There's a new building in Ft Myers built to help heal thousands of families.

By: Anvar Ruziev Fox-4 News

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Thanks to the generosity of the community and strategic partnerships, including a symbolic $1-a-year lease agreement with the City of Fort Myers, a new $3 million facility now serves as a home for grieving families.

Valerie's House has woven itself into the fabric of Southwest Florida over the past nine years, offering a sanctuary for families grappling with a loss of a loved one.

It's a place where stories of pain and resilience intermingle, like that of Kari Cardisco. With her voice trembling with emotion, the Valerie House mentor told her Ft Myers Community Correspondent Anvar Ruziev how she suddenly found herself on the other side, as a grieving mother.

"Unfortunately, we got the news almost exactly three years ago that his dad died, and he was fourteen at the time. That news rocked our world," Cardisco recounted as she stood next to her son.

But Valerie's House was there to help Cardisco, and it has helped more than five thousand children and families across Southwest Florida, like Jacqueline Virtue, who has left her mark on the very walls of the new facility.

Virtue, who painted a large mural inside, told me, "It's therapy for grieving children, and so as their caregivers, we benefit because we get therapy and we know how to help our grieving child so within that, we all get help. The benefit affects the whole family."

In Florida, one in eleven children face the loss of a sibling or parent before they turn 18, according to Childhood Bereavement Estimation Models.

Angela Melvin-Churchill, the Founder and CEO of Valerie's House, described the importance of community awareness. "We have a lot of families that learn about us through the school system," she said, highlighting how schools play a crucial role in connecting families to Valerie's House during their time of need.

As Valerie's House looks to the future, plans are already underway to expand the facility to offer even more support to families.

Valerie's House Opens The Doors to New Family is Forever Home

March 25, 2024

FOR MORE INFO:

Angela Melvin Churchill, CEO                      Susan Bennett, APR, CPRC Valerie’s House                                Susan Bennett Marketing & Media  239-204-5804                                             239-277 5255 angela@valerieshouse.org             sbennett@susanbennett.biz

VALERIE’S HOUSE OPENS THE DOORS TO

NEW FAMILY IS FOREVER HOME

FORT MYERS, FLA., MARCH 25, 2024 – Valerie’s House celebrated the grand opening of its new Family is Forever home March 14 with a ribbon-cutting and tours of the new facility at 3551 Shoemaker Lane, now known as 3551 Valerie’s House Way, in Fort Myers.

More than 300 people attended the ribbon-cutting and toured the new home, including Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson, Lee County commissioners, Lee County District School Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier, Fort Myers Police Chief Jason Fields, Fort Myers Fire Chief Terry McMillion and Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce members along with members of other local chambers of commerce and other dignitaries. 

About 200 people attended the open house the following day.

A total of $3 million was raised toward the cost of the new home, which is built on land donated by the City of Fort Myers under a $1 per year lease.

Angela Melvin Churchill, Lee Health Hospital Board Member Nancy McGovern

“We are incredibly grateful to all of the people and organizations who have made this possible,” said CEO Angela Melvin Churchill.  “Having this space will open the door to building more partnerships, educating our community, and most importantly, giving us the needed space to help thousands more families and children who are grieving.”

The home is a cozy, warm, old Florida style structure, with special rooms like a volcano room, which allows children to work out any anger or other emotions they have because of their loss.  The 7,000-square-foot facility will allow Valerie’s House to provide wrap-around services, such as individual grief counseling, parenting classes, and family retreats to support families who need it.

Fire Chief Terry McMillion

“From the moment you walk through the doors we want families to feel at home.  Along with a beautiful outdoor space for the children to play and large dining area for family meals, there also are rooms dedicated to every age group. From little ones, to teens, to caregivers, each group has their own space designed for them to come together to support one another through healing activities and discussions,” she said.

Valerie’s House has helped more than 5,000 children and their families since its founding in 2016 by Angela Melvin Churchill, whose mother, Valerie, was killed in a car accident in Fort Myers in 1987.

One in seven children in Florida is predicted to lose a parent or sibling before the age of 25, according to the 2022 Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model.

Valerie’s House currently offers peer support groups and other activities at locations in Fort Myers, Naples, Punta Gorda, and Port Charlotte. Valerie's House is a United Way partner agency and is fully supported by community donations.

For more information about Valerie’s House or to make a donation to the Forever Home, visit www.valerieshouse.org/forever-home  call 239-204-5804.

