The Light Beyond

Update on the National Conference on Widowhood 2009

A Warm New Year's Greeting Everyone,

The Soaring Spirits Loss Foundation team is approaching 2009 with eager anticipation. We look forward to seeing you at the first EVER National Conference on Widowhood. We have an exceptional line up of speakers who will be speaking about topics YOU care about. Visit http://www.sslf.org/c_speakers.html for information on our fantastic speakers' panel.

We have partnered with the San Diego Symphony to bring you a "Musical Evening Under the Stars," featuring the fabulous San Diego Symphony, who will be joined by a variety of musical guests. Proceeds will benefit a unique initiative in support of improving
the condition of global widowhood and your ticket to this amazing evening is included with your registration (for as long as tickets last).

Professionals in need of continuing education credit can join us for our Pre-Conference event scheduled for Friday, July 17th. We welcome Tom Golden LCSW, Dr. Michele Reiss Ph D, Pamela Gabbay MA FT, and Carla Fine, author of No Time to Say Goodbye; Surviving the Suicide of Someone You Love. Each workshop presentation will be three hours in length, and our bookstore, run by the Centering Corporation, will be available during the lunch break. Contact [email protected] for workshop topics and registration information.

Whether you are a new widow/ widower, a widow/widower who has walked a bit further down the path, a widow/widower who has remarried and is living a new and full life, a support person of a widow or widower, a bereavement professional, or a member of the clergy, we have something at this conference that will touch and inspire you. Together our energy can make a positive change in the world. Join us as we put one foot in front of the other toward the goal of living life with joy and hope.

Early registration ends 1/15/09. By registering now you will save $100, guarantee your spot at this fabulous event, and help provide the upfront funding an event of this scale requires. Many hands make the load light, sign up today...

With bright hope for the year ahead,

Michele
Michele Neff Hernandez
Executive Director
Soaring Spirits Loss Foundation
2828 Cochran St. #194
Simi Valley, Ca 93065
877-671-4071ext 706
www.sslf.org
www.widowsbond.com

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