Volunteer Spotlight: Sierra Ritchey

Sierra gives others strength, compassion

Sierra Ritchey was approaching her senior year at Florida Gulf Coast University. She was excited about her future when the horrifying news that her older brother, Kenny, had been killed in a car accident.

Kenny had a history of seizures but never experienced one while driving.  She was in shock, so were her parents. Sierra knew she had to push her own emotions aside and take charge of her family. She was the one who identified her brother through his driver's license, made most of the funeral arrangements, and wrote his obituary.

“At the hospital, I was the one who stopped crying almost immediately because I knew I needed to be there for my parents,” Sierra said. “It was a big responsibility put on my shoulders.”

She wrote her brother's obituary and described him in perfect detail.  She wrote about her brother's love for sports and their life growing up in the mountain town of Hollidaysburg, Pa., before moving to Florida six years ago.

She became the family pillar, but inside Sierra was paralyzed by pain, she had no one to share her grief with until she found Valerie's House.

Sierra returned to class at FGCU for the fall semester about six months after Kenny died. Dr. Eric Dent, a professor at FGCU and his wife, invited Sierra to the grand opening of the new Valerie's House in Naples. "Literally, as soon as I stepped in, Ally (O'Brien) greeted me, and then I met Angela. They were so excited I was there."

"When I met Sierra and heard her story of loss and how she wanted to help others, I knew she belonged with the Valerie's House family," said Angela Melvin, Founder, and CEO of Valerie's House. "We support her, and in turn, she supports our children by being compassionate and understanding their pain. Her uplifting spirit and big smiles let the kids know they are going to be Ok."

Sierra was invited to sit in with the teen's group and soon, was volunteering at Valerie's House, working with the Littles, Middles, and Teens groups. "They really took me in," Sierra said.

Sierra, 21, was one of the youngest volunteers and one of the oldest in the teen group, and in some ways, it was difficult for her to connect. She now attends the Young Adults Group.  Sierra has also become a regular guest host on a podcast with Assistant Director of Group Support, Ally O'Brien.  Together they share personal feelings and give their audience tools to help process their loss. 

"I walked in and was nervous because I had never talked to a group of people about my brother," she said. "people were telling me their stories. I never had a platform where I could openly tell my story."

Sierra also did not think anyone had experienced a tragedy like hers and soon realized she was not alone.

"As a volunteer, I struggled with how my life was just awful," she said, "that no one else's problems were bigger than mine. At Valerie's House, no one tries to out due the other. There is no comparing grief and that is the most significant thing I have learned at Valerie's House."

Sierra graduated from FGCU in just three years with honors and a 3.94 GPA. The Pandemic kept Sierra from the traditional graduation ceremony at FGCU, but now, she has other things to celebrate.

Besides her work at Valerie's House, she also volunteers with the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast, providing love to 7-year-old Tamaya. Having a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, Sierra hopes to start a career in human resources.

"Valerie's House is the best place you never want to find," Sierra said. "They are an army of strength behind you. You walk in, and there are always smiles. We don't talk about death all the time, and we get excited to share stories about our loved ones."