New Hope

Widowed Friends is a community of people who share similar life experiences and who come together to enjoy each other’s company in a safe, social environment.

Our Focus

Our focus is on helping people feel comfortable and secure as they face the challenges of loss and rebuilding their lives.

Grief Support

Although we are not a grief group, we understand loss is a component of everyone’s experience and so we host weekly loss sessions for members to explore their loss experience in a safe environment.  We are not grief counselors but have learned that just talking out our thoughts and concerns can sometimes go a long way to relieving stress and anxiety.   We also have access to a variety of grief resources in the community who may be able to assist in the grieving process if a member feels the need to explore professional counselling.

Community

Unique Offerings

We are a stepping stone on the grief journey and are here to help others find their way to new lives and experiences. We offer a mix of online and in person  events so that almost daily, members have something to attend from a restaurant dinner to a zoom presentation.

Connection

Dedication

Our team comes from different backgrounds and life experiences, but together we have a shared purpose – to help widows and widowers along the path of grief towards a happy and meaningful life, while meeting new friends.

We know that through friendship and understanding, we are so much stronger than when we face these life experiences alone.  Why not join us?

Rebuilding

Experience

We are in our 9th year and proud that over 750 people have been part of Widowed Friends during this time.  As an organization, we continue to transition and grow every year by finding new ways of connecting our members locally and now virtually across Canada

I’m ready to join 

Become a Member

Have a question?

If you have questions about membership or about our community, first visit our FAQ page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Or contact us for more details.

What Our Members Say…

"I think it’s fair to say that Widowed Friends saved my life. My husband died of a particularly aggressive cancer last winter. The shock and tragedy of it shook all the joy out of me. I was so very lonely… Widowed Friends threw me a lifeline when I was drowning."
"Joining Widowed Friends Zoom meetings is like walking into your living room and finding all your friends there! It's been wonderful to have so many Zoom meetings each week to connect with others and feel a part of a larger community. "
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that works so hard in the group for providing this network for people like myself and others."
"I felt alone and isolated due to Covid until I joined Widowed Friends. I quickly made friends and found others with something in common. They get it. I value the time, effort and support from the group. It’s a life saver."
"I can’t come close to expressing my gratitude and love for our Widowed Friends group."
"Widowed Friends has helped ease my new journey into widowed life since we are all of like minds. It has helped make my life more meaningful."
"Being widowed, lonely, then moving to Oakville and only knowing my son and his family, Widowed Friends has been a godsend to me. With this group I met lovely new friends and this group opened up for me a wonderful new life with lots of social activities."
"Since joining Widowed Friends, my loneliness and sadness, as a result of my wife’s death, have decreased. This personal change, is due to the warm interactions, offered to me, from the many widows and widowers I meet, at the socials. Thanks to everyone for your sincere caring."
"Since joining Widowed Friends, my loneliness and sadness, as a result of my wife’s death, have decreased. This personal change, is due to the warm interactions, offered to me, from the many widows and widowers I meet, at the socials. Thanks to everyone for your sincere caring."
Thank you All for kind thoughts and support. It brings me comfort knowing there is a supportive group of people who share similar interests and concerns. I'm glad I'm part of this wonderful group!
Living in Nova Scotia I joined Widowed Friends with a sense of trepidation. I joined so that I could say to myself “See I tried. I knew it was stupid to think that other people would or could understand - especially by Zoom”. I was wrong. This is what I found: This group of people are open and supportive. They listen. No explanations of tears, smiles, sadness and joy are ever necessary. Understanding is always there. The uniqueness of my grief was acknowledged yet this group helped me blend it with the commonalities of widow’s grief.
I found the social aspects of the group to be inviting, encouraging while respectful of the days I just needed to hear voices and be a non-active participant. Early on I watched. As time moved on I joined in with a word or an answer here or there . Now I laugh. My friends in Widowed Friends know that grief is never buried or gone and that is ok. It is always recognized and respected. I learned to learn how to laugh amidst the tears and that’s ok too. I heard that you respond to a book once you see yourself in it. If you are grieving the death of a partner or spouse I would ask you to reach out to Widowed Friends. You just may see yourself here.
Previous
Next