In an inspiring new collaboration, Valerie’s House Pensacola and Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) have joined forces to offer essential grief support to young women at the Pace Center for Girls Escambia-Santa Rosa counties. With a generous $5,000 donation from FPL’s NextEra Energy Foundation, Valerie’s House is now able to bring specialized grief counseling directly to the classrooms at Pace, providing support to girls coping with loss due to death, incarceration, or abandonment.

Grief support is an urgent need for many of the young women at Pace, where traditional counseling services focus on academics, leadership, and trauma recovery but don’t specialize in grief. Laurie Rodgers, executive director of the Pace Center, explains, “When I heard about Valerie’s House, I immediately thought of all the girls who have lost a loved one. But transportation barriers prevented our girls from attending evening therapy at Valerie’s House. Now, they can receive these services right in their classrooms.”

Crista Brandt, Northwest Florida Director for Valerie’s House, has been dedicated to ensuring grief support reaches children and teens who need it most. “We have a mission at Valerie’s House: we want kids to know they are not alone, and that loss does not have to limit their dreams,” says Crista. By offering services during the school day at Pace, her team aims to address the unique challenges of grief, which, without support, can lead to self-harming behaviors, substance abuse, and other risks.

Since early 2023, Valerie’s House has provided weekly peer support sessions for the girls at Pace. For teens like 16-year-old Jordan, the sessions have been transformative. “I was never able to open up before attending the grief group,” Jordan shares. “The activities helped me trust and express myself. I’ve had several losses, including my best friend. Before, I couldn’t even hear her name without walking away. Now, I’m able to talk about her.”

The donation from FPL not only supports the continued delivery of these essential grief services but also allows for additional resources, including high-quality materials for group activities and a field trip to the Valerie’s House location on Gadsden Street. J.T. Young, vice president and general manager of FPL Northwest, recently toured Valerie’s House with team members. “We were deeply moved by the important work they are doing with such a small staff,” he remarked. “We are privileged to support the life-changing work of Valerie’s House and the Pace Center for Girls.”

With approximately 9,000 children in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties experiencing grief each year, Valerie’s House remains committed to providing free grief support, funded through grants and donations. Through its expanding programs and community partnerships, Valerie’s House continues to offer a compassionate path to healing for grieving children and teens in Northwest Florida.

How You Can Help: To learn more about volunteering or donating to Valerie’s House or supporting Pace Center for Girls Escambia-Santa Rosa counties, visit Valerie's House Pensacola.