PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — Valerie’s House in Punta Gorda helps children and families navigate the grieving process after losing a loved one.
Middle school student Bryan Notorfrancesco spoke to FOX 4's Victoria Scott on how Valerie's House has positively changed his life since losing his mom.
“I like it here," Bryan said. "I really like that it’s OK for you to give out your emotions."
Bryan has called Valerie's House home for a little over a year.
“They talk about how it’s OK to cry when you miss her, and it’s OK that she had passed," he said.
CEO and Founder of Valerie's House Angela Melvin started the nonprofit back in 2016.
“Most people will tell you that if they don’t have an opportunity to talk about what’s inside of them, it comes out in other ways," Melvin told Scott. "The very first thing the kids do when they come into Valerie’s House and they check-in in their group, is they say who died in their family. That’s a big statement for a lot of kids."
You can watch Victoria's full report here:
Bryan lost his him mom four years ago from a drug overdose.
His aunt Andrea Notorfrancesco takes care of him now.
“It was a fentanyl overdose, accidental," said Andrea. "They took her to the hospital, and she was brain dead. Her heart stopped."
Andrea said he’s come out of his shell since coming to Valerie’s House.
“He does better emotionally, physically, and I think when they go into their separate groups, it kind of gives everyone their own chance," Andrea said.
Bryan does a number of different exercises to help him grieve.
"They do quite a bit of projects that kind of get them talking, and they actually get to keep them, and bring them home," Andrea said. "He’s got pictures on the wall of things he’s done here. He likes to hold onto them which is great because he’s not very open with talking about what happened to his mom.”
Valerie’s House opened its Punta Gorda house in early 2024.
Melvin said the setting helps kids feel more comfortable.
“It’s a home away from home," she said. "It’s what we like to call it.”
However, Melvin told Scott her mission is far from over.
“We have quite a feat in front of us, because there’s probably 30 or 40,000 kids right here in our region who are grieving right now," Melvin said. "We want to make sure every single one of them knows about Valerie’s House."
The nonprofit also has locations in Fort Myers, Naples, and the Florida Panhandle.
