Today we’d like to introduce you to Bobbi Mason
Hi Bobbi, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
On January 25, 2015, my life, and the lives of my three children, was forever changed. My husband, of 16 years, decided to end his life.
I was swept into a tornado of decision making from planning a funeral, to figuring out financial obligations, and how to communicate with everyone in my extended family and community. In the midst of all of this, meals had to be made, groceries needed to be re-stocked, school was in session, laundry needed washing and my children needed to come home and totally melt down in a place where they felt some resemblance of normalcy and safety. Just as many other widowers with children would agree, we had to begin immediately to define a new set of rules for normalcy or, a “new normal.”
I decided to give my grief a purpose and decided to create and form my nonprofit, Widow’s Wish Foundation. My passion is to help young widows navigate their “new normal” during their first year of loss. When a young widow with children loses a spouse, they are in an uphill battle to deal with all of the economic fallout of raising a family on a substantially lower income. This immediate loss is compounded when a deceased spouse did not have an adequate life insurance policy, or worse yet, No insurance policy in place. In addition, “grief fog” is a real phenomenon that clouds and paralyzes widows from dealing with the day-to-day tasks of life, child-rearing, etc. Life continues; bills have to be paid and if a widow was not the one who paid the bills, there is a heavy learning curve to understand car payments, mortgages, taxes, investments, and any other financial decisions that the late spouse may have handled.
My goal is to be a type of “advocate” for young widows through our Widow Thrive community and Widow’s Wish Foundation. I believe that supporting widows is a biblical, ethical and moral responsibility. Remarkably, it is difficult to find an organization within a church or community that has a developed program to serve widows during their first year of loss, especially for young widows and their children.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Fundraising for nonprofit and marketing when the topic of grief is not as “glamorous” and can be uncomfortable for many to discuss.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
It is the mission, duty and purpose of Widow’s Wish Foundation to address, educate, coordinate, and provide financial aid, relief, and support to widows aged 20-50 with children under the age of 18. It is our duty to help the widow families facing enormous obstacles, including illness, homelessness, hunger, poverty and tragedy. It is our desire to enrich their lives with hope, strength, and joy.
The goal of WidowThrive and the Widow’s Wish program is multi-faceted:
Meals. I was tremendously lucky to have a community of friends and co-workers who fed my family for 3 months, post-loss. I want to partner with meal delivery services to provide meals for the young widow and her children so she does not have to worry about the economic burden of groceries; actually grocery shopping; and having to prepare and cook meals.
Grief Getaway. I had to get away a few months after the funeral. My thoughts of getting away were all-consuming; I wanted to go somewhere so I could grieve and No one knew my story and my kids could have a change of scenery and we all could just be together. This is something I consistently hear from young widows = they just want to get away but cannot afford it. I want to bless them with some joy and change in scenery that can soothe their loss, if only for a little while.
Christmas gifts for that first holiday season, post-loss. Holidays are huge triggers, especially the first holidays, post-loss. For Christmas 2017, I “adopted” a young widow who I befriended in one of my Facebook Widows support groups. She is a widow with four children and had been recently diagnosed with breast cancer. The ability to purchase gifts for this sweet family was transformative to me and my boys. We embraced the Christmas season again with a fresh outlook because we were excited and fulfilled to provide gifts to another family. As one facet of Widow’s Wish, I plan to continue this by community involvement and sponsorship.
I want to hold hands with as many young widows and their children as we can reach through my Widow’s Wish Foundation. I believe that supporting young widows and their children is an ethical and moral responsibility. My Widow’s Wish non-profit offers an avenue of opportunity for communities and businesses to get involved in the care and support of an ever-growing and expanding population of young widows.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Even as a young girl, I was always very driven, outgoing and independent. I always enjoyed a challenge! I have always had a lot of various interests and enjoyed volunteering and being a part of my community, even at a young age.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.widowthrive.com/
- Instagram: @fitflamingo7
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/psalm23widow
