Reaching out for help after the loss of a loved one can be overwhelming. In this heartfelt episode of the Grieve Love Heal podcast, Valerie’s House Founder & CEO Angela Melvin sits down with Keri Tutterrow—one of the first voices you may hear when you contact Valerie’s House.

Keri shares her own grief journey, what families can expect after they make that first call or email, and how we walk alongside families every step of the way—from the first conversation to the moment they walk through our doors.

Whether you're a grieving caregiver, a concerned friend, or just wondering how the process works, this episode will ease your worries and help you feel more comfortable taking that first courageous step.

Learn more: https://valerieshouse.org

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Welcome to a special edition of the Grieve Love Heal Podcast, where we delve deep into the poignant work being done at Valerie’s House in honor of Social Work Month. This month, we shine a spotlight on the dedicated social workers who play a crucial role in providing mental health care across the country, with a particular focus on their work at Valerie's House.

Honoring Social Work Month

Throughout March, Social Work Month, we celebrate the impactful work of social workers who serve as frontline providers in our communities. At Valerie’s House, social workers are integral to our mission of supporting grieving families and children, meeting them where they are, and providing nonjudgmental, compassionate care.

Meet Amy Strom

We had the privilege of speaking with Amy Strom, Vice President of Partnerships and Operations at Valerie’s House, to gain insights into her journey in social work and her profound impact. Inspired by her father, a social worker and university professor, Amy embarked on a path marked by empathy and dedication, striving to empower individuals to meet their own needs and fostering the next generation of social workers.

Amy’s Journey to Valerie's House

Amy's introduction to Valerie's House was serendipitous, with a coworker leading her to the place where she would channel her passion for community service. Since 2016, she has been vital in growing the organization from a single group to a multifaceted support system that reaches across the state, serving thousands of children and families. Her commitment underscores the idea that social work isn’t just a profession; it's a way of life.

Building Community and Empowering Families

The work done at Valerie's House transcends traditional support; it creates a home-like environment where families can openly express their grief without stigma. The support groups are structured to build community and provide strength, ensuring that no child grieves alone. At the heart of this work are practices drawn from social work principles, centered around meeting families where they are and empowering them to navigate life's challenges.

The Role of Social Workers

Social workers at Valerie's House and beyond are dedicated to creating environments where healing can begin, listening actively to the needs of families, and fostering connections that empower both children and their caregivers. Their roles are not limited to individual support but extend to advocating for systemic change and addressing broader social justice issues.

Training the Next Generation

Amy Strom plays a pivotal role in shaping future social workers, serving as a qualified supervisor and adjunct professor at Florida Gulf Coast University. By sharing her wealth of knowledge and experience, she ensures that upcoming social workers are well-equipped to address the diverse needs of their communities with empathy and ethical practice.

A Commitment Beyond Career

For Amy, and many like her, social work is more than a career; it’s a lifelong commitment to helping others navigate their most challenging times. Her story is a testament to the enduring impact one individual can have in shaping hopeful futures.

Join the Movement

As we reflect on the incredible work being done at Valerie's House, we invite you to consider how you might support or get involved with similar initiatives. The fulfillment found in helping others and witnessing their growth can replenish your own spirit, as Amy so beautifully illustrates.

In closing, we deeply appreciate Amy Strom and all social workers for their tireless dedication to fostering healing, community, and hope.

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In this powerful episode, we explore how tattoos can serve as lasting symbols of love, memory, and healing. Tattooed Grief dives into the personal stories behind tattoos that honor lost loved ones and capture individual journeys through grief. We’re joined by the talented Kelly Rogers, owner of Gearhead Tattoo in Cape Coral, along with one of our Valerie’s House staff members. Together, they share the transformative role that meaningful ink can play in the healing process.

Plus, we’re featuring a Tattooed Grief Gallery with photos from our community, showcasing grief-related tattoos shared by our own Valerie’s House staff and families. Each tattoo tells a story—a beautiful, enduring reminder that love persists.

