Angela Melvin Shares Childhood Grief Message in The News-Press

During Children’s Grief Awareness Month, Valerie’s House Founder and CEO Angela Melvin was featured in The News-Press with a powerful opinion piece about the words grieving children hear — and why communities must do better in supporting kids after the death of a loved one.

In the article, Angela shares how comments like “get over it” or “it’s been a year” can deeply impact children and teens who are navigating grief. She also highlights the importance of listening, empathy, and creating safe spaces where children feel understood and supported.

The piece shines a light on the growing need for childhood grief support in Southwest Florida and the mission of Valerie’s House to ensure no child grieves alone.

Angela’s message encourages adults, schools, workplaces, and communities to become more grief-informed and intentional with the way they respond to loss.

Families and supporters can read the full opinion piece here:

Read the full News-Press article