Our Mission: Easing the burdens of widows and their families. -“We support widows through the grieving process and beyond by providing life transition resources and immediate peer connections; facilitating the healing process and allowing them to rebuild and re-engage in life.” Our Vision: Building peer-to-peer support - “Our vision is to be a strong network of widows – empowering our members through shared experience. We open the door to a new world for widows, ensuring they do not go through their experience alone, but with life-long connections and lasting support.” The current and future need for Hope for Widows is enormous. In the United States alone, an estimated 700,000 women lose their husbands each year. Confusion combined with uncertainty exacerbates the shock of losing a husband. In this brittle environment, depression, loneliness, blame and a feeling of worthlessness, may become overwhelming and too much to bear. When help and advice come directly from peers, individuals who share similar life experiences, the bonding process that results creates a positive outcome. A peer has “been there, done that” and can relate to others who are now in a similar situation. From the military to the mental health and disabilities communities, peer support programs have demonstrated that helping others can be an important part of the healing process.