Hello, I’m Michele Neff Hernandez. Welcome to the Open to Hope Spouse Loss resource page. I was 35 when my husband was hit and killed by a car while riding his bicycle. His death turned my world upside down. I didn’t know how to be a widow, and wish I’d had a checklist or a map that would tell me what to do with the rest of my life. As I learned to stand on my own two feet, I founded the Soaring Spirits Loss Foundation, to help others learn to live, to love, and to hope again.
Michele Neff Hernandez
Michele Neff Hernandez is the founder and executive director of the Soaring Spirits Loss Foundation. SSLF is a non-profit organization committed to providing resources and support to people grieving the loss of a loved one. In addition to her work with the foundation, Michele inspires people as a motivational speaker and freelance writer. Through speaking to service groups, faith communities, Universities and hosting community seminars she has shared her thoughts on loss and hope with a variety of audiences. She is the creator of the Widow Match program. Since the death of her husband in 2005, she has made reaching out to other widows her personal mission. Ms. Hernandez’s various projects have been featured in the Ventura County Star, the Simi Valley Acorn, and the Riverside County Record. She is a contributing author to several websites and is chronicling the interviews she has done with widows across the country in a book called, The Healing Power of the Widow’s Bond. Currently, she is planning a national widowhood conference scheduled for the summer of 2009. Ms. Hernandez is a resident of Simi Valley, California where she lives and laughs with her three amazing children. An avid runner and outdoor enthusiast, she actively encourages others to embrace the life we are given.
