Jessica’s House new facility aims to serve more local grieving children and families
Jessica’s House, a nonprofit organization in Turlock, offers support for area children, teens, young adults and their families grieving the loss of a loved one.
It’s located in a rented, cozy 2,200-square-foot Craftsman house on Main Street in Turlock, the same place since its inception in 2012. But Jessica’s House has far outgrown its home.
To raise funds to build a larger, permanent structure to meet the growing demand for services, the organization has been heading up a For Healing Hearts capital campaign.
“We started at the beginning of 2012 with one kid, and by the end of April, we had 25,” said Erin Nelson, executive director. “In 2019, we served 1,079 clients and have a wait list for some of our services.”
She said she doesn’t want to ever turn away anyone in need.
The campaign has raised about 80% of its $3 million goal. With that amount, Jessica’s House has planned a groundbreaking on March 31 for a 15,600-square-foot building at the corner of Crowell and Christofferson in Turlock, near Cornerstone Covenant Church.
If everything stays on track, the new location will open on Valentine’s Day 2021.
Cornerstone Covenant Church and EMC Health Inc., including Jessica’s House, are part of the Evangelical Covenant Church.
EMC Health Inc. will match up to $3 million, for a total of $6 million to fund the building and operating expenses, including projected growth. It also will have offices in the new facility.
The leading contributors to the campaign include the Foster family, the John Rogers family and E.&J. Gallo Winery and the Gallo family. A list of other contributors can be found at www.jessicashouse.org/vision.
Jessica’s House services
Under the umbrella of Emanuel Medical Center, a small group of parents started the organization because it couldn’t find local resources to help children who were grieving the untimely death of a parent or sibling.
The Jessica’s House philosophy is that everyone grieves in his or her own way but shouldn’t do it alone.
Many features at Jessica’s House are patterned after the Dougy Center in Portland, Ore., which was the first organization in the U.S. developed to meet the unique needs of grieving youth.
Aware that children and teens process grief much differently than adults, Jessica’s House offers support groups and services designed specifically for younger ages.
It offers groups for those who have lost siblings, parents, grandparents or loved ones to suicide or homicide, as well as groups for adults with pregnancy loss or infant loss.
Jessica’s House also operates school-based grief support groups in the Turlock, Hilmar, Ceres and Gustine school districts.
Volunteers and trained facilitators run the programs, which are free to participants but require about $1,500 per person to operate.
Each month, Jessica’s House programs serve about 430 clients. At the new location, that number is expected to increase to 630, and continue to grow by about 10% each year, including school groups and community trainings.
Support group participants are able to express their feelings using the methods of their choice, though art therapy is an integral part of most groups. Children and teens can engage in verbal discussions, fun activities such as games and sports, and share a meal.
Nelson said the new facility has a dining room because eating together helps build friendships and a sense of community.
The bigger house will have plenty of rooms for more support groups, including for grieving adults trying to support their mourning children.
It will also have a full-size, realistic hospital room equipped with a hospital bed and faux medical gear. This provides a chance for the children to play and “act out” some of the traumatic events they may have experienced with their dying loved ones, but in a setting where they have control.
“It can be so empowering for the kids,” said Nelson.
She said this is important because it gives the children a chance to take some of the anxiety out of scary hospital memories.
The new site will also include a volcano room, where the kids can express what Nelson describes as “big feelings,” such as anger, in a safe, supportive environment.
“We want to serve all of the families that need our support.” She said the new facility will help reach that goal.
Information about making a donation or volunteering with Jessica’s House can be found at www.jessicashouse.org/vision.
This story was produced with financial support from The Stanislaus County Office of Education and the Stanislaus Community Foundation, along with the GroundTruth Project’s Report for America initiative. The Modesto Bee maintains full editorial control of this work.
