On Friday, March 18th, the Welcome Home Team attended the annual Sunset Soirée hosted by Valerie’s House to raise money for their new Val Pals program as well as to help grow the Naples location. Valerie’s House is a Southwest Florida local organization that supports children and families through the grieving process of a loved one. The Welcome Home Team supports Valerie’s House because of the personal connection that each member of our team has with this mission statement, and because this program has helped hundreds of children find a community where they feel welcomed and accepted.
As the Sunset Soiree began, we began the evening by taking a tour of Valerie’s House. We learned about the different rooms in the house that each have their own meaning and purpose to help a child through the grieving process. Each room was designed for a certain age range as well, to make sure that the children are feeling support from their peers. As we made our way through the house, we went into the backyard area where the event was being held. This event was a live auction in order to support the growth of Valerie’s House. They had managed to raise over $10,000 (as we are still waiting for the final number)! It was a great feeling to know that our team is in a community of supporters for this great organization.
At the end of the evening, each member of our team was able to write on a leaf the names of the people we lost in our lives. This memory tree was such an amazing way to honor the people in our lives and see that we are not alone in this grief process. We were also able to speak to others and hear why they choose to support Valerie’s House. Everyone has their own story, and hearing those stories continues to validate why our team supports Valerie’s House. We then got to write our own grief stories using colorful sand, where each color has a special meaning to it. It was a great activity that actually allowed our team, as well as the children, visualize their grief story and turn it into something beautiful.
If you or anyone you know is interested in getting involved with Valerie’s House, check out their website at www.valerieshouse.org. You can also help our team support Valerie’s House by donating to the Collier County Children portion of the organization. You can find more about donations by going to this link; https://valerieshouseswfl.networkforgood.com/projects/50535-no-child-grieves-alone?_ga=2.180307556.1142971721.1647867163-1325627567.1647867163