Valerie's House and AdventHealth hosted a dinner this past Tuesday for local children and bereaved caregivers that brought grief support groups together around a shared meal to help families feel supported and understood.
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — AdventHealth Port Charlotte is honored to join forces with Valerie’s House in Punta Gorda to help support hundreds of children and families throughout the community as they navigate the loss of a loved one with compassion, care and connection.
Valerie’s House provides free grief support services for hundreds of children and bereaved caregivers, offering a safe space where families can process loss together and begin healing. The organization also hosts weekly dinners that bring grief support groups together around a shared meal, helping families feel supported and understood.
As part of this mission-driven effort, AdventHealth Port Charlotte is grateful to have the opportunity to partner with Valerie’s House to help cover the costs of grief support services for more than 250 children and bereaved caregivers. AdventHealth Port Charlotte will also help provide warm meals for children and families served by the organization, reinforcing a shared belief that no family should have to grieve alone.
“At AdventHealth, we believe healing happens best when a community surrounds families with compassion,” said Adam Johnson, president and CEO of AdventHealth Port Charlotte. “Partnering with Valerie’s House allows us to walk alongside children and caregivers in Charlotte County who are navigating grief, reminding them they are not alone and that hope and support are always within reach.”
The mission of Valerie’s House is to help children and families work through the loss of a loved one and go on to live fulfilling lives, guided by the vision that no child will grieve alone. At Valerie’s House, children meet others their age who share similar experiences, forming strong bonds while learning that loss does not have to limit their dreams.
Dedicated staff and volunteers, many of whom have faced a similar grief journey, also help provide hope, understanding and reassurance along the way.
"At Valerie's House, we believe that loss doesn't have to limit a child's dreams,” said Keri Tutterow, the Family Care Manager at Valerie’s House. “This partnership with AdventHealth allows us to reach even more families in the Charlotte County area, providing them with the tools and community they need to move from a place of 'heavy' grief toward a path of healing."
To learn more about Valerie’s House visit Valerie's House: Supporting Grieving Families in Southwest Florida. To learn more about AdventHealth Port Charlotte and its mission visit AdventHealthPortCharlotte.com.