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Valerie\u2019s House provides an opportunity to help children within the SWFL community thrive and have a solid support system. -COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n
Valerie\u2019s House is marking a major milestone this month as it celebrates 10 years of serving grieving children, teens, and families across Southwest Florida.\n<\/p>\n
Founded in January 2016, Valerie\u2019s House opened its doors as the first children\u2019s bereavement center in Southwest Florida. The organization began with just 20 children meeting in a rented space in downtown Fort Myers on January 11, 2016. Today, Valerie\u2019s House has grown to serve nearly 7,000 children and families across Southwest Florida who are grieving the death of a loved one.\n<\/p>\n
Over the past decade, Valerie\u2019s House has expanded significantly, now employing 37 total staff members and serving families through three locations across Southwest Florida. The organization\u2019s growth includes the opening of the Fort Myers Family is Forever Home, the development of a robust clinical counseling department, a volunteer training program that prepares more than 60 volunteers each year to support grieving families, and strong partnerships with local schools, law enforcement, and higher education institutions.\n<\/p>\n
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Valerie\u2019s House provides an opportunity to help children within the SWFL community thrive and have a solid support system. -COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n
These partnerships include educator trainings, collaboration with Florida Gulf Coast University\u2019s social work program, and intentional efforts to help train the next generation of grief counselors. Teen ambassadors and young adult leaders who once participated in the program now play an active role in supporting peers and advancing the mission.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI never could have imagined how far we have come in such a short period of time,\u201d said Angela Melvin Churchill, founder and CEO of Valerie\u2019s House. \u201cI am incredibly grateful for the support of this community. None of this would have been possible without the families, volunteers, donors, and partners who believed in this mission from the very beginning.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
Valerie\u2019s House is celebrating its decade of service with a full schedule of commemorative initiatives and events throughout 2026, including:\n<\/p>\n
The creation and branding of a special 10-year anniversary logo;
\nCity and county proclamations recognizing the organization\u2019s impact, with formal proclamations presented by both the Lee County Commission and the Fort Myers City Council on January 20;
\n\u201cWhere Are They Now?\u201d \u2014 a storytelling series spotlighting some of the first Valerie\u2019s House families and how the organization helped them learn that loss does not have to limit their dreams;
\nA candlelight vigil and gratitude event honoring original Valerie\u2019s House families, donors, and supporters who helped the organization grow;
\nA Florida Everblades fundraising and awareness night on March 7, featuring Valerie\u2019s House children singing \u201cGod Bless America\u201d before the game;
\nThe launch of a newly redesigned Valerie\u2019s House website and the debut of a Valerie\u2019s House app;
\nAn in-depth interview with Melvin Churchill on the Valerie\u2019s House *Grieve Love Heal* podcast, sharing never-before-heard details about the early days of building the organization;
\nCommunity billboards across Southwest Florida to reach families who may be grieving and unaware of available support;
\nChildren\u2019s Grief Awareness Month activities in November, including an open house and the third annual Sunset Soiree at the Family is Forever Home; and
\nThe launch of special fundraising initiatives tied to the 10-year anniversary.<\/p>\n
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Valerie\u2019s House provides an opportunity to help children within the SWFL community thrive and have a solid support system. -COURTESY PHOTO<\/p>\n
\u201cEven after ten years of service to our community, we recognize many grieving families may still not know about our program,\u201d Melvin Churchill said. \u201cWe are asking everyone to help reach out to anyone you know who is grieving. Let them know we are here for them and that they are not alone. Give them a voice. Let them know they are heard.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\u201cSince 2016, Valerie\u2019s House has welcomed thousands of children and families, offering a caring and comfortable space where they can grieve, connect with others who understand, and find hope for the future,\u201d said Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson, a Valerie\u2019s House Board member.\n<\/p>\n
Valerie\u2019s House was founded by Melvin Churchill in 2016 following the loss of her mother, Valerie, who was killed in a car accident in 1987 when Angela was just 10 years old. Remembering the isolation and confusion she experienced as a grieving child, Melvin Churchill created Valerie\u2019s House so no child would have to grieve alone\n<\/p>\n
Valerie\u2019s House currently offers peer support groups and related programming at locations in Fort Myers, Naples, and Punta Gorda. Valerie\u2019s House is a United Way partner agency and is fully supported through community donations and grant funding.\n<\/p>\n