What is Broken Halos Haven?
Broken Halos Haven helps to empower and build the confidence of young widows who are now parenting alone AND to help families realize it’s OK to move forward and find joy again even in the midst of their grief.
Broken Halos Haven serves young widows and their school-aged children in Dallas/Ft. Worth (and beyond!) with 4 main offerings:
1. Grief Retreat
A no-cost, stay at Broken Halos Haven, our private, “grief retreat” home located in Old Town Lewisville.
2. SHIFT
SHIFT is a weekly, group grief support program for children who have lost a parent due to death.
3. Honey Dudes
Household maintenance and repair needs can overwhelm a widow because they’re reminders of the huge void left in their family. “The Haven Honey Dudes” swoop into widows’ homes on designated weekends and complete tasks on household to-do lists.
4. Man Camp
Man Camp is a program for boys who no longer have fathers to teach and guide them. They gather with “mentor dads” to learn simple tasks every man should know (i.e. how to start a lawnmower, how to throw a ball, how to shake a hand, how to treat a woman, etc.). There is also intentional time training these boys to be men of upstanding character.
Watch this video hear “Stories of Hope” from past families we’ve served:
The Haven
Funds are currently being raised to build The Haven, located three blocks east of Broken Halos Haven in Old Town Lewisville. It will be a place where children who have experienced the death of a parent can connect with each other and receive emotional support through programs/events specially designed to help move them through their grief journey.
Widows and their kids will also be able to gather together at The Haven for weekend potluck dinners, karaoke fun, and family game nights!
FEATURES:
- Man Camp garage
- Upstairs art studio for SHIFT activities
- Soft & safe “rumpus room”
- 2-story, spiral slide
- Large indoor playscape
- Bunk room
- … and more!
To help offset day-to-day operating costs, when it’s not being used for our programs it’ll be available to rent for church lock-ins, kids birthday parties, corporate team building events, and more.
WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO BUILD THE HAVEN! Click the “Learn More” button for info on how you can be a part.
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This sweet group of “mature widows” 😉 from Gateway Church put in some sweat equity yesterday cleaning the house and getting it ready for the next young widow and kids arriving soon. ![]()
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Thank you, ladies! ![]()
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#Volunteer #Serve #Nonprofit #Widows #Widow #WidowCommunity #GatewayChurch #Nonprofit #GriefRetreat #Grief #GriefSupport #GriefJourney
📣 BREAKING NEWS 📣![]()
We love being a small part of helping grieving families "do life" together so they don't feel all alone on their journey of healing.![]()
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Sadie and Emila both lost their dads last summer. They met the first day of SHIFT (our kids grief support group) and became fast friends...and so did their moms.![]()
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Each week after after dropping off the girls, new widows Korie and Stephanie would go grab coffee and talk through their grief, connect, and just share about the difficulties of widowhood.![]()
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This weekend, they all decided to stay at Broken Halos Haven together. How sweet is that?!?![]()
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#GriefSupport #GriefRetreat #YoungWidows #YoungWidow #KidsGrief #nonprofit
This is great insight from Kyle Busch’s widow on being an “only parent” to minor children. ![]()
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www.facebook.com/share/p/1BHAi1Qg1t/?mibextid=wwXIfrIn an Instagram post shared on Wednesday, June 24, Samantha Busch reflected on life after the loss of her husband, Kyle Busch. ![]()
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She wrote, "I lost the love of my life, my person, and my best friend. The man I built a life with and the person I thought I would grow old with.![]()
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But I’m still Mom.![]()
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Grief doesn’t stop parenting. The morning still comes. There are questions to answer, tears to wipe away, races to get to, bedtime stories to read, and two kids trying to make sense of a loss that no child should ever have to face.![]()
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People keep asking me how I stay so strong. The truth is, I don’t feel strong most days. I miss Kyle every second of every day. I want to curl up in a ball and cry.![]()
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But I’m a mom. Brexton and Lennix still need hugs, comfort, laughter, routines, and someone to help carry their hurting hearts while mine is shattered.![]()
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When your children are hurting, something inside of you just takes over. You get up early, have a good cry, and then go make the pancakes. You answer the questions the best you can when you still have so many of your own. You smile for them when you’re in physical pain because you miss him so much. You do everything you can so they can keep being kids and not carry the full weight of all this. As a mom, all you want is for your children to feel safe, loved, and protected, even when your own world has fallen apart.![]()
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They are the reason I keep putting one foot in front of the other. For Brexton. For Lennix. For him."
