Valerie’s House receives $15,000 Grant from Community Foundation of Collier County Angel Fund for Small Nonprofits

FORT MYERS, Fla. – August 20, 2018 – Valerie’s House has received a $15,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Collier County Angel Fund for Small Nonprofits to create its first Spanish-speaking group for grieving children and families in Collier County.
 
Valerie’s House provides children and their families who have experienced the death of a loved one a safe place to share and experience support with others who are also grieving, while moving through the healing process. The Community Foundation of Collier County awards annual grants through a competitive application and review process. Selected organizations receive grant dollars from the Changing Needs Fund. This Fund is made up of donors who believe in the Community Foundation’s ability to identify and grant to the community’s most current needs.
 
“We’re honored to receive this grant from the Community Foundation of Collier County,” said Angela Melvin, CEO and founder of Valerie’s House. “This award is going to be pivotal for Valerie’s House by allowing us to develop and start our first Spanish-speaking grief support group in Collier County to help our Spanish-speaking families who are experiencing the grief of losing a close family member.”
 
Children and their families who want to become part of our first Valerie’s House Spanish-speaking grief group in Collier County are urged to learn more about our services at www.ValeriesHouseSWFL.org and contact Frances Bustamonte at [email protected] to enroll.
 
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF COLLIER COUNTY – The Community Foundation of Collier County is a tax-exempt, public, charitable organization established in 1985 to increase and focus private philanthropy in the area. Today, the Community Foundation of Collier County manages more than 700 funds, such as the Angel Fund for Small Nonprofits, serves 400 nonprofits, holds over $173 million in assets and has distributed more than $130 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and community programs since its inception in 1985. The Community Foundation of Collier County is one of Florida’s fastest growing community foundations. For good. Forever. Learn more at www.cfcollier.org or call 239-649-5000.

ABOUT VALERIE’S HOUSE – Valerie’s House provides grief services to over 200 children and their families from Lee, Collier, Charlotte and Sarasota counties at its downtown Fort Myers location at 1762 Fowler Street and in Naples at The Village School at 6000 Goodlette-Frank Road. As the first program of its kind in Southwest Florida focusing on children and their immediate families, Valerie’s House provides a safe, comfortable place for children to bond, grieve and heal following the death of a close family member so that no child will grieve alone. Valerie’s House is a United Way Partner Agency and is fully supported through generous donations from the community. For more information, visit www.valerieshouseswfl.org or call Allyson O’Brien, Program and Volunteer Coordinator at 239-204-5804.  For more information or to make donations, visit http://www.valerieshouseswfl.org or mail to Valerie’s House, Inc., PO Box 1955, Fort Myers, FL 33902.