Hope for Widows Foundation

08/15/2025

“When we get anxious or panicked, how many times have we been told…”Just breathe”… or “Take a deep breath.” Breathing is one of those things our body does automatically. God created us with so many parts that work tirelessly and in harmony with each other. Our heart beats a rhythmic song, our blood circulates on it’s plotted course, and our cells act as building blocks and biological superheroes running everything from reproduction to fighting infections and repairing broken bones and so much more. We don’t even think about these functions and processes most of the time. We take them for granted and go our merry way… until. Until a time comes when something isn’t working the way we expect and it is brought to the forefront of our mind. Until we are inspired by the incredible intricacy of God’s beautiful creation.

King David wrote a beautiful Psalm of praise and thanksgiving to God as he considered both the goodness and wonder of God for choosing to create us…”

HforW Community Blogger and Hope Sister,Teri Miner (Instagram@widow10619 and Personal Blog:https://widowwhispers.blogspot.com/), writes her latest blog here: https://hopeforwidows.org/2025/08/just-breathe-3/

With every breath we take we breathe the name of God. He is so wonderful and so intimate He placed His very name on our lips thousands of times a day.

08/14/2025

I wish… 💜

08/13/2025

“10 Unexpected Things Grief Has Taught Me.

1) People say surprisingly hurtful things to grieving people, even those closest to you. Many will never apologize because they don’t even realize they offended you.

2) You may have been compassionate before your loss, but your heart will become incredibly more sensitive to the pain of others.

3) It never really gets better, it just gets different. You learn to grow a little around it but it can never really be removed. You learn to carry it. The weight may shift, but daunting as it often sounds, you will never ever be totally free of grief for the rest of your life…”

HforW Community Blogger and Hope Sister, Dorothy Swanson, writes her latest blog here: https://hopeforwidows.org/2025/08/10-unexpected-things-grief-has-taught-me/

1) People say surprisingly hurtful things to grieving people, even those closest to you. Many will never apologize because they don’t even realize they offended you.2) You may have been compassionate before your loss, but your heart will become incredibly more sensitive to the pain of others.3) It...

08/13/2025

💜

08/12/2025

“I haven’t ever stopped wearing my wedding rings.

Going on eight years out, I still wear them.

Yes, there are two of them: my wedding ring plus another that was a family heirloom he had given me for my part in taking care of his grandmother in her elder years.

There have been relationships, long-term and not-so-long-term; I even lived with someone, yet the rings stayed on.

Both of them still rest neatly, as if nothing ever happened, on my finger.

Underneath is the engagement tattoo we both got a few weeks before we tied the knot. It is a (cliché?) kanji meaning “extreme.” Of course, that’s fitting because there was nothing about our time together that wasn’t extreme. From the whirlwind way it began on MySpace, of all places, to the way it ended violently at his own hand—it was all extreme…”

HforW Community Blogger and Hope Sister Layla Beth Munk(The_Snarky_Widow, Instagram ,Twitter@laylabeth, laylabethmunk.medium.com and her debut novella, 24 Hours in Vegas, is available on Amazon), writes her latest blog here: https://hopeforwidows.org/2025/08/i-still-wear-the-diamonds-though/

I haven’t ever stopped wearing my wedding rings. Going on eight years out, I still wear them. Yes, there are two of them: my wedding ring plus another that was a family heirloom he had given me for my part …

08/11/2025

Hope for Widows Foundation continues to expand the Hope Hero monthly program, an extraordinary community of donors embracing hope and healing every month into the lives of widowed women and their children. We are humbled by the generosity of donors contributing consistently. Do you want or know someone that wants to assist the widow community?

$10/month- you can empower, inspire, and bring hope and support to the community of 13 million widows in the United States and approximately 800,000 widowed annually (most under the age of 55).

$25/month- you can sponsor several widows through our Hearts of Hope program, where they receive free monthly self-care sunshine packages. Each shipment is wrapped with love and is filled with self-care products to encourage widows to smile and care for themselves during their journey when they are re-engaging in life.

$50/month level- you can sponsor several widows and their children through the Bring Hope Holiday Program, which assists a widow’s family who cannot provide gifts for her children or other necessities during the holiday season.

$100/month level -you can sponsor several widows through our annual Restoring Hope and Peace financial grant program where assistance is provided directly for housing payments, funeral expenses, taxes, necessity bills, groceries, car repairs, medical expenses, and/or care related to their children.

