Valerie's House-Charlotte County to Host "Celebrating Charlotte"
/Sponsors and vendors sought for July 30 event
PORT CHARLOTTE, FLA., May 3, 2022 – Valerie’s House is hosting its first-ever fundraising event in Charlotte County on July 30 to raise funds to support Charlotte County children grieving the loss of loved ones.
“Celebrating Charlotte: Celebrating What Makes This Home” is the theme of the fund-raiser planned at the Charlotte Harbor Event & Conference Center from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Organizers are planning a day of food samples from some of Charlotte County’s best restaurants, select local brewery tastings, fashion, and shopping in the marketplace for unique creations and hand-made items.
Dillard’s will present a fashion show and provide mini make-up makeovers.
“We want this to be a day all about Charlotte County and what makes this such a great place to live,” said Christine Carey, director of the Charlotte County Valerie’s House.
Burnt Store Title & Escrow of Southwest Florida has signed on as the presenting sponsor of the event. Other sponsorships are available from $3,000 to $5,000 by contacting Carey at 239-841-0381 or emailing her at christine@valerieshouse.org.
“We’re also looking for vendors who want to showcase their products. Specifically, we are encouraging restaurants, breweries, crafts, salons, home-good stores, women’s clothing stores, and more to get involved,” Carey said.
Vendor space is available for $125 or $75 plus a donated auction basket. A 50/50 drawing also will be conducted.
General admission tickets are $25, with children ages five and younger admitted free with one paying adult. VIP tickets are $35 each and entitle the purchaser to shop one hour before the doors officially open. Tickets are on sale at www.valerieshouse.org/events
All funds raised at the event will be used to support the programming costs of Valerie’s House in Charlotte County, including materials for group nights and school groups, staff for group nights, counseling services, legal, financial, and food assistance for grieving children and families. All services are offered free of charge to grieving families.
Valerie’s House, which is headquartered in Fort Myers, has provided grief support services to 245 Charlotte County children and 76 caregivers since its opening in Charlotte County in 2019. Grief support groups are offered at 1st United Methodist Church in Punta Gorda and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Port Charlotte, with additional services offered at the Family Services Center in Port Charlotte.
Valerie’s House was founded in 2016 by Angela Melvin, whose own mother was killed in a car accident in 1987, and has expanded to include locations in Fort Myers and Naples as well as Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte.
One in eight children in Florida is predicted to lose a parent or sibling before the age of 25, according to the 2021 Childhood Bereavement Estimation Model.
Valerie's House is fully supported by community donations.
About Valerie’s House
Valerie’s House opened in January 2016 and has served more than 2,000 children and their families from Charlotte, Sarasota, Glades, Lee, Hendry, and Collier counties, as well as the Florida panhandle. 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 five locations: 1762 Fowler St. in downtown Fort Myers, 819 Myrtle Terrace in Naples, and grief support groups meetings at 1st United Methodist Church at 507 West Marion Ave. in Punta Gorda and Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 2565 Tamiami Trail, in Port Charlotte. Support services also are available at the Charlotte Family Services Center at 21500 Gibralter Drive in Port Charlotte. For more information, visit www.valerieshouse.org
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