How to Use This Site

Welcome
Widowed Village connects widowed people through bad times and good. This is an involved and lively site for peer support. Like any village, we need each other and learn from others who are the same and from those who are different. We hope you’ll find sharing your sorrows, challenges, joys and daily experiences here will lighten and enlighten your journey.

Widowed Village is a program of the Soaring Spirits Loss Foundation, a non-profit organization.

About your privacy and security
   1. Widowed Village is the only site of its kind that screens new members for widowed status. Our members are concerned that everyone who participates here has lost a partner, so we will ask you for your real name and some other information when you sign up. Unless otherwise noted, this information is for WV administrators' use only. It will never be shared without your express permission.
   2. Because nearly every area of this site is public we encourage you to use a pseudonym when you sign up.
   3. What can I keep private? Go to "My Widville," "Check my privacy" to change the default settings or update your preferences. However, anytime you upload an image or video, you can override these preferences. In general -- Please don’t publicly post recent photos of your children.
   4. Signing up. The information you provide in your membership questionnaire is completely private. From time to time, we may send you an additional questionnaire (always with an “opt out” choice) in order to collect information on the general status of widowed people. One of the reasons our population receives poor support is that we are not well understood as a group or as individuals. This information will always be kept secure and anonymous, and you can opt out at any time. We value if you are willing to share for these purposes, and we respect if you choose to opt out.

About peer support
    * Peer support is not intended as a substitute for professional counseling. Our moderators receive regular support and training on good boundaries for peer sharing. In no situation should you construe what a WidVille moderator, columnist, or anyone else here says as advice. If you observe inappropriate behavior, let us know at widville@gmail.com.
    * Share only what you’d share with a peer or other NEW friend. Although we do screen participants, you should NEVER share personal or financial details with someone you don’t know well.
    * As a peer member, you should also keep in mind these boundaries. Please participate only where you have direct experience relevant to the conversation. For example, don't participate in forums or groups for folks of age groups other than your own, don't engage in a conversation about suicide if you're not intimately familiar with the subject, etc.
    * If you have background as a social worker or with other relevant subject matter, you may have to be especially careful. Please contact widville@gmail.com whenever you have a question about these boundaries.

Meet our admins, moderators, columnists, and partners
None of us are “experts,” and we are all widowed.

• Soaring Spirits Loss Foundation
• Michele Neff Hernandez
• Robin Moore
• Supa Dupa Fresh
• Carol Scibelli
• Hyla Molander
• Carole Brody Fleet

How we communicate with you
    * Newsletter. Members will receive the WV newsletter once or twice a month. The core purpose of the newsletter is to provide members with information you'll need to use the service most effectively, such as changes in the terms of service. This will be especially important during the "beta" period. Occasionally the newsletter will also profile new members or share information about in-person events, such as Camp Widow and regional get-togethers and "Widowbagos" organized by SSLF, by other groups, or by community members.  As currently conceived, the newsletter may occasionally feature information by WV sponsors, but it will be clearly marked as such. You'll never wonder whether content is sponsored or not.
    * Relationships. From time to time, an administrator may need to be in contact with you. The easiest way is for you to “friend” WidvilleAdmin. If you don’t wish to do this, you need to at least be able to receive a message from WidvilleAdmin. In other words, don’t close your Widville Inbox.

Questions? Comments? .....