AURORA, Colo. (Sept. 1, 2022) – PCL Construction celebrated the completion of Judi’s House – a community-based nonprofit bereavement center for children and families. Construction began in July 2021 and this past Saturday, a ribbon-cutting event was held to celebrate the grand opening of this one-of-a-kind facility.
As the only research-based grief organization in the Metro Denver area that is solely committed to supporting grieving children and their families, Judi’s House provides a critical service to Coloradoans, where one in 14 children will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the age of 18, equating to more than 89,000 children that are affected by grief in Colorado alone.
“As a 15-year partner to Judi’s House, PCL has experienced first-hand how creating a sense of home is so critical to grieving children who need to feel comfortable in their environment to fully heal and grow,” said Ryan Schmidt, PCL Construction’s Denver buildings district manager. “We look forward to seeing the impact this building will have on so many children’s lives for years to come.”
PCL not only served as the design-build contractor for this new facility, but also as a community activator to garner financial support for the project by donating PCL funds and coordinating construction supplier materials donations for this project. With the entire budget sourced through philanthropic support, PCL was truly able to build for purpose, with 12% of the project costs donated by PCL and its subcontractors, which allows Judi’s House to continue offering free grief counseling services children and families.
As an experienced community builder, PCL understands the lasting impacts building a mission-based project like Judi’s House can have not only on the children and families the program serves, but also on the surrounding community,” said Al Troppmann, Judi’s House board member and retired PCL Construction president.
The 26,470 square-foot home includes on-site parking, play, art and group therapy rooms, community education and workforce training spaces and a backyard garden for outdoor therapy and gatherings. The new facility also brings the JAG Institute, the education and research arm of Judi’s House under the same roof.
“Our new home for Judi’s House will allow us to improve access to services and ensure the sustainable impact of the organization for years to come,” said Jessica Maitland Mayo, chief executive officer of Judi’s House/JAG Institute. “The limitations of our previous locations coupled with growing demand for programming prompted us to pursue a new location that can comfortably serve grieving families and bring our team together under one roof.”
About PCL Construction
PCL is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and in Australia. These diverse operations in the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial, and buildings markets are supported by a strategic presence in more than 30 major centers. Together, these companies have an annual construction volume of more than $6 billion USD, making PCL one of the largest contracting organizations in North America. Watch us build at www.pcl.com.
About Judi’s House/JAG Institute
Judi’s House was founded on the belief that all bereaved children and families should have access to effective and compassionate care. Former NFL quarterback Brian Griese was just 12 years old when his mother, Judi, died from breast cancer. Brian and his wife, Brook Griese, PhD, a clinical child psychologist specializing in trauma and loss, founded Judi’s House in her memory in 2002. The mission of Judi’s House is to help children and families grieving a death find connection and healing, while JAG Institute helps further this mission through comprehensive research and training initiatives. Judi’s House has supported more than 12,000 youth, ages 3-25, and caregivers, toward its vision that no child should be alone in grief. To learn more, visit judishouse.org.