About Valerie’s House

Valerie’s House opened its first location in Fort Myers, Florida in January 2016 and has served more than 5,000 children and their families from Lee, Collier, Charlotte, and Hendry counties. The organization provides a safe, comfortable place for children to share, grieve and heal together following the death of a close family member. Valerie’s House has three Southwest Florida locations: 3551 Valerie’s House Way in Fort Myers, 819 Myrtle Terrace in Naples and 233 East McKenzie Street in Punta Gorda.  Valerie’s House also expanded into Northwest Florida in 2021 with a home in downtown Pensacola.  For more information, visit www.valerieshouse.org

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Grand Opening Set For Valerie's House New Family is Forever Home

January 30, 2024

FOR MORE INFO:

Angela Melvin Churchill, CEO                      Susan Bennett, APR, CPRC

Valerie’s House                                                   Susan Bennett Marketing & Media 

239-204-5804                                                             239-277-5255

angela@valerieshouse.org                                           sbennett@susanbennett.biz

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

GRAND OPENING SET FOR VALERIE’S HOUSE

NEW FAMILY IS FOREVER HOME

FORT MYERS, FLA., JANUARY 30, 2024 – Valerie’s House will celebrate the grand opening of its new Family is Forever home Thursday, March 14, with a ribbon-cutting and tours of the new facility at 3551 Shoemaker Lane, now known as 3551 Valerie’s House Way, in Fort Myers.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m., attended by Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson, Fort Myers City Council and Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce members along with members of other local chambers of commerce.  Tours will follow until 7 p.m.

An open house is set for the following day (Friday, March 15) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for those unable to attend the Thursday celebration who would like to tour the home. The public and media are invited to join in the celebration.

Sponsorships of the grand opening are available from $500 to $10,000 that include mentions on social media, television recognition, publication printing as well as branding at the event..  For information, please contact Sterling Lund at sterling.lund@valerieshouse.org.

A total of $3 million has been raised toward the cost of the new home, which is built on land donated by the City of Fort Myers under a $1 per year lease.

“We are incredibly grateful to all of the people and organizations who have made this possible,” said CEO Angela Melvin Churchill.  “Having this space will open the door to building more partnerships, educating our community, and most importantly, giving us the needed space to help thousands more families and children who are grieving.”

The home is a cozy, warm, old Florida style structure, with special rooms like a volcano room, which allows children to work out any anger or other emotions they have because of their loss.  The 7,000-square-foot facility will allow Valerie’s House to provide wrap-around services, such as individual grief counseling, parenting classes, and family retreats to support families who need it.

“From the moment you walk through the doors we want families to feel at home.  Along with a beautiful outdoor space for the children to play and large dining area for family meals, there also are rooms dedicated to every age group. From little ones, to teens, to caregivers, each group has their own space designed for them to come together to support one another through healing activities and discussions,” she said.

Valerie’s House has helped more than 5,000 children and their families since its founding in 2016 by Angela Melvin Churchill, whose mother, Valerie, was killed in a car accident in Fort Myers in 1987.

One in seven children in Florida is predicted to lose a parent or sibling before the age of 25, according to the 2022 Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model.

Valerie’s House currently offers peer support groups and other activities at locations in Fort Myers, Naples, Punta Gorda, and Port Charlotte. Valerie's House is a United Way partner agency and is fully supported by community donations.

For more information about Valerie’s House or to make a donation to the Forever Home, visit www.valerieshouse.org/forever-home  call 239-204-5804.

About Valerie’s House

Valerie’s House opened its first location in Fort Myers, Florida in January 2016 and has served more than 5,000 children and their families from Lee, Collier, Charlotte, and Hendry counties. The organization provides a safe, comfortable place for children to share, grieve and heal together following the death of a close family member. Valerie’s House has three Southwest Florida locations: 3551 Valerie’s House Way in Fort Myers, 819 Myrtle Terrace in Naples and 233 East McKenzie Street in Punta Gorda.  Valerie’s House also expanded into Northwest Florida in 2021 with a home in downtown Pensacola.  For more information, visit www.valerieshouse.org

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Valerie’s House Pensacola welcomes community at Open House

FOR MORE INFO:

Crista Brandt, Northwest Florida Director                                                                         

Valerie’s House Pensacola                                                                                      

850-266-0795                                                                             

crista@valerieshouse.org                                                         

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Grieving Families in Northwest Florida Have a Place to Call Their Own

Valerie’s House Pensacola welcomes community at Open House

 PENSACOLA, FLA. April 24, 2023 – Children grieving the death of a loved one in Pensacola now have a cozy, comfortable house to call their own.  After two years of serving the Northwest Florida area, Valerie’s House Pensacola (VHP) officially opened its new home to the community Friday, April 21 during an official Pensacola Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting and Open House at 904 E Gadsden Street near downtown.

