Grief support isn’t just a conversation—it’s a lifeline. In this heartfelt episode, Tina Fornwald steps out from behind the mic to reveal how Widowhood Real Talk with Tina has grown into a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering concrete ways to help widows, widowers, and families heal. She shares exciting details about the upcoming “Hope Grows Here” 1960s-themed event in Norfolk, Virginia; explains how listeners can participate in the Children of Widowhood Secret Santa program; and highlights peer-to-peer grief support groups for men and for all adults. From scholarships to vendor opportunities, donations, and volunteering, this episode is a roadmap for anyone who wants to give or receive meaningful support on the journey through loss.

I am sharing my experience of loving the same man for 32 years, a mother to two adult children, a retired military officer, a breast cancer survivor, and my connections with others. 

Anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts should reach out to a suicide hotline or local emergency number in their country: Psychology Today Suicide Hotlines and Prevention Resources Around the World.

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Hope Grows Here: Building A Grief Support Community Beyond The Mic

You have been reading to Widowhood Real Talk with Tina for maybe a week, months or maybe years. Did you know there are ways to connect with this community? That’s what this show is about, sharing with you how to be a part of this amazing community. Let’s get into this conversation now.

Welcome to Widowhood Real Talk with Tina. I’m pausing from talking to other people to share with you that we are more than sharing stories. Widowhood Real Talk with Tina is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and I want to give you an opportunity to connect. The first way that you can connect with us is to go to our website Widowhood-RealTalkWithTina.org. There is a free 90 days dealing with grief guides. Go to the website, provide your name and your email address. What that will do, it will also give you an opportunity to start receiving our newsletter on a regular basis.

Hope Grows Here: A 60s Themed Event In May 2026

I want to share with you some of the information that you probably want to participate in. The first thing I want to share with you is the idea of our event, Hope Grows Here in May of 2026. I know you’re going, “May of 2026, Tina?” You need time to plan. You need time to get your ‘60s outfit together. You need time to register for the event here in Norfolk, Virginia and reserve your room at the DoubleTree Hotel. You need time to think about the widow or family that you want to support. You need time to be able to think about, “Do I want to be a vendor? Is this the opportunity to bring my arts and crafts, my skills, or my oils?”

Maybe you have something that you design. Maybe you need time to figure out what you want to donate to the silent auction. We are planners here at Widowhood Real Talk with Tina and we know that you want to show up with your best. Sometimes, this may be the first opportunity for you as a widow, a widower, or someone in the grief community to travel since your loved one has passed. It may take time to be able to prepare yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually to step out, to come and do something fun for you. That’s why we’re planning early.

If you go to our website Widowhood-RealTalkWithTina.org, select the event in the drop-down menu from there, and select Hope Grows Here. You will see details about being a vendor. The vendor fee is $50 for a table, and then to purchase your tickets. The tickets are $65 for your plated meal. You may want to sponsor a widow. Maybe you are not able to attend but you would like to sponsor for a widow to attend. You can email me at WidowhoodRealTalk@Gmail.com, and I can provide you details on that.

Maybe you would like to donate to the college scholarship fund and you go, “Why do we need a college scholarship fund?” Let me tell you why. When someone loses a partner or a parent, they may no longer have the funds to be able to cover college for children. Maybe that widow or widower needs to go back into the workforce to obtain a livable wage. They may need some type of educational training to be able to attain a better job.

Widowhood Real Talk with Tina would like to be able to support them in obtaining the education, the skill and the trade that they would need to return to the workforce to obtain a livable wage. This event of Hope Grows Here was specifically geared to have fun and also to help others. I understand the idea of going to a dress-up event may be triggering the last time that you did something with your spouse and that’s why we’re dressing in ‘60s.

Yes, we are also celebrating my 60th birthday at this event, but this is the opportunity for the community at large to get together, to have fun, dance, celebrate and to meet each other and know that we are growing in this process together. Other ways that you can support is a one-time donation. You could share the link on social media. You could share this show with someone that you think would enjoy the opportunity to come to the greater Hampton Roads area. The airport is literally around the corner from the event, and there’s a shopping center close by too, called the Outlets. If you like shopping, that’s something to consider also.

Secret Santa: Supporting Children In The Widowhood Community

There’s golfing and a lot of other different things to do. Look up what you can do while you’re here in Norfolk, Virginia. Virginia Beach is just around the corner, Busch Gardens and a lot of other things that you can check out while you’re in this area. The second thing that I want to mention to you is that we have children from the Widowhood Secret Santa program, and you go, “What is that?” We have created an anonymous way for you to support children in the widowhood community.