Visit the gallery here: valerieshouse.org/vh-blog/2024/10/25/tattooed-grief.

Join us for a heartfelt conversation with Kelly Rogers as we discuss remembrance, resilience, and the art of healing through tattoos. Tune in now to be inspired, one story at a time.

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In this powerful episode of Grieve Love Heal, produced by Valerie's House, we dive into the profound ways grief, love, and healing intersect with overdose and drugs. Released in alignment with Overdose Awareness Month and International Overdose Awareness Day, this episode features three compelling interviews that shed light on the impact of the drug epidemic.

First, Valerie's House founder and CEO, Angela Melvin, speaks with Al Kinkle, founder and president of Kimmie's Recovery Zone. Al shares his heartbreaking journey after losing his daughter to overdose and how he turned his pain into a nonprofit that supports others on their recovery paths. (00:00 - 24:33)

Next, we hear from 14-year-old Ava Johnson, who discovered her mother’s body after an overdose just two years ago. Ava’s story is both chilling and hopeful, showcasing the resilience of a young teen finding love and support in the face of tragedy. (24:34 - 55:35)

Finally, Fort Myers Police Chief Jason Fields discusses the multifaceted approach to tackling the drug crisis, from education and prevention to enforcement and outreach. He also touches on the often-overlooked impact of overdose and drugs on first responders, offering a sobering perspective on the epidemic. (55:36 - 01:11:05)

Join us for this emotional and insightful episode, and stay tuned as we bring you more stories of hope and healing each month. For more information, visit Valerie's House at valerieshouse.org and follow us on social media.

Follow Kimmie's Recovery Zone at kimmiesrecoveryzone.org for additional resources and support.

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Evermore is a national, nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of bereaved children and families. Valerie’s House had the honor of sitting down with Joyal to discuss how the bereavement care system in America needs to change. Whether it’s funeral cost gouging, unjust employment termination, or lack of access to social security, these issues can affect anyone who is grieving. Help us advocate for positive change, and join us for this very important conversation.

If you would like to join in this mission or share your own personal story, please visit here.

Take Action & Have Your Voice Heard! » Evermore

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Over time the meaning of Memorial Day has been overshadowed by cookouts, parties, big sales, and a long weekend to kick off summer. While we can appreciate the fun things that come along with this time of year, it’s important for us to recognize those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

We are honored to sit down with Valerie’s House Gold Star Mother, Kim Hayes, who has dedicated her life to helping veterans and other Gold Star Families in honor of her son and hero, Taylor, who died in 2016. She talks about how her personal grief has led her to take action to help others.

“The more I grieve, the more I serve,” Kim said. “And I am so grateful to have found Valerie’s House to help my two grandchildren find their own language to express their grief.”

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Grief & Loss in the Black Community: A conversation empowering children and families in communities of color to ask for help.  A special podcast produced by Valerie’s House, Inc.

(With special guests Tasheekia Perry-Harris and Janee Robinson)

These two women have overcome many obstacles in their lives, including devastating losses.

Tasheekia is the founder of Crowning Daughters for Success, an enrichment program dedicated to building self-esteem for our youth, as well as the co-founder of Impact Dunbar, an empowerment program for young women. Tasheekia speaks to how teaching self-esteem and maintaining values are necessary for creating a better life and are very important in the healing process.

Janee and her daughter started attending Valerie's House after the loss of her daughter's father. Janee also works with children as a teacher and discusses how students express their grief in different ways.

Together, we look at their individual experiences with grief and how we, as a community, can better work together to help people find the support they need and deserve.

About Valerie’s House

Valerie’s House opened in January 2016 and has served more than 2,000 children and their families from Lee, Collier, Charlotte, and Hendry counties. 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 three locations: 1762 Fowler St. in downtown Fort Myers, 819 Myrtle Terrace in Naples, and group therapy meetings at several churches in Charlotte County.  For more information, visit www.valerieshouse.org, call (239) 204-5804, or email Angela@ValeriesHouse.org.

