executive Director, and his wife Elaine watch, “G” presents a check for Raphael House to Carmela.

To hear the impact that Raphael House makes in others lives as well, watch the video on their official website, http://www.raphaelhouse.org/inside-raphael-house/video.html.