The National Conference on Widowhood, San Diego, California, July 17-19, 2009

My name is Michele Neff Hernandez, and I am the Executive Director of the Soaring Spirits Loss Foundation. We are a non-profit organization focused on providing emotional and practical support to people grieving the loss of a loved one.

This post is to inform you of an event my organization is hosting. The National Conference on Widowhood will be held in San Diego, California from July 17-19, 2009. This event will provide useful resources and practical tools for rebuilding your life after the loss of a spouse. We have twenty-five speakers coming from thirteen states speaking on more than thirty topics specifically related to recreating a positive and purpose-filled life. We are proud to welcome some of the top professionals in the area of grief and loss, as well as some women who speak only with their "widow credential."

I am especially eager to share this information with your group, because we will be welcoming Kathleen O'Hara, author of A Grief Like No Other; Surviving the Violent Death of Someone You Love, as one of our speakers. Through personal interviews with other widows, I have become aware of the added complications and difficulties associated with losing someone you love to violence. I would really like to get conference information to women who suffer this loss, as I believe Kathleen's presentation is powerful and enlightening. It has also been my experience that there are few opportunities to speak to this group of grieving individuals, and I would like our outreach to speak to them directly. Below is some general information about the conference.

We will begin the weekend with a benefit concert, co-hosted with the San Diego Symphony, at a gorgeous outdoor venue located shore side on the San Diego Marina. Opening our day on Saturday with a keynote address, and continuing with thirty-two break-out sessions throughout the day, we will offer a variety of perspectives on the meaning of being a widow and the ways we can move forward after the devastating loss of a life partner. The hosted picnic lunch will include a two-hour Resource Expo featuring a variety of products and services focused on the needs of our attendees. Saturday evening will end with a semi-formal banquet featuring a special guest entertainer, and the acceptance of a variety of awards given to women who have made significant contributions to the widow community. We will end our time together Sunday morning by putting one foot in front of the other--literally. SSLF is proud to host the first annual Widow Dash 5k Run/Walk. Proceeds will fund grants for widows here in the US who are in emergency situations as a result of the loss of their spouse. Our dash will take us on a lovely route along the edge of the San Diego Marina, and end with snacks and race awards at San Diego's Spanish Landing Park--an inspiring end to a positive and empowering weekend.

For a complete list of speakers, an event overview, and registration information, please visit any of the links below:

http://www.sslf.org/index.html
http://www.sslf.org/conference.html
http://www.sslf.org/c_speakers.html

With warm regards,

Michele