Today we met with the City of Lewisville Civil Engineering department to have our pre-construction meeting.![]()
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And guess what?!?![]()
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{insert drumroll}![]()
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We received our Civil & Building stamps of approval!!! 🙌🙌🙌![]()
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This means, we have the green light to next week FINALLY start building The Haven. Yes, you read that right. WE CAN BEGIN!!!![]()
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First up: a survey, then excavation, then plumbing and concrete.![]()
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Of course, this project comes with a VERY hefty price tag — around $600K. Gulp! 😱💰💵 Which means your financial support is crucial. We absolutely can’t do this without you!![]()
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Please consider heading over to our website and making a donation. Select “Help us Build The Haven” from the drop-down menu to learn more and give directly to this project. ![]()
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Any amount right now will help….because we already have plenty of expenses. For example, tomorrow we’ll write a check for $13K to expedite the building permit (saving us TWO MONTHS of wait time!) allowing us to immediately start framing once plumbing/concrete is complete.![]()
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We need to raise a lot money, and in a short amount of time. But we know God is good, He is faithful, and He will provide! 💙🙏![]()
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#Building #TheHaven ![]()
#Widows #Nonprofit #GriefSupport #Grief #KidsGrief #Community ![]()
#OTL #OldTownLewisville
We’re so incredibly grateful for the generosity of Iron Horse Stables Foundation! 🙏💙![]()
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Last night, we were able to give their board members a tour of Broken Halos Haven and share the vision for “The Haven” (COMING SOON just three blocks away!) as they presented us a check for $10,187 raised through their Poker Run event in May. ![]()
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We know this new relationship with Iron Horse Stables is 💯God-ordained and it’s just the beginning of many more exciting things to come. ![]()
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Pssst…our Man Camp boys are going to lose their minds when they get to see all the cool cars and experience the replica Texaco station on the foundation’s beautiful property out in Argyle. We can’t wait to start working on the details of a fun event for the families we serve!!![]()
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#Fundraiser #BigCheck #BigCheckPresentation #Donation #Nonprofit #IronhorseStables #CoolCars #CarShow![]()
#YoungWidow #GriefRetreat #KidsGrief #Widows #GriefJourney
What a privilege to share "How to Live a Great Story" and give a message of hope to so many widows at yesterday's annual International Widows Day luncheon hosted by Gateway Church.![]()
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They always do a phenomenal job of loving on this special group of women! ![]()
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One attendee posted the following and it's too good not to share:![]()
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🤗There’s Something Sacred About a Room Full of Widows 🫶🏻💗![]()
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Yesterday was such a beautiful and meaningful day at our annual Gateway Widows Luncheon. What a gift to belong to a church that intentionally honors widows with such love, care, and compassion. 🫶🏻Thank you Gateway Church! 🙌![]()
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I would guess there were at least 250 women gathered from all the Gateway campuses, each carrying a different story of love and loss. Some have walked this road for many years. Some lost their husbands only weeks ago. Yet there we sat together, sharing tables, tears😢, laughter😁, hugs🤗, and understanding that only another widow truly gets.🙇🏻♀️![]()
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It was so special to reconnect with widows I’ve met over these last six months at Gateway Justin and to meet many new women courageously showing up in the middle of heartbreak. Honestly, several of us admitted we almost didn’t come. Sometimes grief makes staying home feel easier. But I’m so grateful we showed up anyway. ❤️![]()
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Our guest speaker, Natalie, shared her story of suddenly losing her husband at age 47 while raising three young children. Today she is remarried (after finding what she lovingly called her “unicorn” husband 😄) and ministers to young widows through Broken Halos Haven.![]()
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Her message was full of hope (and humor).![]()
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She encouraged us to continue living our great story by “planting a new tree” and trusting God to grow something beautiful in this next chapter. 🌱![]()
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That image really stayed with me. 🤔![]()
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God is not finished with us as widows. There is still purpose. Still growth. Still beauty to come. Still stories He is writing.![]()
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I came home praying about what “new tree” 🌳 God may be asking me to plant in this next season of life. 🙏🏻![]()
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One quote she shared from Lysa TerKeurst’s book, It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way, deeply touched my heart:![]()
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“Because there’s someone else in the world who would drown in their own tears if not for seeing yours. And when you make one other human simply see they aren’t alone, you make the world a better place.” 🫶🏻![]()
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That quote IS WHY I show up here on social media sharing my story! ![]()
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And… 👇![]()
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That right there is why community matters. 💒![]()
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International Widows Day is June 23. If you know a widow, please reach out. Send a text. Make a call. Share a memory of the spouse they loved and lost. Trust me, those stories mean more than you know. We never tire of hearing their name spoken. 💙💖![]()
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To every widow reading this… you are not alone. We are all walking this journey together, one brave step at a time.![]()
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Love and prayers,![]()
Carol 🌺![]()
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#BrokenHalosHaven #YoungWidow #Nonprofit #InternationalWidowsDay #FaithThroughGrief #HopeAfterLoss #WidowJourney #Grief #Widow #Widows