American Widow Project (AWP) is a
non-profit organization providing peer to peer support to a new generation of military widows grieving the loss of a spouse in the United States armed forces.
History
AWP was founded in 2007 by Taryn Davis of
San Marcos, TX after her husband, CPL Michael Davis, was killed in action in the
Iraq war on May 21, 2007. Finding herself a
widow at the age of 22, she discovered that there were few resources to help young military widows. To date, her nonprofit has provided a community of support to more than 900 young military widows.
Following her grief and confusion, four months later she began work on a documentary speaking to military widows, hearing their stories of love, tragedy and overall survival. The documentary was shown to military widows who gathered in
Austin, Texas from across the country in July 2008, for the official "launch" of the American Widow Project. During the launch
In Their Boots
''In Their Boots'' is a documentary series about the impact the War in Iraq and the War in Afghanistan are having on people at home in the United States. Every episode features a documentary about how the servicemen and women of the American ...
was on location to film and interview widows.
Since then, the AWP has conducted several events through the country to unite military widows to celebrate their survival, honor their loved ones sacrifice, and provide a healing environment with others who share this journey. The core philosophy of the AWP is to serve the interests of the military widow community by and through means readily accessible anywhere, anytime. AWP quarterly events are invaluable in unifying this growing band of young military widows. Other AWP services further solidify the comprehensive support network to its members. A 24/7 hotline, enables an immediate connection to another widow. A documentary produced by the AWP is provided free of charge to all military widows. The AWP official website is the focal point for a multitude of resources and information, including upcoming events and personal accounts from the widows themselves. Finally, an array of interactive social networking sites serves as a hub for ongoing dynamic communication and fellowship.
The American Widow Project has been nationally recognized by a multitude of media outlets such as:
ABC news with
Bob Woodruff,
NPR,
CNN,
CBS,
ABC News,
Military.com
Military.com is a website that provides news and information about the United States military, service members, veterans, and their families as well as foreign policy and broader national security issues.
Founded in 1999, the site has been a divi ...
,
The Washington Times,
USAA Magazine,
Los Angeles Times,
The Fayetteville Observer,
San Marcos Daily Record,
The Huffington Post,
American Forces Network
The American Forces Network (AFN) is a government television and radio broadcast service the U.S. military provides to those stationed or assigned overseas. Headquartered at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, AFN's broadcast operations, which i ...
,
Fort Hood Sentinel, The
Rosie O'Donnell Radio Show, Jezebel, Lemondrop, YouServed Radio, Soldiers Angels Forum,
In Their Boots
''In Their Boots'' is a documentary series about the impact the War in Iraq and the War in Afghanistan are having on people at home in the United States. Every episode features a documentary about how the servicemen and women of the American ...
, in addition to many others. Taryn was nominated for the 2010 Loreal Paris Women of Worth award and was named the 2010 L'Oreal Woman of Worth on December 9, 2010.
L'Oreal Taryn was recently chosen as one of five nominees for the 2011 Diane Von Furstenberg "People's Voice Award"
Diane Von Furstenberg[DVF People's Voice Award]
"DVF People's Voice Award"
, " Diane Von Furstenberg", January 31, 2011. Retrieved on February 3, 2011.
References
Sources
* http://www.americanwidowproject.org
* https://abcnews.go.com/WN/WoodruffReports/story?id=7159852&page=1
* https://www.npr.org/2008/11/11/96844953/american-widow-project-born-from-grief
* http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2010/01/29/in-their-boots/
* http://cbs11tv.com/seenon/American.Widow.Project.2.763522.html
* https://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4368447
* http://www.military.com/military-report/organization--helps-military-widows?ESRC=miltrep.nl
* http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/apr/19/army-widow-helps-heal-the-wound/
* https://web.archive.org/web/20110717174834/http://content.usaa.com/mcontent/static_assets/Media/dotcom_fall_2009.pdf?cacheid=2562377476
* https://web.archive.org/web/20110717175013/https://content.usaa.com/mcontent/static_assets/Media/USAA_Mag_winter_2009.pdf?cacheid=764885672
* http://articles.latimes.com/2008/sep/08/local/me-widow8
* http://www.fayobserver.com/Articles/2009/06/25/912419
* https://web.archive.org/web/20110927145056/http://www.sanmarcosrecord.com/local/x1169223054/Tearful-journey
* http://www.huffingtonpost.com/taryn-davis/american-widow-project-6_b_127424.html
* https://web.archive.org/web/20110723003325/http://www.afneurope.net/Home/ArticleDisplayDD/tabid/649/aid/7879/Default.aspx
* http://www.forthoodsentinel.com/story.php?id=626
* https://web.archive.org/web/20100304064331/http://www.humyo.com/F/9318175-1961825229
* http://jezebel.com/5083060/american-widow-project-helps-military-wives-work-through-grief
* http://www.lemondrop.com/2008/11/11/young-iraq-widows-project-helps-others-grieve?icid=sphere_wpcom_inline
* https://web.archive.org/web/20090805232002/http://www.blogtalkradio.com/youserved/2009/07/16/Episode-20
* http://soldiersangelsforum.com/newsletters/1009.pdf{{Dead link, date=October 2018 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes
* http://www.intheirboots.org/episodes/season-1/we-regret-to-inform-you.html
* http://www.womenofworth.com/honorees/Honorees_2010.aspx
* https://web.archive.org/web/20110203065844/http://inside.dvf.com/awards/
External links
Website
Non-profit organizations based in Texas
Organizations established in 2007
2007 establishments in Texas
Widowhood in the United States