Valerie’s House Hires Grants and Advancement Manager

New Employee Has Personal Experience with Childhood Grief

FORT MYERS, Fla. – January 7, 2020 – Valerie’s House, the first and only organization with its only mission dedicated to helping children grieve, has hired Jennifer F. Clark as Grants and Advancement Manager. Clark served as the Grants Manager for Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Naples for three years before accepting the position with Valerie’s House.

At Valerie’s House, Clark will be responsible for expanding the nonprofit’s reach in Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties through community engagement and relationship building, including fostering collaboration and bringing awareness to the mission through public speaking. Clark will also be involved with the children and families at Valerie’s House as a group leader, since she herself lost her own father when she was nine years old and can relate with many of the children at Valerie’s House.

Clark is a graduate of the University of Florida and has been working with various nonprofits since 2005, gaining experience in donor cultivation and engagement, program and curriculum development, volunteer recruitment and events. She resides in Naples with her husband and two sons.

Jennifer clark

For more information about Valerie’s House or to register a family for programs, visit www.valerieshouseswfl.org/contact-us/, call 239-204-5804, or email info@valerieshouseswfl.org.  Valerie’s House is a United Way partner agency and is fully supported through community donations that can be made online at www.valerieshouseswfl.org or by mail to Valerie’s House, Inc., P.O. Box 1955, Fort Myers, FL 33902.

About Valerie’s House

As the first and only grief support program focused solely on helping children grieve, Valerie’s House opened in January 2016 and has helped more than 800 children and their families from Lee, Collier, Charlotte, and Hendry counties. The organization provides a safe, comfortable place for children to share, grieve and heal together following the death of a close family member. Valerie’s House has two homes: 1762 Fowler St. in downtown Fort Myers and its newest location in Naples at 819 Myrtle Terrace.  Valerie’s House also has a third location in Punta Gorda at First United Methodist Church.

Valerie’s House support programs are designed to give children ages 4 to 19 years old and their families a safe place to share, grieve and grow.  The overall goal is to lovingly assist children and their caregivers on their journeys toward mending broken hearts.  Programs include open-ended support groups and activities to help children, their parents, families and other caregivers to heal after a significant loss in their lives.