A place to call home
Did you know that social isolation negatively impacts wellbeing?
Social connection meanwhile is a strong protective factor, guarding against depression, ill mental health, burnout, and elder abuse.
The best support for war widows, is war widows
It is my view that the best support for war widows is war widows, and the best support for veterans’ families is veterans’ families. That by providing avenues and facilitating connection among peers, we can positively impact one another’s health and wellbeing outcomes.
Veteran and family support
Just as our veterans need their peers, so too do their families, particularly where those family members are not veterans themselves.
Often overlooked, social connections and other social factors positively impact health and longevity. Perhaps this is why so many of our widows are living well into their 90s and 100s?
A shared social identity
But social connection is most effective when it is meaningful. Social connection through a shared social identity resulting from a sense of meaning, purpose, support and efficacy has particularly positive psychological outcomes. And there is growing scientific evidence to support this.
You now have a home
It is time to bring our model of connection to those who need it most and have nowhere else to go. We are expanding and diversifying our program of social connection to bring widows, women and families together to develop strong bonds and support for each other, as our older war widows have for decades.
We know there are thousands out there with nowhere to go who are feeling incredibly isolated. Our message to you is: you now have a home. We might still be building some parts of it, but you are more than welcome at any time.
If you would like to know more or join our community, please contact us directly at guild [at] warwidowsnsw.com.au (guild[at]warwidowsnsw[dot]com[dot]au). You can also visit our website.
Renee Wilson
Chief Executive Officer
Australian War Widows NSW