 More than 250 people filled the rooms for tours and had the opportunity to speak with families, board members and volunteers about the services at Valerie’s House. Guests strolled through the historic home which has been renovated to include healing rooms, art spaces, and gathering rooms for adults and children to be together during their grief journey.

 “Thank you to all the people who took time to attend Valerie’s House Open House. Hundreds of people walked through the doors of Valerie’s House at The Chadbourne Foundation Home to witness the impact and space we are providing so no child in our community grieves alone. The outpouring of support was nothing short of amazing” said Crista Brandt, Valerie’s House Northwest Florida Director.

 Valerie’s House is the first and only non-profit in the panhandle with its sole mission to help children grieving the death of a loved one. The Pensacola chapter of Valerie’s House opened in 2020 spearheaded by Brandt. The program spent nearly two years in a donated space from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida before the Chadbourne Foundation donated a home of its own to Valerie’s House.

 “The Chadbourne Foundation is indebted to Valerie’s House for enabling us to put our funds to use in an effective and palpable manner with the founding of The Chadbourne Foundation Home,” said Caroline DeMaria, Chadbourne Foundation Board Member.  “We are also thankful that the founder of Valerie’s House, Angela Melvin, sanctioned a location in the panhandle under Crista’s passionate leadership.”

 More than 230 children and adults receive support from Valerie’s House, including students at Pace Center for Girls, where Valerie’s House hosts an in-school group. Valerie’s House Peer-to-Peer support model helps children share, connect, and build bonds with other kids their age dealing with similar experiences. Children have the opportunity to decrease isolation, identify and become aware of their normal feelings of grief, and learn safe and effective ways to manage their difficult feelings. Valerie’s House helps make connections between the participants’ grief stories, so they know they are not alone.

 15 percent of children in the panhandle are predicted to lose a parent or sibling before the age of 25. One in 11 children in Escambia County and 1 in 14 in Santa Rosa county will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the age of 18.  Valerie’s House hosts grief support groups and other activities for children and families during the week at no cost to families.

 To enroll a child who is grieving, or to find out more, please visit www.valerieshouse.org/pensacola or contact Crista Brandt at pensacola@valerieshouse.org.

Valerie’s House was founded in January 2016 in Fort Myers, Florida and has grown to help more than 3,000 children and their families across the state at locations in Fort Myers, Naples, Port Charlotte and at its newest location in Pensacola. The organization is named after Valerie Melvin, a Fort Myers wife and mother of two who died in 1987 in a car accident. For more information, visit www.valerieshouse.org 

Juniper Makes $100,000 Gift for Valerie's House New Forever Home

March 29, 2023

FOR MORE INFO:

 Angela Melvin, CEO                                                   Susan Bennett, APR, CPRC

Valerie’s House                                                 Susan Bennett Marketing & Media 

239-204-5804                                                             239-277-5255

angela@valerieshouse.org                                           sbennett@susanbennett.biz

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JUNIPER MAKES $100,000 GIFT

FOR VALERIE’S HOUSE NEW FOREVER HOME

FORT MYERS, FLA. March 29, 2023 – Valerie’s House is one giant step closer to completing its dream of having a home of its own for grieving children and families in Lee County with the donation of $100,000 in landscaping services from Juniper, a Fort Myers-based company with offices throughout Florida.

Landscape Design by Juniper

Juniper will be providing all design, landscape, irrigation and outdoor lighting on the one acre site at 3551 Shoemaker Lane in Fort Myers.

Juniper is the latest in a long list of community support for Valerie’s House, which initially began with the donation of the one acre property from the City of Fort Myers in November of 2019.  The project is now 50 percent complete with an anticipated opening this fall.

“We are grateful for all of the people who continue to want to be a part of Valerie’s House,” said Founder and CEO Angela Melvin.  “Having the talents of Juniper for our outdoor areas is helping us bring this house of healing to life with the Old Florida style that we love.”

