Currently , Angela and her team have been going to schools throughout Lee County offering a 30-45 minute presentation to provide education and support to the faculty and staff of elementary , middle and high schools . Faculty and staff are encouraged to refer any child ( and his or her family ) that is dealing with a loss to Valerie ’ s House . All services are free .
The home in Fort Myers is intimate , warm , and inviting . Children are welcomed through the room that has a homey atmosphere with a fireplace , couch , and easy chairs . Above the couch is the Valerie ’ s house logo with the slogan , “ Valerie ’ s House , where children learn loss doesn ’ t have to limit their dreams .” Further into the house are shelves stacked with teddy bears and other stuffed animals . On the wall are big letters painted above a picture of Valerie , with the motto “ If you can dream , you can do it !”
have . “ So , one activity we do is to have the children paint a mask with the color or colors that represent their mood on the outside , and then they paint the inside with a color representing a mood that perhaps they don ’ t show on the outside , but keep within them .” In another room , there is a banner with pictures of the loved ones who have passed away with a sign that reads , “ Forever in our Hearts .” There is a play area for younger children with toddler toys , and an outside area where children can play basketball and other outside activities . The groups at Valerie ’ s house meet weeknights , twice a month . While younger children use play therapy to express themselves , older children meet and often spend time discussing their feelings and how they are working through school and moving through their lives with their losses . There is also an upstairs area for adults to talk and deal with their own grief as well .
Valerie ’ s House has 20 to 25 volunteers including five licensed therapists . “ We ’ re looking for more ,” says Angela . What she hopes for in the future is to have a bigger house they own themselves , where they can serve 200 to 300 more people , as well as a permanent location in Naples . But for right now , what Valerie ’ s House needs more than anything are funds . “ We are growing , which is a good thing , but we need to grow financially as well so that we can sustain the amount of children we currently have ,” she says .
“ This is a community effort . We are forming relationships with businesses to support us every year . In such a short time , I can ’ t believe how much the Royal Palm Coast Realtor ® Association has been helping us . We ’ ve already gotten a few who are volunteering for us !”
If you want to get involved , stay tuned for Association events this year that will help Valerie ’ s House ; or go to the website valerieshouseswfl . org for more information .
“ This is one of the first things a child sees when they enter Valerie ’ s house . So when they come in , the first thing he or she does is pick up an animal of their choice to spend time with while they go into group counseling .” In their groups the children may work on art or music therapy , journaling , and much more . “ Here , we help the children identify their feelings ,” says Angela , pointing to a color chart where a color represents a different mood or feeling the child may
RPCRA . ORG | MAY / JUN 2017 19