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This episode of the Grieve Love Heal podcast talks about going back to school after experiencing a significant loss. 

It highlights two Valerie's House teens who went back to school with the weight of grief. This episode is also intended to educate schools on how to best support students who have lost a loved one. 

Please use this as a resource to raise awareness for grieving students in our community, and start the conversation of how to best care for these kids.

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This episode of Grieve Love Heal features a personal interview with Valerie's House Founder and CEO Angela Melvin. She shares her own experience of childhood grief after losing her mother in a tragic car accident. 

Melvin reveals details she's never shared before and talks about the challenges of making her dream for Valerie's House a reality, as well as what she has learned along the way.

“November is National Children's Grief Awareness Month, so we will be posting several stories, videos, and podcasts to help others understand the plight grieving families face,” Melvin said. “It is an exciting national movement, and we are relieved there are others who are finally joining with us in this conversation when for so many years, children's grief was not something people acknowledged.”

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In this episode of Grieve Love Heal, we speak with our first of, hopefully, many grief experts! Valerie's House Director of Partnerships and Clinical Support, Amy Strom, joins us to answer common questions about grief, and especially childhood grief, based on her more than 20 years of clinical experience. She is a licensed clinical social worker, a certified school social work specialist, a certified Sand Tray Therapist, a college professor, and much more! 

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TV commercials, school projects, and greeting card displays make it nearly impossible to forget Mother's Day, which can be really tough for people whose mothers aren't here anymore. In this episode, Valerie's House Founder & CEO Angela Melvin, who lost her mother when she was 10, talks to 3 dads and another woman whose mom passed away when she was a child about how they handle Mother's Day without mom. 

If you want to learn more about how Valerie's House helps grieving children and families, visit valerieshouse.org. Have an idea for a podcast topic or want to be a guest? Email alexa@valerieshouse.org. 

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A Valerie’s House mom, widow, and mother of 5 named Jessica joins Valerie's House Communications Coordinator Alexa on this episode of Grieve Love Heal. Jessica opens up about the sudden death of her husband when he was only 33 years old and shares her experiences in solo parenting their five children in the two years since he passed away. 

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Content warning: In this episode, we discuss death by suicide and suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts about suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800) 273-8255 or text HOME to 741-741 to connect with a Crisis Text Line Counselor. You can also find a variety of resources about discussing suicide loss and preventing suicide on our website at valerieshouse.org under the Grief Resources tab. We’re glad you’re with us to discuss this important and difficult topic. 

Suicide. It almost feels like a bad word, and it’s definitely not something most people feel okay talking about. But for those who have lost someone they love to suicide, and for those who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, it’s something we need to talk about. Suicide rates have been rising steadily for the past several years, and the rise in youth suicide rates has increased exponentially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. While we know death by suicide isn’t easy to talk about, it’s so important to. These candid conversations can help others who have lost a loved one know they’re not alone and increase awareness about this ongoing mental health crisis.

Joining us on this episode are three members of the Valerie’s House community who have lost someone dear to them by suicide. They talk about what it feels like to live on after this kind of tragic loss, the stigma surrounding suicide, and to share what helped them through it.

Learn more about Valerie's House and support the show at valerieshouse.org.

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In this emotional episode, we’re joined by licensed clinical social worker Aman Singh and members of the Valerie’s House community to discuss the signs they have received from their loved ones who have passed away. From dragonflies to actually feeling the touch of their deceased loved one, these first-hand accounts about grief and signs from their late family members are honest and bittersweet. 

See Aman’s suggestions for creative ways to stay connected with departed loved ones, learn more about Valerie’s House, and support our mission at valerieshouse.org. 

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In this episode of Grieve, Love, Heal, we sat down with four Valerie’s House girls who all have one thing in common. They are fatherless on Father’s Day. Our host, Ally O’Brien, lost her dad when she was sixteen, and now supports others through their grief journeys. This episode recognizes all dads. Those still by our sides and those that are no longer with us. Ally helps guide our guests through the bittersweet emotions associated with this June holiday. She reminds them that they must stay strong, strong like dad.

