By Angie Matthiessen, Chief Executive Officer
This has been a difficult year for our community with many headlines carrying stories of loss. Too many families have faced the unimaginable. And far too many children have had to learn what grief feels like long before they should.
Every time I read one of those stories, I am taken back to a moment in my own life that changed everything.
I was 13 when my 18 year old brother died.
At that age, you are old enough to understand what loss means, but far too young to know how to process it. Life around you continues — school, friends, expectations — yet something inside you has permanently shifted.
For me, grief was confusing and isolating. I didn’t have the words to explain what I was feeling, and like many young people, I tried to simply keep moving forward.
But children who experience the death of someone they love don’t simply move on. They carry that grief with them, often quietly and alone.
That is why the mission of Valerie’s House matters so deeply.
Valerie’s House exists to help children and families work through the loss of a loved one and continue forward with hope, with the vision that no child should grieve alone. Through peer support groups and compassionate guidance, children are given a safe place to talk about their grief, connect with others who understand their experience, and begin the healing process together.
In a community like ours — where so many families have experienced unexpected loss in recent months — that kind of support could not be more important.
That is why I am honored to share my story at the upcoming Cocktails for a Cause soirée benefiting Valerie’s House Charlotte County.
This special evening will take place Thursday, March 26 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. at Valerie’s House, 233 E. McKenzie Street in Punta Gorda, bringing together community members for an elegant night under the stars in support of grieving children and families.
During the event, I will share a glimpse into what it was like to lose my brother at such a formative age and how that experience shaped my life. It is a story that began with heartbreak but ultimately taught me something powerful: the importance of community, compassion, and having people around you who understand what you are going through.
Because when a child experiences loss, the support around them matters.
A caring community can help them process emotions, find connection with others who understand their journey, and begin to rebuild hope.
Events like Cocktails for a Cause help ensure that Valerie’s House can continue providing these services to families in our community — offering a place where children can speak openly about their grief, share memories of the person they lost, and realize they are not alone.
Grief will always be part of life. But isolation does not have to be.
When a community chooses to surround its children with compassion and understanding, healing becomes possible.
I hope you will join us for this meaningful evening — not only to hear stories of resilience and hope, but to stand with families in our community who are navigating loss and remind them that they are not alone.
Because when grief comes too soon, the presence of a caring community can make all the difference.
To learn more or reserve a seat, visit unitedwayccfl.org/grief.
For more information about United Way Charlotte County’s mission—mobilizing the power of our community so all can thrive—please contact Angie Matthiessen, Chief Executive Officer, at director@unitedwayccfl.org.