Valerie's House Family is Forever Home Soft Opening

Light show donations brighten holidays for grieving families

A Message to Grieving Children

This is a message from some of our staff at Valerie's House.

The Lampila Family

Jeff Lampila lost his wife seven years ago and is a single father raising two children. Finn, age 13, and Kinzley, age 8, attend Valerie’s House with their dad for peer grief support groups. They were one of the first Valerie’s House families to ever walk through our doors.

Valerie’s House Teens Give tour of Valerie’s House

Join some of the Valerie's House teens on a quick tour through our facilities at our Fort Myers location.

Eleven-Year-Old Talks About Life After Losing His Dad

Ryan comes to group nights at Valerie's House with his mother and younger sister. They are a Monday night Fort Myers family looking to heal after their loss.

Thirteen-Year-Old Helps Other Girls Who Have Lost Their Mom

Mia regularly attends group nights at Valerie's House. She has come a long way since her mother died in a car accident three years ago.

Zach Stands Up For Other Grieving Kids

Zach has been coming to Valerie's House since the recent death of his father to COVID-19. He wants other kids to know that they are not alone in their grief.

Valerie’s House Gives Rise to Hopes and Dreams

Watch this video of our Valerie's House- Naples children talk about their hopes for the future. It's important that we remind our kids that loss doesn't have to limit their dreams. We will always be here for our families to ensure they are never alone in their grief.

Valerie's House Teen Helps Others Grieve

Check out this video from Alexis, who is a Valerie's House teen.

She started coming to group night after the loss of her grandmother in 2020. Alexis plans to graduate from Mariner High School in the spring and recently started working with our grief support groups as a buddy. She created this video in hopes of receiving a scholarship to pursue higher education. We are so proud of Alexis for her hard work and dedication to the children of Valerie's House.

Grief Questions Starburst Activity | Helping Grieving Children

In our latest peer grief support group activity, children choose from a group of colored cards that coordinate with the four flavors of Starburst candies. After they answer the question on the card, they will get a Starburst candy that matches their colored card to eat! Our “Littles” have the option of playing a version of Candyland if the grief questions are too difficult for them. They will discuss a time they experienced different emotions based on what color on the board they land on and our Colors of Emotions chart.

Valerie’s House is the only organization of its kind in Southwest Florida with the sole mission of helping children grieve the loss of a loved one. Learn more and help us support grieving children and families at valerieshouse.org.

Music: "Perception," Bensound.com

Naples Open House Preview: You're Invited to Valerie's House-Naples

Valerie’s House is the only organization of its kind in Southwest Florida with the sole mission of helping children grieve the loss of a loved one. The mission is to help children and families work through the loss of a loved one together and go on to live fulfilling lives. Our vision is that No Child Will Grieve Alone.

With locations in Fort Myers, Naples, and Punta Gorda, Valerie’s House is a special place where children connect with one another and learn the tools to heal after they have experienced the death of someone they love.

This video is an invitation to the community to come see Valerie's House's location in Collier County during our open house on Thursday, June 3 from 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. See full details at https://fb.me/e/1iRkVuoLa.

Self-Esteem Building Mantra Activity | Helping Grieving Children

In our latest peer grief support group activity, children, teens, and caregivers are focusing on their own self-esteem. After the loss of a loved one, many struggle with their self-image or their self-esteem, so activities like these can help our families remember what's great about them. Our group buddies provide a list of prompts to help them get started on thinking about things that are good about themselves and/or that they would like to focus on improving. Then, they create mantras - words or short phrases to repeat - that they can practice and refer to when they need them.

Valerie’s House is the only organization of its kind in Southwest Florida with the sole mission of helping children grieve the loss of a loved one. Learn more and help us support grieving children and families at valerieshouse.org.

Music: "Tenderness," Bensound.com

Family Peer Grief Support Group Activity - Mandalas

In this activity, our families have an open discussion about mindfulness and the importance of learning techniques/skills to help us cope with stress and anxiety. We work together as a family to enhance unity and better understand each other’s stressors, how we manage them, and the things we are grateful for. During the discussion, they are going to work on creating their own mandalas using nature themed items. Everyone’s mandala will be different and can be very simple or more complicated based on what they members of the family decide to include.

Valerie’s House is the only organization of its kind in Southwest Florida with the sole mission of helping children grieve the loss of a loved one. Learn more and help us support grieving children and families at valerieshouse.org.

Virtual Tour & Sand Tray Therapy Demo - Valerie’s House Fort Myers Spring Open House

Get an inside look at Valerie’s House in Fort Myers with this virtual tour and walk-through from our open house on April 10, 2021. Valerie’s House Teen Ambassador, Austin, gives a tour of our Fort Myers location, and Director of Care and Compassion, Heather Payne, LMHC, RPT-S, CAAPT, CT, explains how Sand Tray Therapy techniques can benefit grieving children. This event was open to anyone looking to learn more about how they can help us support more grieving children and families at Valerie’s House and we look forward to hosting similar events in the future!

Valerie’s House Spring Open House - Valerie’s House SWFL, where No Child Will Grieve Alone.

Valerie’s House is the only organization of its kind in Southwest Florida with the sole mission of helping children grieve the loss of a loved one.

Coping with Anger - Scream Box Activity

Peek behind the scenes at another Valerie's House peer grief support group activity: Scream Boxes.

Kids, teens, and caregivers will discuss healthy ways to manage anger and frustration that may come from the loss of their loved one or their everyday lives. Then, they make and decorate a scream box using cardboard and tissue paper to give them a place to let it all out and remind them that anger is natural. Valerie’s House is the first and only organization of its kind with the sole mission to help children grieve the loss of a loved one.

With locations in Fort Myers, Naples, Punta Gorda, and Pensacola, Valerie’s House is a special place where children connect with one another and learn the tools to heal after they have experienced the death of someone they love. Learn more: https://valerieshouse.org/​

Behind the Scenes - Delaney Prepares for Group Night Activity

Peek behind the scenes at a Valerie's House peer grief support group activity: Calm Down Bottles. Kids, teens, and caregivers will discuss healthy ways to cope with stress and the kids will use water, oil, glitter, and beads to create lava lamp-inspired “calm down bottles,” a great sensory object to help them be present and relax.