Widowed Parent Relief Project

Widowed Parent Relief Project's mission is to alleviate everyday stressors for widowed parents so they can focus on their family’s mental health and healing AND help build an enduring community support system for the parent.

Co-founders, Kelly and C.J. Orrico, felt compelled to help an acquaintance who was widowed by paying for weekly cleaning services after Kelly miraculously survived a massive stroke at the age of 39. A few years later, Covid struck our nation and Kelly heard God's call to "care for widows and orphans in their distress". With much research, it was discovered that young widow(er)s often feel abandoned by their friends, are 2.5 times more at risk of early death, and can suffer from chronic depression and anxiety. The first three years of grief are the most fragile; therefore, WPRP serves parents who have been widowed within the last 3 years and have children in the home.

The number one predictor of how well a child adjusts to the loss of their parent is the functioning level of the surviving parent. We aim to help the parent in order to help the child.... WPRP truly emulates the cliché "It Takes a Village."

Young widow(er)s report they felt their help did not last long enough after they lost their spouse. WPRP learns about the unique needs of each parent and creates an individual plan to assist each family for typically one year, paying for services that can help alleviate stress (i.e., house cleaning, home organizing, etc). In addition, one-two "Family Friend Volunteers" are assigned to the parent to serve as liaisons between the parent and community AND the parent and the board. Family Friends advocate for the parent in the community and find volunteers to help with particular projects or needs as they arise. Family Friends help build a network of community support and connect the parent with local resources through our WPRP support system.