Valerie’s House is about to get greater.
The Southwest Florida nonprofit which is devoted to providing grief counseling for children and their families will crack floor Friday on a new 7,000-sq.-foot facility in Fort Myers.
The “permanently residence” will be constructed on land donated by the town of Fort Myers below a $1-a-year-for-99-years land lease at 3551 Shoemaker Lane off Veronica S. Shoemaker Boulevard.
The team has raised $2.5 million of the $3 million needed for its new dwelling. Many home sponsorship opportunities continue being available.
“This residence will usually be a place for grieving families to connect with their very own,” said Angela Melvin, founder and CEO. “Regardless of what takes place in the future, possessing this house means no boy or girl will ever have to grieve on your own in our neighborhood.”
Valerie’s House has assisted more than 2,000 small children and their family members given that its founding in 2016. Melvin named it just after her mother who was killed in a car accident in 1987.
An estimated one in seven children in Florida is predicted to get rid of a parent or sibling in advance of the age of 25, in accordance to the 2022 Childhood Bereavement Estimation Design.
Valerie’s Residence at present offers peer help groups and other functions at spots in Fort Myers, Naples, Punta Gorda, and Port Charlotte. Valerie’s Residence is a United Way lover agency and is completely supported by neighborhood donations.
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The new home is intended as an Previous-Florida-design construction, with distinctive rooms like a volcano room which allows children to perform out any anger or other thoughts they have for the reason that of their loss.
The new facility will allow Valerie’s Household to help more small children and supply wrap-all-around solutions, these kinds of as specific grief counseling to assist help households in have to have.
Lennar Homes is project manager for construction which is envisioned to be concluded by mid-2023.
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For additional details about Valerie’s Household or to make a donation to the Endlessly Residence Marketing campaign, stop by valerieshouseswfl.org/funds-campaign, get in touch with 239-478-6734, or publish [email protected].
About Valerie’s Residence
Valerie’s Property opened in January 2016 and has served extra than 2,000 little ones and their family members from Lee, Collier, Charlotte, and Hendry counties. The firm offers a risk-free, cozy area for young children to share, grieve and mend collectively following the demise of a close relatives member. Valerie’s House has a few spots: 1762 Fowler St. in downtown Fort Myers, 819 Myrtle Terrace in Naples and team remedy conferences at many churches in Charlotte County. For extra information, stop by valerieshouse.org
Link with breaking news reporter Michael Braun: MichaelBraunNP (Facebook), @MichaelBraunNP (Twitter) or [email protected].