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Valerie's House launches a new grief support group for young adults 18-25. In this episode, get to know more about the group's leader and one new member as they share the losses that led them to Valerie's House and how they are working through their grief as young adults.

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Amanda Mendes is the mother of a grieving child. She lives in North Fort Myers with her husband and two sons. Two years ago, her oldest son's father suffered a heart attack during surgery. Amanda talks with Valerie's House Communications Coordinator April Reilly about the difficult days that followed, her mission to keep Christmas traditions alive and she and her son found hope after loss.

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9-year-old Sydney and 12-year-old Megan know what it’s like to lose a mother. Jill passed away from Breast Cancer that spread to other parts of her body in January of 2018. Her daughters remember her battle all too well and open up about the moment they found out their mother died.

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Valerie's House Communications Coordinator April Reilly talks with Valerie's House Program Director Amy Strom about how the change in seasons can trigger emotional responses in people who are grieving. They discuss specific examples of how some aspects of Autumn can be overwhelming to children and adults who've experienced a significant loss as well as ways others can be supportive.

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Angela: It’s September. That means summer is coming to an end and kids are going back to school, many who’ve experienced a significant loss. Did you know 1 in 14 children in Florida will lose a parent or sibling before they turn 18? That’s roughly two children per classroom. We want to help schools, children, teachers and families understand how to better help children when they come back to school after the death of a parent. 

Angela: I want to start with Morgan. How old were you when your dad died and was it during the school year? 

Morgan: Let’s just say, 11 to 12 range. He died in the middle of the school year. He died in March. The school didn’t really know how to approach it. They were like, do we tell the teachers? Do we not tell the teachers? 

Debbie: I did go into the guidance counselor and update both schools when it happened. 

Angela: What was that reception like? What did the schools do and what could they have done better?

Debbie: Elementary was much more receptive and aware because they’d known throughout the whole time the kids were there. The middle did well. One teacher in particular was a little less than welcoming.

Angela: What was the first day like, going back to school after your dad died? 

Morgan: It wasn’t a normal day because I knew my life had changed, but it was just nice to do something. 

Angela: What were some of the things you think your teachers did right, and what were some things you think could be improved upon?

Morgan: They gave me the time I needed to get back into the swing of things. Just don’t look at the child or teenager or person differently because of it, look at them the same way, but just know that they’re probably going through a lot. 

Angela: Because you said you had one teacher who said, well you know, I’ll give you a day or two, but whatever you do, just make sure you turn your homework in. How did that make you feel? 

Morgan: Oh awful! Her class was like a nightmare for me, because… math. My dad did math. So, I just lost that big help. It was kind of painful to look at math for a while because I was like, oh my dad could help with this, then I’d start crying in the middle of class and that’s not fun. 

Angela: Did your teacher know that she had upset you? 

Morgan: I don’t know, she might have, but she never really apologized for it, never brought it up again.

Angela: So, there are obvious triggers sometimes, and we talked about this a lot at Valerie’s House, that just come out of nowhere. So, even though it’s been a few years, do you ever find yourself just in class, and it coming on, what do you do in those cases?

Morgan: I feel like, if it’s a really bad instance of panic, I would go to the teacher and if they don’t let you go to the guidance office for some dumb reason, I would say like go to the bathroom or something, and just go to the most secluded one you know of and cry or do whatever you need to do. 

Angela: Do you find sometimes it’s hard to concentrate at school? 

Morgan: Oh, most definitely.

Debbie: Particularly 7th into 8th it really affected you, concentrating in class. 

Morgan: To some it feels weird, because you’re almost going back to a routine, but it feels like you’re pushing the person away.  

Angela: What’s some advice you have for someone who may be going back to school for the first time since the loss of someone special. 

Morgan: Take it one day at a time, because, you will get through this, I know probably everyone’s heard it, but you will. It’s going to feel like the end of the world. Just know that you and your emotions are valid. You can feel however you want. But you can’t let life go ahead of you and stay far behind.

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