Hundreds of grieving families received support at Jessica’s House in 2022, according to the annual report released by the non-profit based in Turlock last week.
According to the report, Jessica’s House served 879 children, teens, young adults and their families in 2022. Of those, there were 338 peer support groups that met in person over the course of the year. Support groups are organized by age and type of loss, including parent loss, sibling loss, suicide loss, homicide loss, pregnancy loss and more. Those served came from 38 surrounding cities from Stanislaus, Merced, San Joaquin, Sacramento and Tuolumne counties. The most common type of loss that enrollees experienced were parent or caregiver loss, which accounted for 83% of cases.
As for those receiving support in 2022, 8% were between 0 and 4 years of age, 15% were between 5 and 8 years old, 17% were between 9 and 12 years old and 15% were teenagers between 13 and 17 years old. Six percent of those served were adults between the ages of 18 and 40. The largest demographic served were adult caregivers over the age of 40, as they accounted for 40% of individuals served at Jessica’s House.
Aside from full-time employees, support was provided at the facility by volunteers. In total, 9,861 hours of volunteer work was accumulated in 2022. There were 155 active volunteers at Jessica’s House in 2022, 85 of whom were newly trained. Additionally, there were 14 youth ambassadors who supported grieving children by sharing their own personal stories of grief, participating on tours and at community events promoting the efforts of Jessica’s House. Community outreach resulted in $177,283 in donations for the year, with help coming from 226 unique households and 52 businesses.
“As I reflect on 2022, the word ‘sustain’ comes to mind. Because of our strong team of donors and volunteers, we are here for the long term to hold hope and foster resiliency for families during their darkest days,” said Founder and Executive Director Erin Nelson.
2022 also marked the organization’s 10th anniversary and their first full year at their new facility at 1225 W. Christoffersen Pkwy. The 15,600 square-foot facility officially opened their doors in August of 2021.
“In 2022, we gratefully settled into our new home and welcomed our families. We used our new space for grief education, offered several community trainings, and developed resources for first responders, teachers, social workers and community support professionals,” Nelson said.
The year was highlighted by several awards and honors, as well.
Last April, the Turlock Unified School District honored Jessica’s House with the 2022 TUSD Volunteer of the Year Award for their work providing grief support in schools. In June, Love Stanislaus County awarded Jessica’s House with The Heart 2 Heart Award for Nonprofit of the Year, which honors those making the community better by showing great heart. Jessica’s House was also awarded the 2022 Ahead Grant in mid-October, to advance the development of grief support resources in English and Spanish, allowing them to provide shareable school group packets and community outreach efforts.
“I often think of the first children and families who walked through the doors in 2012. It is so inspiring to hear stories about their lives today and the difference Jessica’s House made in their family’s healing,” Nelson said. “Grief support in a child’s life reduces risk factors for emotional, mental, and behavioral health and academic and relational difficulties. Ten years of nurturing coping skills and expression, countering feelings of isolation, and building resiliency is indeed something to celebrate. Here’s to many more years of building hope and healing for families. As always, our goal is that no child in our community will ever grieve alone.”
