Happy New Year from all of us at For the Widow Ministries. Every January feels like a fresh start – and I’m stepping into 2026 with so much gratitude and expectation for what God is going to do.
This month, we’ve seen the ministry grow in beautiful and tangible ways: new widows have joined our program, new opportunities to empower them have opened up, and our team in the Dominican Republic is expanding so we can care for more women with consistency and excellence.
Thank you for being part of this ministry – for your prayers and your generosity. I can’t wait to share what’s happening right now on the ground in Barahona.
January Highlights:
7 new widows added to the program
16 widows enrolled in our new 6-month Literacy Program
3 widows in urgent need of bathrooms in their homes
3 new Dominican team members added to help serve as the ministry grows
Upcoming trips: Feb 28 – Mar 7, Jun 20 – 27, Nov 7 – 14
7 New Widows Have Joined the Program
This January, we added 7 new widows to our program – women with unique stories, real needs, and incredible value in the eyes of God. We are so thankful that Venecia has already been sponsored!
However, 6 of these widows are waiting for sponsors so they can begin receiving monthly support. Sponsorship is $100/month, and it provides:
Food for the month
Monthly Bible study + spiritual care
Help with essential needs (like medicine and basic household needs)
Support toward medical care when needs arise
Ready to sponsor? Click a widow below to read her story and start monthly support or check out our website where we explain how your sponsorship will help!
If you’d like to sponsor but aren’t sure which widow to choose, pick any profile – every sponsorship helps a widow begin receiving care right away.
New Program: 6-Month Widow Literacy Program
We’re celebrating the launch of our brand new 6-month Literacy Program – a foundational step toward long-term empowerment. Here’s what this looks like right now:
16 widows enrolled
4 teachers serving across multiple communities
Weekly instruction helping widows learn to read and write – many for the first time in their lives
Why does literacy matter so much? Because once a widow can read and write, we can begin offering additional skills training – things like sewing, jewelry making, hair, nails, and other small-business skills that can help her generate income and build stability.
One of the most inspiring parts of this program is that widows of all ages are participating. Consuelo turned 100 years old on August 28, and she is learning to read and write for the very first time.
A Dignity Need: Bathrooms for 3 Widows
Over the past 6 months, we have identified a few critical needs: 3 widows do not have bathrooms in their homes. We are working to build bathrooms for each of them.
2 widows already have the structure started.
1 widow still needs construction to begin.
We’re currently raising funds for this project, and we plan to help complete bathroom builds during our upcoming summer trip.
Meet our Growing Dominican Team
As the ministry grows, our team has grown too. We’re excited to share that we’ve added three new team members to our Dominican staff:
We’re grateful for each of them and for the way they’re working alongside our Program Director, Miqueas, to serve widows with care, consistency, and love.
