Widowed Parent Relief Project - Our Mission
Widowed Parent Relief Project's (WPRP) mission is to help build an enduring support system and alleviate everyday stressors for widowed parents so they can spend more time on their family's mental health and healing.
WPRP serves Widowed Parents to offer hope to their families during a time when they feel most alone. A WPRP “Family Friend” volunteer walks alongside the parent for one year, staying apprised of current needs and advocating for the family in the community.
During that year, WPRP also provides paid services, which include regular cleaning services, home organizing, and self-care/babysitting stipends. "It takes a village" to make this happen – YOUR HELP MAKES A DIFFERENCE by providing enduring support during their time of need!
Check out our founder's story
Our founder, Kelly Orrico, was featured in an episode of Up Close,
hosted by Frank Murphy on PBS.
Why We Serve
The functioning level of the surviving parent is the MOST POWERFUL PREDICTOR of how well a child will adjust to the death of their parent.
Spousal bereavement often leaves a widow vulnerable to depression and chronic stress.
Many widowed parents state they feel their support did not last long enough. James 1:27-The purest form of religion is this: caring for orphans and widows in their distress...
Our Mission & Vision
Vision
Our widowed parents move forward with hope.
Parent Care
Parent Application
Mission
Help build an enduring support system and alleviate everyday stressors for widowed parents, so they can spend more time with their children and focus on their family's mental health and healing.
3 Ways PArents can Connect
Parents may participate in one platform or engage with multiple platforms over time as their needs and preferences change. Thanks to our wonderful donors, all platforms are provided at no cost to WPRP families.
PARENT CONNECT
Virtual Support | National Access
Parent Connect is WPRP’s private, virtual community created exclusively for widowed parents and the primary entry point into Widowed Parent Relief Project.
This platform offers a welcoming place where parents can connect with others who understand life after loss, find encouragement, and access helpful resources from anywhere.
- Opportunities to connect with other widowed parents who understand their journey
- Virtual connection sessions and peer conversation
- Educational content and shared resources relevant to widowed parenting
- Encouragement and emotional reinforcement
PARENT COMMUNITY
Local Support | Select Regions
Our local platform where you connect with other widowed families and receive support close to home.
- Attend social gatherings together
- Access trusted, local businesses
- Receive volunteer and church support
PARENT CARE
Personalized Support | Select Regions
Parent Care is WPRP’s most personalized level of support, created to walk alongside widowed parents as they navigate a season of transition, healing, and adjustment. It is available to parents with children in high school or younger who are within three years of the loss of a spouse.
This program is not based solely on financial need. Instead, Parent Care is built around relationship, encouragement, and practical support—recognizing that every family’s experience of loss is different. Services are thoughtfully tailored to meet the unique needs, strengths, and circumstances of each family.
Each participating family is paired with a trained Family Friend—a trusted volunteer who walks beside the parent with steady encouragement, practical support, and genuine care.
Parent Care may also include optional support designed to ease everyday pressures so parents can focus their time and energy on caring for their family.
Examples may include:
- Monthly home cleaning or organizing services
- Self-care stipends
- Counseling stipends
Parents choose the type and level of support that best fits their family.
Widowed Parent Relief Project does not provide clinical, emergency, or crisis services.
Programs are designed to complement—not replace—professional care.
Refer a parent or apply for Parent Care here
EASIEST WAY TO GET CONNECTED?
START WITH PARENT CONNECT.
