New Jersey Governor backs Modern Widows Club ahead of Jersey City awards dinner

Gov. Mikie Sherrill praised Modern Widows Club in a letter ahead of the group’s Oct. 20 Legacy and Leadership Awards Dinner in Jersey City. The recognition spotlights New Jersey’s estimated 357,000 widows and honors two women leaders being recognized for work tied to grief, care and advocacy.

Why it matters: - New Jersey’s estimated 357,000 widows make widow support a statewide issue, not a niche concern. - The governor’s recognition puts public attention on bereavement care, community support and leadership development for widows. - The event also elevates organizations and leaders working to turn grief support into broader public health and community action.

What happened: - Gov. Mikie Sherrill recognized Modern Widows Club in an official letter welcoming guests to the organization’s 2026 Legacy and Leadership Awards Dinner. - The dinner is scheduled for the evening of Oct. 20 at Liberty House in Jersey City. - Sherrill’s letter highlighted the estimate that 357,000 widows live in New Jersey, or about 1 in 10 adult women in the state. - The governor commended Modern Widows Club for building what she called a safe, inclusive community where widows feel heard, valued and supported. - Sherrill also noted that Modern Widows Club has grown into a national community of 75,000 widows. - The letter recognized Angelica Berrie for the 2026 Leadership Award and Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor for the 2026 Legacy Award.

The details: - Angelica Berrie is a New Jersey resident, philanthropist and president of the Russell Berrie Foundation. - Berrie is known for saying widowhood is a master class in leadership. - Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor is a New York Times best-selling author, grief neuroscientist, researcher and professor at the University of Arizona. - O'Connor wrote The Grieving Brain and The Grieving Body. - Carolyn Moor, founder and executive director of Modern Widows Club, thanked the governor for standing with widows and said New Jersey’s widow population makes the issue a public health and community priority. - Moor said the recognition tells widows in New Jersey that they are seen, heard and understood and do not have to walk the path alone. - The public is invited to attend the dinner at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 20 at Liberty House in Liberty State Park. - Tickets are available through the event page. - The New York Life Foundation is sponsoring the evening and will be recognized for its support of bereavement care. - New Jersey State Sen. Gordon Johnson also recognized the event. - Johnson led the effort that made New Jersey the first state to officially recognize International Widows Day on June 23. - Senate Joint Resolution 30, signed into law on June 23, 2025, established that recognition.

Between the lines: - The governor’s letter frames widow support as both a personal grief issue and a policy issue tied to community health. - The recognition of a statewide widow count helps put a clearer public number on a population that is often overlooked. - The event links advocacy, research and philanthropy, showing how widow support is building institutional backing beyond peer support alone. - New Jersey’s early move to recognize International Widows Day suggests the state is positioning itself as a national leader on widow awareness.

What’s next: - Modern Widows Club will host its 2026 Legacy and Leadership Awards Dinner on Oct. 20. - The organization will honor its awardees and recognize the New York Life Foundation at the event. - The broader widow-awareness effort is likely to continue through Modern Widows Club’s advocacy, education and research work.

The bottom line: - The governor’s endorsement gives Modern Widows Club’s message more visibility and reinforces the scale of widowhood in New Jersey as a public issue.