Meet Jessica Poche’ of A Widow’s Fight and God Is Clothing in San Bernardino County

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Poche’.

Jessica, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Nov 2015, my husband passed away and my life changed drastically. Upon his passing, due to financial limitations, I had to vacate our home and eventually ended up sleeping on my sisters couch with no income, home or working transportation. Dealing with the pain of losing my best friend and mate, I spent hours, morning and evening reading the bible and having prayer and worship, seeking God for healing and direction.

About a year and a half after his passing, I realized the pain of dealing with grief and the added pressure that comes when accompanied with financial hardship. There weren’t organizations I had the ability to go to for assistance, because I didn’t have children. This realization created a charge in my heart to provide resources for others to not have to experience what I went through.

This is where A Widow’s Fight (AWF) was birthed. Blessed with the mission to help serve those who are widowed and children who have lost a parent (as well as Foster Children), by providing necessary resources to impact grief, help families transition after the loss of a loved one and maintain healthy family relationships as a whole. Our desire is to help impact families, creating stronger, healthier homes whether both parents are present or not.

Anyone who has been in my situation can testify that it is heart wrenching to lose your spouse, however to experience the loss of your spouse as well as suffer financially is an added fight to the grieving process, hence the name A Widow’s Fight. The vision is to be able to financially support impoverished or high risk families who have lost a spouse and provide tools to help them get on their feet as we guide them and their children, if any, through grief classes and set them on the path to healing. What would this look like?…

…Taking a Widower who has children that he now has to raise on his on and paying for his basic expenses, that are unable to be covered through other programs, for a year. During this year, giving him and his children the ability to grieve and tools such as Daddy Daughter Hair Workshops (Which we host consistently) to teach him how to build a stronger relationship with his children and how to do their hair. If he had to quit his career due to his new position as a Single Father, we give him resources for training/education in a new field and Fatherhood organizations. The goal is to build the family while giving them the opportunity to grieve appropriately.

As a new organization, funding can be difficult to obtain for the first couple of years. To help off set some costs, God Is Clothing was birthed. This is a t-shirt line that boldly proclaims the attributes of God to testify of who God showed Himself to be in your darkest moment, which is why they are black with white writing. The black represents the darkest moment and the white lettering represents who God was in that time, so you are recognized by who is rather than what you went through. Not only is this line to proclaim the greatness of God, but it is an avenue by which to obtain funds for A Widow’s Fight.

Until finances are received in grants or donations (which personal donations do not pay for salary but go 100% to help with family needs) to serve to the capacity of AWF’s vision, Grief Classes, Hair Workshops (For Dad’s/Men, Mom’s/Ladies and Foster Parents), personal assistance for elderly and are creating a mentorship program for youth and safe place for children dealing with grief.

We are new but are planning to stay around and impact our communities one widow/widower at a time.

Has it been a smooth road?
One of the hardest struggles is obtaining financial support. Grants are available, however, being a new organization, we don’t have the history that they are seeking. Having less financial support hinders hiring staff and building a resource center, so at the moment, we are remote, and I am employed, and use personal income to support efforts We have had a couple of in-kind and financial donations which both go 100% to help families, however, we need much more to really assist in the capacity we would like.

Another challenge is the need for Hairstylist and Barbers to volunteer their time for the Hair Workshops, as well as products to give to families to maintain their child or foster child’s hair. Stylists/Barbers and others who would like to volunteer time can sign up at awidowsfight.org Contact page.

We’d love to hear more about your organization.
What sets us apart is our focus. We are attending to the needs of those who are widowed and children who have lost at least one parent. However, it doesn’t stop there, we are also supporters for those who are dealing with grief in any capacity.

I am proud of the attitude of service that we provide. Not being hindered by lack of finances, A Widow’s Fight is in the community, helping families independently as well as through collaborations with various community and faith-based organizations.

Being a new organization, we are known for our Hair Workshops, which is probably my favorite event outside of grief classes. Hair Workshops are not just a time to learn to do hair, but on how to build better relationships between parents/guardians and children. The idea for Hair Workshops came about from understanding how much grief impacts the home. I thought if a dad with daughters loses his wife, what would the school day for those baby girls look like if he didn’t know how to do her hair? The same for a mother with sons. This made me develop Hair Workshops, which are open to everyone to make sure tools are provided to both parents for the support and connections with their children, which in turn will help them transition into a new life without the other parent. The beginning of these workshops are a segment of pouring into the men or women who attend, providing resources for healthy parent/child relationships and then lessons on how to maintain hair. These classes are also for Foster Parents, in which attendance is highly encouraged.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I am based out of San Bernardino County, with the optimistic view of expansion. I believe our services are necessary in every city and we would be a good place to start for grief resources, or even for volunteer opportunities.

Pricing:

• God Is T-Shirts and Hoodies $17-40
• Grief Packet $25

Contact Info:

• Website: www.awidowsfight.org
• Phone: 909-362-5189
• Email: Selfless.Service@awidowsfight.org
• Instagram: awidowsfight
• Facebook: awidowsfight

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