We had an open opportunity for people to apply and the application process allowed us to take eleven families into this program and 29 children. We doubled the amount that we had in 2024. The children of Widowhood Secret Santa allows us to place on our website starting November 1st. You can go there and select a family and their children would have listed the gift that they’re interested in. The gifts will range between $1 to $75. Each child is allowed to place five gifts. You can go and go to their Amazon Wishlist that will be anonymous, select the child and the gift goes directly to them.

Yes, you get to help somebody have a Christmas a little bit more enchanting and a little bit more magical that they may have not had. You get to help a widow or a widower or maybe a grandparent or a guardian that has taken in children that have lost their parents to help ease their burden. Let’s just say you don’t like shopping and you don’t like going to Amazon. You can go to our website, Widowhood-RealTalkWithTina.org and you can make a donation and put in the purpose of it for children of Widowhood Secret Santa and we’ll do the shopping for you.

Safe Spaces: Peer-To-Peer Grief Support Meetings

Once you make the donation, we’ll also make sure that we provide you with a donation letter, so that you can use that and give that to your tax preparer. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to connect in this community. We’re more than a show and you have an opportunity to participate. The next item that I would like to share with you is that we host a men’s only peer-to-peer grief support meeting. That meeting is hosted on the second Thursday of every month. If you go to our website, Widowhood-RealTalkWithTina.org and select events, you can see the dates that the meeting is held. You can see the time and you can also obtain the Zoom information.

You can connect with the host in advance. He is a widower by the name of Mr. James Price. He has volunteered to make herself available on the second Thursday of every month, men only. Yes, it’s for men only. Our men need a safe space to be able to grieve, be in camaraderie with other men and know that their feelings are validated, their grief is real and they don’t have to be in a place where they feel like they have to be strong or wrong around other women. They need to place that they can be vulnerable around other men and to be able to work through this process together in that bond.

Now I know you’re saying, “What about the rest of us?” The last Thursday of every month, I host a peer-to-peer grief support meeting. You can go to our website, Widowhood-RealTalkWithTina.org and select events and you can see the dates of the meeting. You can also see the Zoom link details and email me directly if you have any questions. This community for Widowhood Real Talk with Tina has a basis of stories and sharing our journeys together and getting great information from other professionals but we want you to connect.

We want you to participate and receive the newsletter. We want to see you in May of 2026 in Hope Grows Here. Maybe you’re interested in being more involved. Maybe you’re looking for an opportunity to volunteer. We have the opportunity for administrative help to support different emails. Maybe you want to share your testimony in something that you have experienced in your widowhood. Maybe you’re looking to be a guest on the show. Email me at WidowhoodRealTalk@Gmail.com. Thank you for allowing me to share this information with you. I look forward to connecting with you and being a greater part of this community.

Important Links

• Tina Fornwald on LinkedIn
• Tina Fornwald on TikTok
• Widowhood Real Talk with Tina
• WidowhoodRealTalk@Gmail.com
• Hope Grows Here
• Widowhood Real Talk with Tina on Instagram
• Widowhood Real Talk with Tina on YouTube
• Widowhood Real Talk with Tina on Facebook
• Widowhood Real Talk with Tina on Twitter

About Tina Fornwald

Widowhood Real Talk With Tina #WRTWT is a Registered 501(c)3 organization that creates a safe space for candid discussions on the grief journey through our weekly podcast and daily social content. We also connect the widowhood community with an extensive range of professionals, materials, and support groups to foster encouragement, healing, and hope. We are on this grief journey with you to help develop a fantastic life you love and not just exist.

Our Founder, Tina, was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. After graduating high school, she enlisted in the United States Army and Retired in 2020 as Chief Warrant Officer Two. While in the army, she pursued higher education, earning a bachelor’s degree in Finance with a minor in Accounting. Tina was ordained into the ministry in August 2010 and provides Empowerment Life Coaching. While in the army, she met her late husband, Mark W. Fornwald. Tina and Mark married and had two adult children, Catherine and Alexander. Their children were and are the heartbeats of their cherished 32 years together.

In 2015, Tina was diagnosed with breast cancer. With the love of Mark, her children, family, friends, and faith, Tina survived several operations and cancer treatments. Then, in 2017, Mark and Tina were enjoying a weekend in Delaware when Mark had a massive heart attack, and the man she loved for 32 years died. The life Tina had come to love was suddenly turned upside down. She sought solace in God, family, friends, and therapy to figure out life without Mark in the following days, months, and years. Tina has learned to live again through healthy coping skills, the love and support of family, friends, and other widows/widowers, therapy, and her faith.

Tina began connecting with other widows and widowers to gain insight and understanding of this challenging journey, which became instrumental to her well-being. Over the years, Tina became the person other widows and widowers sought out for advice on navigating their grief. As Tina learned to find her way in life, love found her again in Fred M. Jackson, whom she wed in February of 2022.