Where do I find other widows?

The short answer

Closer than you might think. They are in grief groups, faith communities, senior centers, widows' organizations and online, and perhaps on your own street.

Other widows can understand without being told. That is worth looking for. You can try one place, leave it, and try another.

What to do

1. Think of one widow you already know.
2. Ask her for coffee, using the words in this chapter if they help.
3. Call the Eldercare Locator, 1-800-677-1116, and ask for the senior center nearest you.
4. Try one group for widows, in person or online.
5. Check an organization's own website for what it costs before you join.
6. Keep your address and your money private in any online group.
7. Ask a widow further along what helped her.

What can wait

• Joining everything. One group, or one coffee, is enough to begin.
• Paying for any membership, until you have seen what is free.
• Telling your story. You can listen first, for as long as you like.
• Becoming that widow for someone else. The hospice call is the exception, if hospice cared for him and the year since he died has not passed.

Who can help

If hospice cared for him, its bereavement team is the first call. The Eldercare Locator, 1-800-677-1116, finds your senior center and Area Agency on Aging.

Soaring Spirits International, the Hope for Widows Foundation and Modern Widows Club are all nonprofits run for widowed people. Check each one's own website before you join.

The rules, phone numbers and web addresses in this book were checked against the agencies’ own pages in October 2026. They change, so check anything you rely on with the office itself.

Hear when the next book is out

Five or six short emails a year at most, and a note when a new book is out. Each one is about something that tends to come up in the first two years. You can unsubscribe whenever you like.