“The design will include a memory garden, walking trail, larger, mature trees and outdoor lighting so the spaces can be enjoyed into the evenings,” said Dan deMont, chief revenue officer for Juniper.

“Juniper Cares, our charitable fund, has primarily focused its outreach and support on worthy youth organizations. Valerie’s House could not be a better example of that,” deMont said.

A total of $2.6 million has been raised toward the $3 million cost of the new home that is under construction on land donated by the City of Fort Myers under a $1 per year lease.  

The home will be a cozy, warm, old Florida style structure. The 7,000-square-foot facility will also allow Valerie’s House to help more children and provide wrap-around services, such as individual grief counseling to support families who desperately need it.

Valerie’s House is still looking for sponsors for several areas in the home, including the playground area, the activities gazebo and some of the children’s rooms.

“If you haven't donated yet, please consider being a part of our family,” Melvin said. “We are so close to reaching our goal. When the doors open later this year, you will know you are a part of this legacy for our community.”

To review the Family is Forever Home, visit www.valerieshouse.org/capital-campaign, call 239-478-6734, or email Project Manager Sterling Lund at sterling.lund@valerieshouse.org

Valerie’s House has helped more than 2,000 children and their families since its founding in 2016 by Angela Melvin, whose mother Valerie was killed in a car accident in 1987.

One in seven children in Florida is predicted to lose a parent or sibling before the age of 25, according to the 2022 Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model.

Valerie’s House currently offers peer support groups and other activities at locations in Fort Myers, Naples, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte and Pensacola. Valerie's House is a United Way partner agency and is fully supported by community donations.

 About Valerie’s House

Valerie’s House opened in January 2016 and has served more than 2,000 children and their families from Lee, Collier, Charlotte, and Hendry counties. The organization provides a safe, comfortable place for children to share, grieve and heal together following the death of a close family member. Valerie’s House has three locations: 1762 Fowler St. in downtown Fort Myers, 819 Myrtle Terrace in Naples and group therapy meetings at several churches in Charlotte County.  For more information, visit www.valerieshouse.org

About Juniper

Juniper was founded in 2001 and has grown to become the 17th largest landscape provider in the United States, according to Lawn & Landscape Magazine.  The Fort Myers-based company employs 2,200 people in 18 branches throughout Florida. For more information, visit www.junipercares.com

Valerie’s House Receives Donation for New Home Grief support center for children will expand with new location

December 9, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                          

Media Contacts:

Crista Brandt, Valerie’s House Pensacola,

850-266-0795, crista@valerieshouse.org

Valerie’s House Receives Donation for New Home

Grief support center for children will expand with a new location

Pensacola, Fla. – December 9, 2022  - Valerie’s House, a non-profit in Pensacola with the sole mission of helping children grieve the death of a family member, will expand into a new home thanks to the generosity of a donation from a Pensacola family foundation.

The Chadbourne Foundation has donated $500,000 for the purchase of the new Valerie’s House in Pensacola.  The Chadbourne Foundation, under the leadership of Caroline and Brian DeMaria, made the donation after getting to know the mission when a family member and their child attended Valerie’s House support groups. Valerie’s House- The Chadbourne Foundation Home for Grieving Families will be located inside a cozy, historic home at 904 East Gadsden Street. 

Chadbourne Foundation, statement

Valerie’s House- The Chadbourne Foundation Home for Grieving Families is the first free standing location in the region with its sole mission to offer ongoing grief support for children and adults at no cost to families.  Valerie’s House is not a formalized counseling center, but a community and a platform for grieving families to come together and help each other through the grieving process. Valerie’s House is based on a national model and helps children share, connect, and build bonds with other kids their age. The program uses a variety of art, music and journaling activities.  The vision of Valerie’s House is that no child will grieve alone.

Valerie’s House Pensacola founder Crista Brandt, whose own mother died when she was 11 years old, said the new home will allow the organization to help many more grieving children in a warm and inviting environment.

“We are very grateful for The Chadbourne Foundation’s generosity and their belief in our mission,” Brandt said.  “This new home will be a game changer in how our community is able to help families heal after a death in their family and it is a dream come true for our families.”

Valerie’s House expanded into the panhandle in late 2020 with Brandt’s leadership and in less than two years, has helped more than 100 children and their families find connection and healing in one of their various peer support groups.

