Our Programs

Soaring Spirits has one goal; to connect widowed people with each other.

  • Newly WidowedInformation, resources and understanding for those who are recently widowed.
  • Camp WidowAn uplifting, life-affirming event planned for widowed people by widowed people.
  • Regional Social GroupsRegular social gatherings of widowed people all over North America and selected locations globally.
  • Widow’s Voice BlogWe house the largest library in the world of blogs written by widowed people about love, grief, and life after the death of a partner.
  • Widowed VillageOur 24/7 online community is a place to write, read and share thoughts with other widowed people.
  • Public Health InitiativeChanging the way the public supports widowed people through customized training and resource development.
  • Widowed Pen PalsAn opportunity to connect with another widowed person by email.
  • You Are Not Alone OutreachOffers quick and easy ways to connect a widowed person in your life with our community.

Thank You to our Partners and Sponsors

Soaring Spirits is grateful for the incredible support of our corporate and community sponsors. Our work is fueled by their generosity.

AdventistHealth – Simi Valley
All Pro Bicycles
AT&T
Bellis Reinforcing Steel
Bohnett Foundation
Coastal Business Supplies
Corporate Graphics Communications
Dignity Memorial
H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation
Hutton Parker Foundation
Living Out
Qualcomm Foundation
Rhino’s Sports and Spirits
Rotary Club of Simi Valley
Rotary International
Swinks Towing
The James and Deborah Klein Family Foundation
The Junkyard Cafe
United Way
Wells Fargo
World Financial Group
Camp Widow

Camp Widow

Camp Widow® is a unique and incredible experience. This innovative program provides practical tools and research-informed resources for widowed persons rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of the death of a spouse or partner. We offer both weekend-long and one-day events across the United States and in a variety of International locations. Blending three event styles - a conference format, an inspiring retreat, and a reunion with great friends - Camp Widow is open to anyone who has experienced the death of the person with whom they planned to spend the rest of their lives (legally married or not), and provides an in-person widowed community of peers who are making their way through widowhood one day at a time. Learn more here.

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We Appreciate our Widowed Allies

We are grateful for the allies who join us in ensuring that Soaring Spirits programs are available for all widowed people. Soaring Spirits’ Widowed Community Ally Program provides professionals with tools, training and resources to help them compassionately and effectively serve their widowed clients while positioning them and equipping them to be trusted business partners for widowed people. Learn more

Widow’s Voice

Imagine finding a blog that gives voice to the pain you are living in, words you've thought, but never shared. We've amassed a library that includes thousands of posts written by widowed people that normalize the sometimes crazy process of grief and loss. Our blogs are searchable and will lead you to specific topics, questions or to your favorite author.

Entering My Cat Lady Era

Entering My Cat Lady Era

Welp. I am no longer a cat lady without any cats. A week and a half ago I caved and said yes to adopting a cat. The cat belonged to my friend’s mom who passed away a little over a month ago. My friend...

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From Angry to Thankful

From Angry to Thankful

Grief changes when life changes; and when life changes, grief changes. But maybe the biggest thing that constantly changes and evolves is US. If we want to. If we choose to. If we allow the grief...

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Olde Florida, New Traditions

Olde Florida, New Traditions

I awoke this Saturday Morning realizing I hadn’t prepared a post for today. The onset of the Holiday Season, my Mom’s health issues in New York State that took me away for days and of course...

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The inevitable Question.

The inevitable Question.

While the question can take many forms, the topic always revolves around moving on to a new relationship. I’ll preface this post by stating that everyone who has been widowed is unique. Some may...

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Thanksgiving Then and Now

Thanksgiving Then and Now

As in most families, our Thanksgiving traditions had their own rhythms.  We’d gather at mom and dads’ place around mid-afternoon. You could count on my sister to arrive on time except when she...

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the seed of me

the seed of me

what shape waits . . . the shape of what was what is what will be transformation. how am I different? or the same? in the seed of you . . . the seed of me of sorrow of grief of survival of resilience...

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Colder Weather

Colder Weather

With my second Thanksgiving without Erik right around the corner, I find myself getting multiple flashbacks of all our past Thanksgivings. Thanksgiving was the first time I introduced Erik to my family...

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Church of Beginnings and Endings

Church of Beginnings and Endings

About three weeks ago, I attended a funeral at the church where Tony and I were married. It was the first time I had been in that church since his passing. The service that day was for one our close...

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Coffee

Coffee

Today we threw out my Keurig coffee maker. It stopped working and functioning correctly, so I drove it to the town dump this morning, along with this weeks other trash items; never to be seen again...

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Keeping “Up” in UpState Country

Keeping “Up” in UpState Country

Last week I wrote about “Settling In” as I continue to adapt to my new life in a log home in rural Central Florida. It’s been a “challenging” time. Over the course of less than 4 months, I...

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Soaring Spirits International: Embracing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

At Soaring Spirits International (SSI), we believe that widowhood is a shared human experience, transcending boundaries of marital status, gender, sexual identity, and religious traditions. Our programs welcome and honor the diversity that grief brings, offering support to anyone who has experienced the death of their person.

We are committed to ensuring equitable access to our programs, recognizing that underserved populations face barriers in accessing grief support. Through active outreach and data collection, we work to remove these barriers systematically and consistently.

Inclusion is at the heart of our mission. We understand that mourning takes different forms across cultures and identities. With curiosity and cultural humility, we continually adapt and expand our resources to serve an ever broader and more diverse community of widowed individuals. We actively seek feedback from underrepresented communities to ensure our programs are relevant and inclusive.

Our dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion is an ongoing journey. We regularly review and improve our efforts, staying connected with the evolving needs of our global community.

Our full statement and DEI action plan can be found by clicking this link.

4 Million

People Reached

70

Regional Groups

69%

Parenting Minor Children

10K

Newly Widowed Packets Delivered Annually Free of Charge

20K

Outreach Cards Delivered Annually Free of Charge

Newly Widowed Packets

Newly Widowed Packets

Feeling lost in the immediate aftermath of becoming widowed is common and daunting. We can help! These packets provide a practical checklist for the newly widowed, relevant program information, and a collection of supportive messages from one widowed person to another. Packets are mailed and are designed for those widowed less than six months.

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You Are Not Alone Cards

You Are Not Alone Cards

Do you know someone who is widowed? Soaring Spirits’ You Are Not Alone cards are small folded business cards that contain all the information a widowed person would need to get connected with our widowed community. You Are Not Alone cards are free, easy to order, and small enough to carry in your purse or wallet. These little cards make a big difference.

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Widowed Village

Widowed Village

Day or night, no matter where you are on the globe, we offer an online community featuring blog posts, group discussions, focused forums for deeper connection, and ways to find widowed women and men close to your age, date of loss, and geographic location. Our carefully screened virtual community provides hope and healing from the comfort of your home.

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Soaring Spirits Resilience Center

Soaring Spirits Resilience Center

When we discovered the lack of research being conducted about the widowed experience, we developed the first center in the U.S. focused on grief and resilience in widowhood. Housed at Schreiner University in Texas, the Soaring Spirits Resilience Center researches widowed experiences and develops tools to support healing in grieving populations.

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