FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Crista Brandt O’Keefe

Valerie’s House Pensacola Advisory Committee Chair

(850) 266-0795

crista@valerieshouse.org

Valerie’s House Pensacola to Begin Peer Grief Support Groups April 2021

Pensacola, Fla. – March 10, 2021 – Valerie’s House, a Southwest Florida-founded nonprofit organization with the sole mission of helping children grieve, will begin offering peer grief support groups next month in Pensacola, Florida.

Group meetings are offered at no cost to families and will be held at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida, located at 1320 Creighton Road, Pensacola, FL 32504. During each bimonthly meeting, children and their caregivers will separate into peer groups to participate in healing activities to discuss their losses. The curriculum relies on art and music to help youths identify, express, and process their grief. Learn more about peer grief support groups at valerieshouse.org/childrens-peer-groups.

Valerie’s House Pensacola was made possible by The Bear Family Foundation and support from the Northwest Florida community.

“Every time I listen to and support a grieving child, I am healing, too,” said Crista Brandt O’Keefe, Valerie’s House Pensacola Advisory Committee Chair.

Crista lost her mom to cancer when she was 11 years old. As an adult, she found herself drawn to helping grieving children like she once was, which is why she began spearheading opening Valerie’s House’s Pensacola chapter.

Valerie’s House Pensacola is currently enrolling families. To enroll, call the Valerie’s House Pensacola Program & Outreach Coordinator Miranda Campbell at (850) 582-8255, or email her at miranda@valerieshouse.org. To refer a child who is grieving, visit valerieshouse.org and see the Contact & Referrals tab.

About Valerie’s House

As the first and only organization of its kind in Southwest Florida with the sole mission of helping children grieve, Valerie’s House has helped more than 1,000 children and their families since opening its doors in 2016. Valerie’s House provides a safe, comfortable place for children and families to heal together following the death of someone they love. Valerie’s House offers peer grief support groups and other activities at a home on 1762 Fowler Street in Fort Myers and a home in Naples at 819 Myrtle Terrace. Valerie's House also holds group meetings at First United Methodist Church in Punta Gorda. Valerie's House is a United Way partner agency and is fully supported by community donations that can be made online at valerieshouse.org or by mail to Valerie’s House, Inc., P.O. Box 1955, Fort Myers, FL 33902.

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