USA Widows

Kerusomen Partners with Friends Needing Friends... Bringing New Hope to Widows in America

Did you know?..

There are over 14 million widows in the United States today. That is an average of 40 widows for every church in the United States (AARP).

Over 700,000 women are widowed each year. (U.S. Bureau of the Census)

Thom S. Rainer, Founder and CEO of Church Answers and previous president and CEO of Lifeway Christian Resources, describes the situation this way:

“Upon the death of a spouse, a widow loses 75% of her support base. It is imperative for churches to stand in the gap. But in North American churches, I see hardly any intentional church wide ministries to widows.  Millions are left to suffer and struggle in silence.” 

That’s a huge need left untouched... 

Kerusomen set out to identify a grassroots organization who is stepping up and filling that emotional and spiritual gap.

God provided Friends Needing Friends International.  

    

Click Picture to Connect to FNF Blog

Friends Needing Friends is a widows ministry  that picks up where Grief Share ends. It serves women who have been widowed recently, ideally in the past one to three years, but not too soon after the occurrence because their grief is too raw.  It comes alongside them as they transition to a new normal, offering the love of Christ, providing support for those who are struggling to move on, and helping them, in time, to flourish and find their new purpose.

Friends Needing Friends offers widows a safe place to connect and:

• Grow.  It coordinates monthly meetings with inspiring programs, speakers and fun themes that make it easier for the recently widowed to make new friends. Friends who truly care enough to spend time with each other, learn from each other, and share their hearts with each other.
• Be Encouraged.  Besides comforting each other, these widows inspire each other to keep looking up when they feel down so they don't get stuck when grief assaults their emotions.
• Find Purpose.  FNF offers widows opportunities to serve the Lord locally with a Teddy Bear Ministry, visiting the sick and/or hospitalized with a smile and a Teddy Bear gift.  Plus they reach out internationally providing financial support to other widows in India and are a great source of encouragement to them, many of whom have been totally abandoned by their families.

In short, Friends Needing Friends offers widows hope.

It is a place where they feel comforted in their struggles, cheered in their "wins", celebrated in their growth, and loved and accepted unconditionally.  And more than that...it offers them an opportunity to share the hope they have found with other widows in need. Together, as a team, they are making a real and lasting difference in their own lives and the lives of others. As their founder, Dotti Ackerman, puts it, "Who better to help widows than widows?"  But there's more...

How Friends Needing Friends Spreads the Gospel and the Love of Christ locally and globally: 

1. Locally FNF plans, organizes and executes "event gatherings" once a month to meet the spiritual and emotional needs of widows in our local communities both here in Boynton Beach, FL and in New Jersey. They provide the guest speaker, continental breakfast, small gifts and distribute Bibles free of charge to the widows who attend. 
2. They spread the Gospel by publishing a blog that has an international following of more than 15 countries including, Russia, India, France, Ukraine, Viet Nam, the Netherlands, Germany, Nigeria, Canada, Indonesia, Poland, China, United Kingdom, Malaysia, South Africa and of course, the United States.   
3. They encourage other widows by personal witness and online to form their own FNF chapters by providing the training, materials, and contact information to make it happen.      

Kerusomen saw that partnering with this interdenominational sisterhood of widows, Friends Needing Friends, fit their mission criteria perfectly.

First, God commands us “to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” (James 1:27)  
Second, because FNF is interdenominational it does not receive support from any individual church denomination.  
Finally, Friends Needing Friends also stewards its gifts faithfully; 100% of all funds we donate are committed to the mission as all overhead is supported by dedicated volunteers.

Kerusomen provides monthly financial support to FNF 

All funds donated go directly to the widows to provide healthy food, program materials, Bibles, newsletters and outreach materials, Teddy Bears for the shut-in, hospital and hospice visits, and gifts for widows who attend the monthly events.  (All administrative costs including speakers,venue,  photographer, food prep and service, blog contributors, mailings and miscellaneous expenses are covered by the FNF volunteer team.)

Our desire is to bless these widows and expect nothing in return.

Want to Get Involved?

God has blessed this 30+ year old ministry with a recent spurt of growth.
Your partnership is greatly needed. Prayerfully consider a donation of your finances, your time, or your talents. Kerusomen depends on people like you to make a difference in the lives of these widows. Contact us to tell us how you feel you might like to help.

Pray for Widows. Give a gift. Spread the word.

100% of Your Gift Goes to the Friends Needing Friends Ministry

Thank You
                                                                    

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