To become a Hope Hero or if you know someone/organization that might be interested, go here: https://hopeforwidows.org/hope-hero/

Link in Bio

Change Lives. Bring Peace. Bring Hope. Bring Healing. 💜

08/11/2025

“Where does our love go now that our person is gone?

My love flows in each hug and kiss from my daughter and grandchildren. Each “Nanny, I love you” fills my heart and spills my love in bubbly, overflowing waves.

Each text that says “Good morning” from my friends, near and far, draws out my love in appreciation that they are there for me, helping me get through this.

Each call and message from my sister (also a long-time griever) and my niece lifts my heavy heart.

Every time my brother calls and gives me what for because I forgot to call, it reminds me he worries about me.

The messages from Barrie’s daughters, the pictures of his grandsons with so many traces of him—I wish we were close…”

HforW Community Blogger and Hope Sister Carmen Medina, writes her latest blog here: https://hopeforwidows.org/2025/08/where-does-our-love-go-a-donde-va-nuestro-amor/

Where does our love go now that our person is gone? My love flows in each hug and kiss from my daughter and grandchildren. Each “Nanny, I love you” fills my heart and spills my love in bubbly, overflowing waves. …

08/08/2025

Sending you hugs💜

08/07/2025

“Double Widow: surviving and flourishing,

After just 20 years of marriage and 3 teenagers I found myself a Widow. It was not a surprise to me, we had nearly 10 years to prepare, but who is ever prepared. I did not do well, I avoided my grief, stayed very busy and did not have the nerve to face it head on.

8 years later I married again to my husband’s best friend who had been widowed 5 years prior. We blended 2 families of 3 adult children into 6 adult children. Since they were already friends the blending was not difficult at all. To this day they consider each other to be siblings.

Then 23 years later there I was again. Did I learn from my earlier experience, some, but again I was not prepared. Are we ever prepared…”

Welcome New HforW Community Blogger and Hope Sister, Ruth Saunders, writes her first blog here: https://hopeforwidows.org/2025/08/double-widow-surviving-and-flourishing-2/

Double Widow, Surviving and Flourishing

08/07/2025

So true…

08/05/2025

“Car still packed. Hospital bags collecting dust. The half drank Pepsi bottle still in the fridge. That is just a few of the time stamped areas 10 months into one of the most devastating moments of my life. I am just continuing to tiptoe around these statuesque landmarks afraid of even slightly disrupting them. When will I declutter those areas? Do I have to? Is it like a milestone in this grief journey that I must achieve? Why did I become frozen in time?

I have been in this ongoing mental cycle of “I really need to clean this up,” and “I wouldn’t dare to move that.” Just thinking about looking at my vanity and no longer seeing Paco’s deodorant, lotion, and medications makes my chest tight. I often wonder what exactly would happen if I finally bit the bullet and tidied up. Most people look at these menial items and see toiletries, I see my husband’s life…”

HforW Community Blogger and Hope Sister,Shanna Elizabeth Puckett-Anguiano, writes her latest blog here: https://hopeforwidows.org/2025/08/frozen-in-time/

When will I declutter those areas? Do I have to? Is it like a milestone in this grief journey that I must achieve? Why did I become frozen in time?

08/04/2025

🌟 We’re Looking for Volunteers! 🌟 Join the Hope for Widows Foundation in Making a Difference!

The Hope for Widows Foundation is actively seeking dedicated, heart-led volunteers to help us expand our impact and continue serving our community of widows across the country.

💙 Why Volunteer With Us?
Hope for Widows is more than just a nonprofit—it’s a sisterhood. Our programs provide emotional, financial, and peer support for widows at every stage of their grief journey. As a volunteer, your time, skills, and passion will directly support initiatives like:

✨ The Bring Hope Holiday Program – which brings joy to widows and their children during the holiday season.
✨ The Restoring Hope & Peace Grant – which offers financial relief to widows facing hardship.
✨ Sunshine Boxes – self-care boxes delivered with love to widows across the U.S.
✨ Ongoing peer support, writing, and awareness efforts to break the silence around widowhood.

📌 We have volunteer opportunities in many areas - to just to name a few- Board members, Content creation, Social Media, Administrative and program support, Graphic design and creative services, Committee involvement and leadership roles and much more!!

Whether you have a few hours a month or a few hours a week, your contribution matters.

💌 Ready to join us or want to learn more?
Please send us an email: [email protected] to learn more. Someone from our team will reach out to connect with you soon.