My name is Kevin Williams and lam a member of a very special group of volunteers who’s goal is to help all those that have lost their spouse’s and have been traumatized by this event. I myself lost my wife of 33 years to breast cancer at the age of 52 and although I received counseling from both Hospice and from my medical provider l became a lost soul and very depressed. l was still working at that time and would go to work only to come home to an empty house full of memories. l felt as if my world had ended until by chance I read about a Non profit group named the Widowed Persons Association of California hereby shortened to WPAC. l started attending their Sunday support meetings which are conducted by fellow widower’s (with guidelines developed by professional grief counselor’s) and began my slow recovery. l have lost many family and friends over the years but losing your spouse is not the same and for many, recovery can take years. l started to become gradually better able to deal with my grief and as l shared my recovery with other widowers found I was able to assist others with their recovery as well. This led me to become a volunteer grief recovery facilitator shortly after my first year of becoming a member of WPAC. As i regained my confidence and began a new life l joined the Rascals, a performing group that is part of the re socialization aspect of WPAC (mostly seniors) becoming their sound engineer. This history is just to let you know how and where i came from and a small amount of the value provided by WPAC to the community as a whole.
Once l became established as the sound guy I began going thru the mostly donated old sound equipment and patched it together in an attempt to provide a decent sound quality for our members to enjoy. it was during my first show with the Rascals that i realized that not only was this equipment worn out but it was inadequate to provide a decent sound that could be heard in the back of the Dante clubs main ballroom. lt was then that I began to purchase a modern sound system capable of not only being able to be heard thru out the hall but having a sound quality that all could enjoy regardless of whether or not they had hearing aids. l have done this with my own equipment for 6 plus years at my own expense with out any form of payment from WPAC as we are not a for profit group and we are nearly completely all volunteer with little funds left over.
l am going to be moving in the beginning of next year and will no longer be able to provide my equipment as l will be using it in my new hometown although l do intend to retain my yearly membership to WPAC to assist in keeping the doors open for those who are yet to become widowed and will need many of the services provided. (most at no cost) l am providing a list of needed sound equipment that l implore you to consider funding for this highly worthwhile organization that has served thousands of widowers at no cost for the Sunday support group (every Sunday including holidays) and the 6 week Grief Recovery Workshops that are held 4 times a year. To my knowledge there are no other groups or associations that have been able to assist recently or still grieving widowers in a peer volunteer system where many (including myself) have become an extended family and feel that WPAC has saved our lives and given joy when none could be found.
