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Valerie’s House will celebrate its expansion in Collier County with the opening of a new home dedicated to helping grieving children heal after the loss of a loved one. The community is invited to see Valerie’s House’s new healing space from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 10 at 819 Myrtle Terrace in Naples. Valerie’s House-Naples will open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce and other guests. Children then will be allowed into the space for the first time since its renovation for a look at their new home of healing. A second open house will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 11. A not-for-profit organization, Valerie’s House’s unique program model gives children a safe, home-like environment to identify, express and process grief using art, music and other holistic services. Because its programs are typically held in a home, Valerie’s House makes children feel more comfortable than in traditional therapeutic settings. After bonding over a potluck dinner, children break into age-appropriate groups in rooms where they can share their experiences while caregivers meet simultaneously in their own support group. Valerie’s House opened in Fort Myers in January 2016 and expanded into Collier County in March 2017, using space at The Village School. More than 150 children and their caregivers have attended groups at Valerie’s House in Naples since its inception. The new location will allow Valerie’s House to add more group nights to its programs, which include groups for Spanish-speaking parents, grandparents raising their grandchildren, and individuals who have lost loved ones to suicide. Naples resident Frances Bustamante and her two children sought support at Valerie’s House after her husband died. “The first day of Valerie’s House group night, they both went into the age-appropriate groups, and after that evening, they both told me how happy they were to find a place where they felt they were not alone in their grief. That’s when I saw the glimpse of joy and hope on their faces.” “I was so grateful because of the special connections they had made in group that evening,” Bustamante said. “From that moment forward, those Valerie’s House families became part of our extended family.” The local interior design community along with volunteers and businesses have come together to make Valerie’s House-Naples a reality. Designers and volunteers have transformed rooms and common spaces into themed healing rooms: Imagination Playroom, Volcano Room, Chill Room, Art Room, Caregiver Room, Gathering Room and the Littles, Middles and Teens Rooms. Designers on this project are: Ecru and Ebony Design; Innovative Design Solutions; Lisa Davenport Designs; Lovetto Design; Statewide Window Treatments; Beverly’s Angels; Freestyle Interiors; L Design Studios; Lois Bolin; Seacoast Interiors; Wilfredo Emanuel Design; and The Find Furniture Consignment. Valerie’s House received grants from the Naples Children & Education Foundation, the founders of the Naples Winter Wine Festival, and VITAS Healthcare, as well as an anonymous gift from the family of children receiving care from Valerie’s House-Naples, to expand its program in Collier County. “We know how much a program focusing specifically on the needs of grieving children is needed in Collier County, and we are committed to making sure no child will ever grieve alone,” said Founder and CEO Angela Melvin. To reserve a spot at one of the open houses, contact Valerie’s House at events@ValeriesHouseSWFL.org or 239.204.5804.