The nonprofit Modern Widows Club (MWC) has announced the opening of a new chapter serving women in the Northwest Houston and Katy areas. This brings the number of chapters in the Houston area to three, with one in central Houston and another in The Woodlands. Modern Widows Club Houston celebrates its three-year anniversary, having been founded here in 2014.
Modern Widows Club Houston is part of a national organization which provides widow mentoring, leadership and empowerment through member services, active social media sites and an inspirational blog. The organization aspires to be a bridge of understanding, comfort, compassion and positive change between a widow and her community and is non-denominational.
The Northwest Houston/Katy chapter of MWC will meet the third Wednesday of every month at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 15015 Memorial Dr. near Eldridge Road at 6:30 p.m. Women of all ages, faiths and backgrounds are invited to attend.
“Modern Widows Club serves to empower widows to lean into life, build resilience and make a positive difference in society,” says Natalie Lancaster, Regional Leader over the Houston chapters of Modern Widows Club. “We welcome women of diverse backgrounds and beliefs into our organization. It’s not a grief counseling group, but women find comfort and solace in sharing their stories with others, in building fellowship and even in job networking.”
Lancaster explained that education is an important aspect of the Modern Widows Club, especially in the area of finances. In many cases, the husband handled the finances, insurance and taxes, so the newly-widowed wife must now take over what can be a daunting task.
“Money and money management can be big issues for many women, and now they no longer have the husband’s income to support them,” says Lancaster. “Guest speakers can help educate on financial topics. We also brainstorm jobs and new careers that women might consider if they are returning to the work force after a long absence.”
The MWC chapter for central Houston meets the second Tuesday of each month at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church at 2450 River Oaks Blvd. Meetings for The Woodlands chapter are held the third Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at The Canopy in Memorial Hermann Woodlands Hospital, Medical Plaza 1, 1120 Medical Plaza Drive, Suite 250 in The Woodlands.
“I want to invite Houston-area widows to check us out when they feel comfortable stepping back into social situations,” says Lancaster. “For me personally, it’s been a life-changing experience after losing my husband Kevin in 2011. I now want to mentor and assist other women who have had similar experiences and may feel overwhelmed or at a loss for what to do next.”
For more information about Modern Widows Club, visit the website at modernwidowsclub.com
and click on the “Chapters” tab or email natalie@modernwidowsclub.com.