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A new local initiative is bringing a space of support and connection to widows in the North Platte area through Hope Gatherings, a group focused on encouragement, community, and shared healing.
Shari Cecil is helping launch the organization locally after discovering Hope Gatherings in a deeply personal way following the loss of her husband. She says the idea for bringing it to North Platte came after she received an anonymous Hope Box and later felt called to create something similar for women in the community.
“It’s not a club you ever want to be part of and it’s not one you understand until you are in it,” Cecil said. “We’re just there to help each other, encourage each other. We all need that little push sometimes to get outside of our box.”
Hope Gatherings began in Texas, founded by three widows who created a nonprofit support network. The organization is now a 501(c)(3) and offers what they call a Hope Box, which can be ordered online and sent to individuals or friends. Each box includes resources such as books on widowhood, a Bible, a candle, soap, and mascara.
Cecil said the resources can be especially meaningful in the early stages of grief.
“The books in there are very healing sometimes,” she said.
Cecil shared that she initially received one of the boxes anonymously after her husband passed away, an experience she says stayed with her. Months later, she began to feel strongly that North Platte needed a similar support system.
“I would get emails from this group and I would never read them,” she said. “Then one day I was like, I’m gonna read this. And it started talking about Hope Gatherings, and I immediately reached out to them.”
After completing training with the organization, Cecil learned that North Platte will be the first Hope Gatherings chapter in Nebraska.
She said the group is designed to meet widows where they are in their grief journey, whether newly navigating loss or further along.
“It helps when you tell your story,” Cecil said. “It’s the hardest thing, but I think every time I tell my story, it heals a little bit.”
Monthly meetings will include shared meals, conversation, and opportunities for connection. Cecil said one important goal is to make sure no one feels isolated.
“As a widow you eat alone a lot,” she said. “So that’s really what it’s all about, bringing that community together and putting a support system in place.”
The first local Hope Gatherings meeting is scheduled for May 21 at 6 p.m. at Harvest Christian Fellowship, located on the corner near Leota and Runza. Cecil said the kickoff event will include a catered meal and will serve as a launch party for the new group.
She is asking attendees to RSVP for the first meeting. After that, the group will meet monthly on the second Thursday of each month at the same location. Those gatherings will typically feature a potluck meal, along with planned activities or guest speakers.
Cecil said some months may include practical discussions, such as home safety or basic maintenance topics, while others may focus on fellowship activities like crafts or games.
“We don’t want it to just be a place where we come and be sad,” she said.
For those unsure about attending, Cecil encourages them to come and simply see what the group is about.
“Come because you don’t know that you need that healing,” she said. “Just come and enjoy being with people who are in the same boat.”
For more information, Cecil can be reached at 308-539-1453 or by email at northplattehopegathering@gmail.com. Hope Gatherings also maintains a Facebook page with general information about the organization and what to expect at meetings.