Valerie's House Receives $30,000 from Wildcat Run Charitable Foundation

Valerie's House Receives $30,000 from Wildcat Run Charitable Foundation

First major grant a big boost to new nonprofit

Photo, L to R: Peter Cizdziel, Diane Bennett, Kathy Goldhawk, Mary Anne Casey, Gina Turkel, JoAnne Vicidomini, exuberant co-founders Angela Melvin and Caryn Smith, Judy Mittino, Pam Bishop, and Chick Accuso

Photo, L to R: Peter Cizdziel, Diane Bennett, Kathy Goldhawk, Mary Anne Casey, Gina Turkel, JoAnne Vicidomini, exuberant co-founders Angela Melvin and Caryn Smith, Judy Mittino, Pam Bishop, and Chick Accuso

FORT MYERS, Fla. (April 21, 2016)  Valerie’s House for Grieving Families, a not-for-profit organization helping children and families work through grief following the death of a loved one, was presented a check for $30,000 by the Wildcat Run Charitable Foundation. The foundation, also known as Wildcat Cares 4 Kids, annually selects a deserving nonprofit that serves children in need in Southwest Florida. This year’s fifth annual fundraiser gala was held February 20 at Wildcat Run Golf and Country Club in Estero.  

“I was moved to tears when I received the call that Valerie’s House had been chosen to benefit from this generous philanthropic community,” said Valerie’s House founder, Angela Melvin. “Wildcat Run saw our need and believed in our mission from the early stages of our development, and I will be forever grateful for their commitment to helping us reach children in grief.”

Valerie’s House opened January 2016 and is currently serving 52 children and caregivers 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 is located at 1618 Avalon Place in the historic Dean Park community of downtown Fort Myers, with plans to expand to Naples and Cape Coral.

The Wildcat Run Charitable Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-for-profit organization helping children in need. It has raised in excess of $180,000 over the last four years to help encourage, support, and improve the lives of children in Southwest Florida by providing assistance to other charitable and educational organizations. For more information, visit www.wildcatruncharitablefoundation.org.  

About Valerie's House

Valerie’s House is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that is fully supported through community donations that can be made online at www.valerieshouseswfl.org, or by mail to Valerie’s House, Inc., P.O. Box 1955, Fort Myers, FL 33902. For more information or to register for programs, visit www.valerieshouseswfl.org/contact-us/, call 239-478-6734, or write angela@valerieshouseswfl.org.         

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Photo, L to R:  Peter Cizdziel, Diane Bennett, Kathy Goldhawk, Mary Anne Casey, Gina Turkel, JoAnne Vicidomini, exuberant co-founders Angela Melvin and Caryn Smith, Judy Mittino, Pam Bishop, and Chick Accuso  

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