CSL’s 2012 Home Tour

This year marks the 24th anniversary of the Children’s Support League’s (CSL) Heart of the Home Tour, which will feature five fabulous homes in Piedmont and the Oakland hills.

For the first time ever, the tour also includes a Designer Showcase in a beautiful Piedmont estate, with several rooms transformed by local designers.

Last year, the tour raised enough to donate over $186,000 to 25 organizations serving children in need.  Since the tour began, a total of more than $2.7 million has been donated.

The agencies funded by the tour focus on serving children who need homeless services, child abuse prevention services, domestic violence counseling, educational support and other critical services.

Join Us as a Docent This Year

As someone who recently joined this group, I’m now learning just how much work goes on behind the scenes to make this tour possible.

We need lots of volunteers to make it all happen:  More than 180 docents are needed to staff the homes during the two days of the tour!

Virtually all of the tour’s proceeds are donated to children’s charities:  With an all-volunteer staff and help from docent volunteers, CSL’s overhead is less than 3% of the gross revenue raised.

If you have volunteered before, you know how much fun it is.  If not, join us this year and find out!

Volunteering for the Tour

In addition to having the satisfaction of knowing you’ve played a part to help children through the agencies funded by the tour, you’ll also receive a few ‘perks’ to thank you for your support:

You’ll enjoy spending time in one of our five beautiful tour homes, and can purchase a discounted ticket for only $20 to tour the other four homes at your leisure.

You’ll also be entitled to tour the homes when the crowds have gone, after they’ve closed to the general public for the day.

In addition, docents are entered in a special drawing for volunteers only.

If You’d Like to Help

As I’m in charge of scheduling volunteers for the tour this year, please contact me if you’d like to be a docent.

Please include any preferences you have as to the date (Friday, 4/27 or Saturday, 4/28) or shift (morning, 9:30 to 1pm, or afternoon, 12:30 to 4pm) you’d like to sign up for.  You can sign up to volunteer here, or send an email to the address below.

More About the Tour

If you aren’t able to volunteer, but would like to attend the tour, please go to CSL’s web site at wehelpkids.org/ to purchase tickets.  If purchased in advance, they are $45, or $55 with lunch.

This year’s tour also has a new feature for lunch — it’s food-truck style!

VIP tickets, which include exclusive early admission to the Designer Showcase home and continental breakfast, are $85.

As a VIP guest, you will hear a local expert speak on the history of the home and surrounding Piedmont neighborhood.

You will also have exclusive access to the Showcase designers, each of whom is donating a design consultation to the VIP raffle.

The tour will, as always, feature the popular boutique at the Piedmont Community Center.  For a look at last year’s vendors, go to:  wehelpkids.org/boutique

Thanks in advance for your support!