Justin Kase

05/24/2025

Congratulations to everyone from the Valerie’s House family graduating this year 💙 We know you’re going to great things 😊

05/18/2025

Have you been looking for a way to give back? I really can’t recommend a better place. So many of the volunteers and people who work here say that volunteering is healing. You will become a part of this community. And it will be something you look forward to when you do volunteer. It could be something as small as two days a month and two hours at a time. Seriously! Giving just four hours of your time makes a big difference for a kid who needs help. 

Want to make a difference in the life of a grieving child? 💛

We’re looking for caring volunteers to join our Valerie’s House family! Our next orientation is coming up, and we’d love to meet you.

🗓️ Punta Gorda: Monday, June 23 | 5:30–7:30 PM
📍 233 E. Mackenzie St., Punta Gorda, FL 33950

🗓️ Fort Myers: Monday, June 30 | 5:30–7:30 PM
📍 3551 Valerie’s House Way, Fort Myers, FL 33916

Come learn how you can help grieving children and families in our community. 💛

👉 RSVP here: https://loom.ly/cDuukL4

05/17/2025

This is the kind of story I often covered during my time at WINK. It’s never easy to tell stories like this, but I do think the story was told well.

Being on the other side of a story like this changes your perspective on the importance of telling me stories. Saying the word ‘stories’ doesn’t even feel appropriate anymore. They’re no longer stories, but someone’s life.  I felt myself get desensitized to ‘stories’ like this while working in news. I’m glad I no longer feel that way. 

05/11/2025

05/08/2025

Wings up! 🤟💚💙

04/24/2025

Service animals are a big part of Valerie’s House. I’m always amazed to see how many caring people choose to share so much love with the kids here. 

04/23/2025

We’ve wondering who is the reason behind this sign being created 😆.

Shaun wouldn’t say, but revealed two people are the culprits for the sign, not just one!

To whomever inspired this sign… just know, you’ve been warned. 😄

Let’s just say someone may have tried bending the rules in the card game Uno — and Shaun wasn’t having it.

This office belongs to Shaun, one of our amazing grief counselors at Valerie’s House. He provides one-on-one support to kids and teens who need a little extra help along their grief journey.

With decades of experience, Shaun knows that connection can happen in many forms — sometimes through conversation, and other times through a game of basketball or UNO, which he often uses as tools in his counseling sessions.

“No child grieves alone” isn’t just something he says — it’s what he lives every day. 💛

04/19/2025

I was happy to see my former colleague, Haley Zarcone, and I’m thankful Valerie's House could be included in this coverage.

WINK News reached out to Valerie’s House today, looking for insight from our licensed counselors on how to support those who are hurting—especially in the aftermath of the heartbreaking tragedy at FSU.

Our counselor, Susan Rizzato, MSW, LCSW, sat down with reporter Haley Zarcone to discuss grief, healing, and how we can all show up for others during painful times.

You can watch the story tonight—on The CW at 10 PM and WINK News at 11 PM.

04/17/2025

It is amazing to see so many people willing to give their time and love here 💙

04/14/2025

I love this 💙

More Than Just a Stuffed Animal

We recently received a beautiful message on our social media that we wanted to share — just as it was written:

“To whomever made this adorable monkey, thank you. You have no idea what this meant to her. She stood at the wall and pondered for a while, and when she saw this, she went right for it.
When we got in the car, she said ‘Auntie, do you know why I chose this one?’
‘I chose it because it made me think of the monkey I had when I was a kid. My Mom lost it. This makes me happy.’
It has been on her bed with her at all times since she got it.
Thank you ❤️”
— Jennifer Muriel

Jennifer’s niece is grieving the loss of her mom. The monkey she chose was one of many stuffed animals on our Teddy Bear Wall, where every child and teen who joins Valerie’s House is invited to pick a special companion to keep and bring back on group nights.

This particular stuffed animal was handmade by Darcy Benson, the grandmother of Heather and Taylor Woods. The Woods family and their California Closets of Southwest Florida team have deep roots here at Valerie’s House—not only for the extraordinary work they've done at our Forever Home, but also through their beloved Aunt Judith, a lifelong social worker with a big heart for helping children and families. One of our upstairs group rooms is named in honor of Judith and her late husband, Jerome.

Sometimes, the smallest gestures bring the greatest comfort. 💛

California Closets

03/28/2025

A big milestone here 😊

10,000 followers. One mission. 💛

We hit a big milestone today—10,000 people now follow Valerie’s House on Facebook. That’s 10,000 hearts standing with us to make sure no child ever grieves alone.

This photo says it all.
The back row? Kids currently in our program.
The front row? Young adults who once sat in those same seats—and are now giving back to help the next generation heal.

You’ve shown these kids that grief doesn’t define them. That they’re not alone. That they have hope.

Valerie’s House is what it is because of YOU—our amazing community. We’re humbled, we’re grateful, and we’re so honored to be on this journey together.

Thank you for believing in this mission. Here’s to what we’ll do next—together.