Our Volunteers

At Valerie’s House, volunteers are the heart of the mission, providing vital support to grieving children and families. One of those dedicated individuals is Carolyn Vickery, a social worker who has been volunteering with the organization for eight years. Carolyn shares what first drew her to Valerie’s House and what keeps her coming back.

Avi Dile is a recent Florida Gulf Coast University psychology graduate with a heart for grieving children.

His journey with Valerie’s House began seven months ago when he first stepped foot into the Fort Myers location. 

Since then, Avi has been a versatile volunteer, working with children in all age groups and helping them feel less alone.

After the death of her father in 2012, Blair felt misunderstood by her peers. She grieved in silence and felt alone after her loss.

Then, tragedy struck again when she lost two close friends due to an overdose after high school. That’s when she decided to use her experience with grief to help others who are mourning the loss of a loved one.

Tuesday night volunteer Kaylin Cole started with Valerie’s House as an intern in January 2023. After her semester was over in May, she decided to continue volunteering as a group facilitator and work with grieving children who have lost a loved one.

“Volunteering at Valerie’s House has taught me how to listen and speak to someone who is grieving,” Kaylin said. “My favorite part about volunteering is knowing that I can make families feel heard and cared for.”

After losing his mother as a young teen, John Mendes struggled to process the complex emotions associated with his grief. The years following her death were difficult and isolating, but he persevered thanks to the support he received from his father.

John, a New Jersey native, moved to Fort Myers a few years ago and began looking for ways to get involved in the new community. He learned about Valerie’s House through his daughter in 2021 and figured it would be the perfect place to volunteer his time.

Lexie DeCicco first discovered Valerie’s House while attending the Calusa Inshore Fishing Tournament in 2022. While at the event, she heard a Valerie’s House teen share a personal story of loss and was touched by the account. From then on, Lexie knew she wanted to be involved with Valerie’s House in any capacity.

“Anyone who comes to Valerie’s House will instantly feel the supportive energy we provide to families who are suffering from grief and loss,” Lexie said. “They know that when they come to Valerie’s House that they are not alone and never will be.”

Aolani Scott is a new Valerie’s House- Fort Myers volunteer with a passion for helping grieving kids like she once was.

As a forensic studies student at FGCU, Aolani first heard about Valerie’s House from a professor in the psychology department.

She knew Valerie’s House was the right place to volunteer her time because of her love for children and her own personal experience with loss.

Courtney McGovern was introduced to Valerie's House when looking for more opportunities to get involved within the SWFL community.

She had just finished the MBA program at Florida Gulf Coast University and found herself with some free time that she wanted to use to make an impact.

Valerie's House- Fort Myers volunteer Will Farrell felt an immediate connection to the children as soon as he walked through the doors for training in May 2022.

After only three months of working with the Valerie's House "middles" group, Will has stepped up as a strong and consistent leader that kids can count on.

Jena Lewis delivered a raffle prize to Valerie's House Founder and CEO Angela Melvin, who won an auction at the Alzheimer's Association's event in downtown Fort Myers last summer.

Jena had heard about Valerie's House but didn't know about its mission. While delivering the prize, she received a tour of the house and was enlightened about what goes on at Valerie's House.

Kayla Becerril was in search of an internship when she discovered Valerie’s House through the recommendation of a professor at Florida Gulf Coast University.

She started volunteering with Valerie’s House at the beginning of 2022 and has been an incredible addition to the team with her positive attitude and bilingual background.

When then 19-year-old Nina Mendes first walked up the front steps of Valerie’s House—Fort Myers in early 2020, she was in search of a story for her university newspaper.

While enrolled in a Florida Gulf Coast University course called Death and Dying, Nina learned about Valerie’s House and felt drawn to learn more.

There isn’t a day that goes by when longstanding Thursday night volunteer, Alton, doesn’t think of his mom and dad.

Alton lost both parents to a tragic incident in 1987 on his first day of summer vacation after graduating middle school.