Dear friends,

February is a lovely time of year for our valley. Orchards are beginning to bloom as we see early signs of spring with longer, sunnier days.

Groups this month are exploring themes of love and expression with art invitations. We are creating messages of appreciation and thanks to the person who died and our supporters. We are making scream boxes to express big feelings and exploring what kind of storm represents our grief.

This month's newsletter includes ideas on how to face Valentine's Day when you're grieving and an exciting announcement about new resources for first responders and others supporting children and families in our community.

Last month we enjoyed another weekend of learning with our January volunteer training and welcomed needed support to our groups this month. We are holding another training in March and look forward to placing new volunteers for our summer groups. With the increasing need for grief services for children and families, I hold continual gratitude for our supporters - what a gift to be a recipient of how you invest your love in the world.

With heartfelt thanks always,

Erin Nelson

Executive Director, Jessica's House

My Valentine

Scream Box

Storms of Grief

While grief is present every day of the year, some days are extra painful. Valentine’s Day can be one of these days. It has been said that grief is love with no place to go. This statement can feel even more profound, considering this specific holiday centers around expressing your love for others.

Valentine’s Day can sting the hearts of many and is especially painful for those who have lost their partner or child. Their absence is magnified on this day. Even if some time has passed since your loss, days like these may still feel tender. Acknowledge and allow your feelings. They are uniquely yours and a natural response to your loss. It can help to write out your thoughts and feelings, which gets your heart and mind working together.

You get to decide how to spend this holiday. You can choose to treat it like any other day, not offering it significance. Or perhaps you wish to embrace the day in a new way. You can acknowledge your loved one by writing them a letter or gifting their favorite candy to others in your life. You could show love to yourself through little acts of care: your favorite treat or a nice walk outdoors. Or you can nurture other relationships in your life by reaching out with a text or call or initiating a dinner together.

Trust and honor the wisdom of your heart on this day and approach it in the way you feel is best for you.

Jessica’s House is launching two new resources for first responders in February. How To Inform a Child After a Death helps first responders explain death to children, answer a child’s questions about the death, and how to help them process the news. How To Support a Child After a Death – The First Few Days is a resource first responders can offer to parents and caregivers after a death notification. This resource supports parents and caregivers as they care for their children and themselves the first few days after a death. Topics include informing your child’s school of the death, creating stabilizing routines at home, and involving your child with funeral planning.

These are the first of twenty-three new resources to be launched this spring. Others include Healing as a Family After a Death by Overdose, Supporting Your Grieving Child, and a resource for teachers, Supporting a Student Who is Grieving. 

Our Heart Circle community is truly remarkable. Thanks to their support, we ensure Jessica’s House is always ready for families in their time of need. 

The first Heart Circle Drive launched after our successful capital campaign in October 2021 and extended through December of last year. The results were truly astounding. A total of 170 donors committed to major gifts totaling $1,368,500. 

Support from generous community donors is key to the Jessica’s House model, which never charges families for services. “They come to us in crisis,” says Executive Director Erin Nelson. “They should never worry if they can afford the help their children need.” 

Our hearts are forever grateful for the love and support we have received to build our new permanent home and sustain our program. It is truly a gift to do this healing work alongside our donor community and our wonderful volunteers.  

Visitors to Jessica’s House will now see our new donor wall installation thanking our Heart Circle Drive supporters. What a joy to honor those who make our work possible.  

Every Heart Circle Drive donor committed to a minimum of $5,000 over five years. 

We want to extend extra thanks to our 2021-2022 Heart Circle Council for all their work in contributing to a successful year. We appreciate your dedication to Jessica’s House. 

The new 2023 Heart Circle Drive is now gearing up for another special year. Thank you to those who are now serving on the 2023 Heart Circle Council. 

Each year, we aim to raise $600,000 in new gifts and pledges from Heart Circle participants. We will continue to meet or exceed our goal with the support of our amazing community.  

If you would like to participate in the Heart Circle with a commitment to the 2023 drive, please reach out to Natalie Henderson at 209-250-5395 or visit www.jessicashouse.org/heart-circle to consider the giving level right for you.

We gratefully welcomed 45 new Heart Circle donors in November, December, and January! 

The Heart Circle makes our mission to provide a safe place for children, teens, young adults, and their families grieving a death possible.

Violet level 

Carter Nelson Memorial Golf Tournament* 

Jade level  

Legacy Health Endowment* 

Carolyn Ahlem* 

Bob and Dana Nicholson* 

Anonymous* 

Amber level 

Chuck and Druann Ahlem* 

Bob and Natalie Runyan 

Gemperle Family Farms 

Poppy level 

Duane and Barbara Matheron* 

Rodney and Nancy Sakaguchi 

Western Valley Insurance* 

*Current Heart Circle members who made new commitments to our Heart Circle Drive.

Indigo level 

James and Gena Brenda 

Janelle Foster* 

Stephen Gemperle and Alison Morr Gemperle 

Brett and Camy Honoré 

Paul and Paula Langley 

Craig and Denise McIntire* 

Bob and Lanita Moen 

Scarlet level 

Mike and Tina Brem 

Julie Sano Burke 

Chris and Christine Colston 

Norma Fernandes 

Mike and Kristi Gemperle 

State Farm Insurance – Dee Hernandez 

Sabino and Lindsey Herrera 

Steve and Kelly Hollinger 

Dr. Trevor and Jessica Irish 

Robert and Carla Johns 

Robert and Carrie Kelley 

Aaron and Tiffany King 

Scott and Alison Kuykendall 

Bernardete Lobão and Family 

Ana Machado 

Gary and Dawn Mallory 

Galen and Melba Miyamoto 

Jim and Diane Parker 

Marc and Jeanette Sanders 

Joe and Megan Silveira 

Josh and Meredith Weimer  

The White Family 

Vernon and Mary Wickstrom 

2 Anonymous Donors

Jessica’s House is so grateful to all 240 Heart Circle contributors! 

For more information about the Jessica’s House Heart Circle and pledging to our 2023 Heart Circle Drive, call 209-250-5395 or visit online at www.jessicashouse.org/heart-circle

Our December Holiday Social was a wonderful way to end the year with our amazing Heart Circle community. We welcomed 141 attendees and celebrated togetherness and gratitude for one another. We enjoyed live music from Weston Perry and amazing food, donated from In Good Taste Catering. It was truly a magical night. 

Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together, we can do so much.” We believe this describes our team, wonderful volunteers, and generous donors. Together, we create a community of love and support, changing the lives and outcomes of children and families in our community.  

We loved celebrating our Heart Circle community. Without their generosity, we could not welcome families with open doors and hearts during their darkest days.

We were so excited to welcome a new group of volunteers to Jessica's House in January. As always, the generous hearts of our volunteers deeply inspired us. We were also touched by the kind feedback we received from our newest volunteers.

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, click the button below to fill out an application. We are currently seeking volunteers who have experience with babies and young children to help support our Pre-Littles group (ages 0-4).

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