Widow Advocacy and Empowerment

WE PROMOTE MENTORING AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR WIDOWS to grow individually and to advocate within their local communities while also including national and international levels. Our timeline of success notes some of our milestones.

Your Involvement Makes an Impact

1. BE A VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS on International Widows Day June 23 by talking to places of worship and community organizations that may be able to help spread the word.
2. SHARE the IWD 2021 Facebook Live event or the IWD 2018 interviews that Carolyn Moor did in the local community.
3. CONTACT LOCAL AND STATE REPRESENTATIVES to submit a proclamation request. Contact us for guidance and/or questions.
4. SHARE PSA VIDEOS on Social Sites using hashtags: #widowsday623 and #modernwidowsclub.
   • International Widows Day PSA – 15 second spot
   • International Widows Day PSA – 30 second spot
   • International Widows Day PSA – 1 minute spot
5. DO SOMETHING KIND for a widow in your life, workplace or neighborhood.
6. DOWNLOAD the Modern Widows Club Manifesto for more information.

Help Advance the Rights of Widows

SIGN OUR PETITION AT CHANGE.ORG

In the United States, widows are expected to control most of the $30 trillion in wealth of the baby boomer generation by 2030 — a potential wealth transfer that approaches the annual GDP of the United States; yet American WIDOWS remain mostly invisible in the eyes of policy makers and the law. Every day, widows continue to fight for their rightful estates, social security benefits, bereavement leave, and access to healthcare.

SOURCE: McKinsey & Company Financial “Women as the next wave of growth in U.S. wealth management” July, 29, 2020.

International Outreach

THE RONA FOUNDATION, founded by Roseline Orwa, began simply as a widow-to-widow friendship with Carolyn in 2012 via Facebook. Carolyn mentored Roseline and helped her access widow research for advocacy and taught her how to create local widow leaders to raise awareness for widow causes. Roseline built mud hut homes for destitute widows. Over 50 dignity widow houses sponsored and built over the last seven years, some funded through the community chapters. Carolyn mailed LEGO® building toys to Kenya so Roseline could sell them for seeds in the garden and give to the young fatherless and orphaned kids in the community.

Their friendship and collaboration grew over the years, and in 2019, Carolyn and Roseline met in person in Nashville, TN, at the 2019 Modern Widows Club Leadership Conference. Since then, we’ve partnered with her local widows to help fund the purchase of sewing machines and a sewing program to advance economic empowerment.

Currently, they have three widows in a year-long training program and have installed solar lighting, so work can proceed anytime because they do not have electricity. They received their first order from a hotel for face masks! This program has endless potential for sustainable income opportunities, and we look forward to our continued collaboration.

Love for Widows