 “When I was 11, my mother lost her battle with cancer.  I didn’t know anyone that had a parent die or understand what I was dealing with,” Brandt said. “I held in my pain and it made it much worse for my family.  It’s our mission to make sure no child ever has to grieve alone in our community.”

Valerie’s House Pensacola has been utilizing the Big Brothers Big Sisters building off Creighton Road since opening in 202 but has quickly outgrew the space.

Brandt says Valerie’s House is looking forward to the opportunities the new house will bring in helping grieving children and families in the community.

“We know grieving families need to be together and to have a place where they know they can be themselves and heal without judgement,” Brandt said. “That’s exactly what this home will be for our families. We are excited for the future.”

About Valerie’s House

Valerie’s House first opened its doors in 2016 in Fort Myers in a small cozy home and has followed with expansions into Naples, Port Charlotte, and now Pensacola, Florida.  Valerie’s House was founded by Angela Melvin, whose mother Valerie, died in a car accident in 1987.

Valerie's House is a 501 © 3 non-profit and its Pensacola chapter is a United Way partner agency and fully supported by community donations.  To learn more, please go to www.valerieshouse.org/pensacola or contact Crista Brandt at crista@valerieshouse.org.

Valerie’s House Founder Angela Melvin Appears On National Television

December 2, 2022

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                          

 Media Contacts:

Angela Melvin, Founder & CEO                                                                                                                                         Susan Bennett, APR, CPRC

Valerie’s House                                                                                                                                                      Susan Bennett Marketing & Media 

239-204-5804                                                                                                                                                                                   (239) 277-5255

angela@valerieshouseswfl.org                                                                                                                                         sbennett@susanbennett.biz

Valerie’s House Founder Angela Melvin Appears On National Television

FORT MYERS, Fla. – December 2, 2022 – Angela Melvin, founder and CEO of Valerie’s House, was a special guest on “Live With Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest” on WINK-TV today.

Melvin said she received a call November 22 from the show’s producers, asking if she would be available for the interview as their Good News story.

The six-minute interview was done via Zoom from the Valerie’s House location in downtown Fort Myers.

As a result of the interview, Melvin said she has received dozens of calls and emails asking about Valerie’s House and how callers can have a Valerie’s House in their community.  The Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest show also donated $5,000 to Valerie’s House to continue their good work.

“It was a great experience as I was able to tell the Valerie’s House story to a national audience and spread the word about how to help children grieve the loss of a loved one,” Melvin said after the interview.

Valerie’s House first opened its doors with 20 children and their caregivers on the evening of January 11, 2016, in a small house in downtown Fort Myers.  Since then, the organization has grown to help more than 2,000 children and expanded into three additional locations across Southwest Florida, including Naples, Punta Gorda, Port Charlotte and its newest location in Pensacola.

The interview came on the heels of National Children’s Grief Awareness Month in November. One in seven children in Florida is predicted to lose a parent or sibling before the age of 25, according to the 2021 Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model.

In addition to talking about the founding of Valerie’s House, Melvin discussed the Pay It Forward vision of Valerie’s House where teens who have gone through the program then come back and mentor other grieving children.

Ryan and Kelly also asked Melvin about Valerie’s House expanding throughout the state and nationally.  Melvin replied, “We know there are many places around the country that are without grief support services for children and if we can help other communities start something similar to Valerie’s House, we will do so.”

Valerie’s House provides a safe, comfortable place for children and their families to heal together following the death of someone they love. Valerie’s House offers support groups and other activities at a home on 1762 Fowler Street in Fort Myers and a home in Naples at 819 Myrtle Terrace. Valerie's House also holds group meetings in Charlotte County at First United Methodist Church in Punta Gorda at 507 W. Marion Ave. and at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church at 2565 Tamiami Trail in Port Charlotte.  Support services are also offered in Pensacola. Valerie's House is a United Way partner agency and is fully supported by community donations.  More information can be found at www.valerieshouse.org.

California Closets Makes Major Donation to Valerie's House for New Forever Home

FORT MYERS, FLA.,– California Closets has made a major gift to Valerie’s House for its new Forever Home under construction at 3551 Shoemaker Lane in Fort Myers.

California Closets has donated $50,000 to sponsor one of the new therapy rooms and has agreed to donate the materials and labor to install the built-in shelving and closets throughout the home. “We are very grateful to California Closets for helping us build our new Forever Home,” said Valerie’s House Founder and CEO Angela Melvin.  “The generosity of Bo Woods and Suzi Henderson ensures that we will be able to fulfill our mission of no child grieving alone after the death of a loved one.”

