in Riverside and Beyond
Michele Neff Hernandez, SSI, and Marlene Huerta Frazer, Widow Goals, Inland Empire
Do you ever have a “plan” that’s perfect and then you find that LIFE has it’s own plan?
I sure do.
When volunteering to host a screening for Camp Widow, I had a vision in my mind that felt perfect. In the end, LIFE had it’s own plan, and it ended up to be better than anything I could dream up. It turned out to be a love letter.
Image by Volodymyr Hryshchenko via Unsplash
When healing from loss it is helpful to take small, steady steps moving forward each day, rather than getting stuck on obsessing about what might have been. Dreams and perfect plans die hard. To cooperate with the required transition, I now let go of the many perfect details I was seeking and focus on the perfect gift of Plan B, given to us in Riverside, California, on International Widows Day, 2025.
. . . in a word, Plan B was COMMUNITY . . .
The Maestra in me stepped back and made way for the orchestra of widowed folk who arrived with their talents. Layers and layers of community! There were bakers & buyers who provided a feast of refreshments for our guests. Prize-givers outdid themselves, and generous people who extended invites for folks to discover Camp Widow!
The reach-out brought members from Blossoming Hearts Widow Group, members from The Grove church, the wonderful leader of Widow Goals/Inland Empire, and two lovely gals connected with Temecula’s Soaring Spirits Regional Group; one widow, one ally.
Plan B actively welcomed future possibilities . . .
May I say that this post is a love letter to Riverside’s Soaring Spirits Regional Group? Our veteran members attended a planning meeting and gave 110%. Our brand-new members brought their time and talent after only one meeting with us.
Is this what Community means?
Yes.
This post is also a love-letter to my personal hero, and first-born daughter, Michele Neff Hernandez. The evening felt like one of the first meetings I attended long before Camp Widow arrived. We were in a Women’s Club hall in Simi Valley. Michele had a giant dream and a dozen or so widowed people that were hungry for hope. Among those present were several who have stayed the course and helped to bring Soaring Spirits to where it has evolved today.
On International Widows Day, and at every Camp Widow, the magic Michele offers is both authentic and relatable. It is inspirational and practical. The simplicity of her story is timeless; her message a vehicle of hope.
In 2025, Soaring Spirits is best described in the Four Pillars below:
● Support for Widowed Individuals: Through programs like Camp Widow, Regional Social
Groups, Widowed Village, and our Newly Widowed Program, we provide care that
evolves with each person’s journey. These aren’t just services—they’re lifelines for
connection and resilience.● Family-Centered Resources: Widowhood reshapes entire families. Programs like
Camp Widow Kids and Support Network Workshops help children and extended family
members grieve together and support one another.● Grief Literacy for Professionals: From doctors to employers to first responders, we
train professionals to recognize the nuances of grief and respond with both compassion
and skill. This changes the systems widowed people have to navigate every day.● Public Health Advocacy: Widowhood isn’t just a personal loss—it’s a public health
issue. Through research, trauma-informed training, and public awareness, we’re
reshaping how society views and responds to grief.
Real, measurable change powered by people like us!
Now it’s our turn. Let’s share Camp Widow: The Documentary far and wide to widowed people and those who love them. To professionals who serve us and change-makers who want to make the world a better place.
The world needs this tiny 15-minute film. This video link accrued over 6,000 viewings in the first 12 hours.
Take a look and you decide: Camp Widow: The Documentary
Let’s get it to 200,000 viewings!
Soaring Spirits’ many Plan B opportunities are enjoyed by widowed people today because Michele and her team did not give up. Let’s carry this amazing 15 minute short film, which warmed hearts at SXSW 2025, to as many folks as possible.
Let’s spread the word that there is life after widowhood.
