Widow Strong in 2019
Creating the foundation for growth takes time, 2019 was the year of refining our process so that we may scale our service to widows and their families. This innovative approach included providing our grief empowerment tools online, meeting the needs of local widowed families, and crafting initiatives they are excited about.
From January to August in 2019 we look time to listen, adjust, and craft widow empowerment programs according to needs expressed by our members.
- Innovation: We created our Widow Strong app (the only app created exclusively for widows on the market right now) and our Widow Strong Pod/Web cast to share our grief empowerment videos and local groups on a digital format.
- We held our first Widow Strong Leadership Retreat in January of 2019 and then our first out-of-state leadership retreat near of Austin, TX. From these retreats, 6 new widowed leaders emerged from 10 women!
- We added additional online tools for easy Widow Strong chapter facilitation.
- We spoke with local businesses and churches to understand what they needed to empower their grieving community and worked to meet those needs with affordable and attractive solutions, like our free workshops and small group gatherings for widows sponsored by local businesses and churches.
- We put our new innovations into practice starting September of 2019! I was amazed at our growth in just 3 short months!
Here’s What Happened!
Team Size: Mishael Porembski & Joey Garza
Widow Strong Initiatives and Program Costs for 2019: $48,000
Growth
Local Chapter Capacity to Monthly Serve Widows & their children: 140 families
GA: 3 Chapters (WS Center, Sandy Springs, Online Chapter)
Ohio: 1 Chapter
Texas: 1 Chapter
Florida: 1 Chapter in Spring of 2020
Widowed Families Served:
Widows and children fed: 50 through Widow Strong Gathering Events started Sept 2019.
Widows Served in Widow Strong Workshops and Monthly Gatherings: 100 since September 2019
Widows and Children Served Though Service Days: 30
Widows and Children Blessed with Gift Cards for a Holiday Dinner and Gifts for their Children: 30
Digital Outreach of Widow Strong Podcast and Newsletter: 20,000
Social Media Followers: 16,000
Widow Empowerment Innovations 2019:
Widow Strong App
Remote Chapter Growth
Widow Leadership Training
Engagement of Chapter Sponsors
Empowering Widows and their Fatherless Children with Practical Strategies for Hope, Health, and Healing After Loss….Priceless
New Widow Strong 2020 Initiatives
Widows spoke. We listened. At the request of our Widow Strong Community, we are launching 3 new initiatives. These events are FREE to widows & childcare is provided on location through your generous tax-deductible donations.
1. Widow Strong Giving Pantry: We will begin our giving pantry initiative as a monthly pop-up grocery for widowed families. This initiative requires volunteer coordination, training, set up, and take down on a monthly basis. Program Cost: $18,000
2. Widow Strong Workshops:
Monthly workshops that address topics that widows need such as: Car Care 101, Managing Your Finances, Protecting Your Children from Predators, Healthy Cooking, Decluttering Your Home, Dating after Loss, and many more. These free workshops will be available once a month and then shared online with over 20K people. Serving local and online widows and grieving people with relevant, grief empowerment workshops. Program Cost: $15,000
3. Widow Strong Career Training:
Monthly career and entrepreneurial training for widows. Serving up to 100 widows in-person and sharing with over 20K people online. Program Cost: $15,000
Widow Strong Ongoing Program Growth 2020:
These are our foundational initiatives that provide consistent grief care, grief empowerment community, outreach, and service. As our membership grows so does our need for your monthly partnership to serve our growing community.
Widow Strong Monthly Gathering:
for Widows and Fatherless Children, includes supplies for food and crafts for children.
Serving up to 100 widowed families in-person and over 2,000 widowed families online.
Widow Strong Biblically-Based Grief Empowerment Local Chapter Growth & Facilitation:
Serves up to 140 widowed families twice a week every month.
Widow Strong Chapter Leadership Training:
Monthly live training of chapter leaders with Mishael Porembski.
Widow Strong Family Service Days: In partnership with local churches and businesses: Serving up to 20 widowed families with 3-4 hour service days.
Widow Strong Pod/Web cast: A 3-camera video webcast like The View television show format, featuring widowed hosts, no politics, as we discuss topics relevant to solo parenthood, finances, life after loss, dating, faith, and much more! Reaching to widows nationwide with our nonprofit $10,000 per month grant of Google ads, bring attention to our programs and inviting widows to our small group grief empowerment chapters featuring our comprehensive 180 Your Life curriculum.
Serves up to 20K people per month
Widow Strong Digital Outreach: Creating online engagement through our digital promotion of our Widow Strong Podcast, newsletters, blog posts, and social media campaigns.