The built-ins will be needed throughout the home to store materials needed for grief support activities, according to Sterling Lund, Valerie’s House project manager. One of the most important areas to be built into the new home will be the teddy bear wall.

Woods said they have been supporters of Valerie’s House for several years.

“Our goal is to apply our expertise and product to create a calm, organized space that allows the staff at Valerie’s House to focus on what matters most,” Woods said.

vICE President bO hENDERSON, WIFE sUSIE Woods, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, TayLOR wOODS & Director of Sales & Marketing, hEATHER wOODS

California Closets plans to spend a day volunteering on property to install their custom pieces. “It is important to our company that everyone can be involved in helping make this project possible” says Woods.

A total of $2.5 million has been raised toward the $3 million cost of the new home that is under construction on land donated by the City of Fort Myers under a $1 per year lease.  Several room sponsorship opportunities for the community are available.

The home will be a cozy, warm, old Florida style structure, with special rooms like a volcano room, which allows children to work out any anger or other emotions they have because of their loss.  The 7,000-square-foot facility will allow Valerie’s House to help more children and provide wrap-around services, such as individual grief counseling to support families who desperately need it.

Lennar Homes is acting as the project manager for the construction of the home, which is expected to be completed by mid-2023.  

Valerie’s House has helped more than 2,000 children and their families since its founding in 2016 by Angela Melvin, whose own mother was killed in a car accident in 1987.

One in seven children in Florida is predicted to lose a parent or sibling before the age of 25, according to the 2022 Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model.

Valerie’s House currently offers peer support groups and other activities at locations in Fort Myers, Naples, Punta Gorda, and Port Charlotte. Valerie's House is a United Way partner agency and is fully supported by community donations.

For more information about Valerie’s House or to make a donation to the Forever Home Campaign, visit www.valerieshouseswfl.org/capital-campaign, call 239-478-6734, or write angela@valerieshouseswfl.org. 

About Valerie’s House

Valerie’s House opened in January 2016 and has served more than 2,000 children and their families from Lee, Collier, Charlotte, and Hendry counties. The organization provides a safe, comfortable place for children to share, grieve and heal together following the death of a close family member. Valerie’s House has three locations: 1762 Fowler St. in downtown Fort Myers, 819 Myrtle Terrace in Naples and group therapy meetings at several churches in Charlotte County.  For more information, visit www.valerieshouse.org

About California Closets

For more than forty years, California Closets has built a reputation as a leader in premium and luxury space management, delivering truly custom products and unparalleled service California Closets sees home as more than just a place—it is a source of comfort and refuge, a space for connection and celebration. Committed to offering quality custom storage solutions, California Closets helps give people a sense or organization that allows them to focus on what matters most. Today, there are 120 showrooms and 700+ designers across North America.

Valerie’s House Volunteer Paying it Forward and Helping Others

Paying kindness forward. A young adult who grew up going to Valerie’s House after her mom died is now starting to volunteer to help other kids dealing with loss.

Thursday was National Children’s Grief Day. It’s not a day to celebrate but to make people stop and think.

The people at Valerie’s House help kids in pain every day.

“I’ve been coming here for seven years. My siblings and I have been coming here for seven years. It’s a place that just changed their life around. It changed my life personally in a way that not a lot of people would have done,” said Josselin Calderon, a volunteer at Valerie’s House.

Calderon lost her mom when she was 15. Valerie’s House helped her get through it. She said it was her turn to help others.

“Being able to help other kids and show them, hey, look, I was a mess, but I turned out to be just fine, and it’s the same for you. Just take it one day at a time,” Calderon said.

“The kids are so insightful, and they grasp the concepts that we put forward to them,” said Arinelle Lewis,  the group night and resource navigator at Valerie’s House.

Lewis said it’s important for kids to grieve in a safe, stress-free space.

“Just getting to watch them interact with the other kids and grow, the kids that start off kind of timid because it’s their first time. And then come for a few months and watching them grow and get more comfortable,” said Lewis.

Calderon said she misses her mom more and more each day, but she knows how to handle that. “I wish she was here. But I can say now that I turned out to be fine. I turned out to be OK.”

Now Calderon’s job is to show kids that they can survive the pain of loss just like she did.

Valerie’s House served as a shelter with food and necessary supplies for families impacted by Hurricane Ian.

They said grief is all around us.