Hope For Widows FoundationHope For Widows FoundationHope For Widows Foundation
Hope For Widows FoundationHope For Widows FoundationHope For Widows Foundation
  • About
    • Mission, Vision & Values
    • Our Story
    • Members of Foundation
    • Widows We’ve Helped
    • Our Sponsors & Partners
  • Get Involved
  • Resources
    • Grant
    • Events & Programs
    • Resources for Widows
    • Community Suggested Resources
    • Join Our Supportive Community
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Donate
    • Hope Hero
    • Make a One-time Donation
  • About
    • Mission, Vision & Values
    • Our Story
    • Members of Foundation
    • Widows We’ve Helped
    • Our Sponsors & Partners
  • Get Involved
  • Resources
    • Grant
    • Events & Programs
    • Resources for Widows
    • Community Suggested Resources
    • Join Our Supportive Community
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Donate
    • Hope Hero
    • Make a One-time Donation

Cheryl Barnes was born in Atlanta, Georgia and after several moves with her family, settled in Indianapolis, Indiana. She attended college at Indiana University Bloomington, majoring in Public and Environmental Affairs Management. While she attended college, she laid eyes on Martin “Tony” Barnes and was completely lost. They became inseparable and were married on December 24th, 1991. After five years of marriage, their first son, Malcolm, was born on New Year’s Eve, 1991. After Tony obtained his Master’s Degree in Social Work, the family moved to Orlando, Florida. Tony worked as a counselor, while Cheryl got her dream job working at Walt Disney World. Two years later, their second son, Miles, was born in July 2004. Cheryl left Disney and took a job in accounting at a property management company. Everything seemed to be going well for the family and Cheryl made plans to attend nursing school. However, in July 2011, Tony was diagnosed with end stage renal failure caused by lupus. For the next three years, Cheryl cared for her husband while taking care of the boys and working. Tony’s health deteriorated as a result of several complications until he passed away on August 29, 2014. Thus began her new journey as a widow and solo parent.
Cheryl was devastated at the loss of her beloved Tony, but continued to work and care for their sons as she had before. As a way to work through her grief, she started writing, at first, only for herself. But, being encouraged by others, she began publishing her blog, “Widowness and Light.” Along with writing and being involved with several widows groups on Facebook while raising her boys, she works as a training bookkeeper at an association management company.
She plans to go back to school and obtain a Master’s in Social Work so that she can help other widowed persons cope with their losses. She is also working on a book about her grief journey.
Her hobbies are reading, attending Orlando Magic games, yoga, going to the beach, and just chilling with her boys.
Additionally, she is also the founder of Black and Widowed: A Unique Journey, a Private Facebook group and a contributing author of the book, Widowed But Not Wounded: The Hustle and Flow of 13 Resilient Black Widowed Women.
You can also reach Cheryl through her public Facebook page, Widowness and Light, which is based on her widowed journey.

    Find more about me on:
  • facebook

Recent Posts by this Author

Author Cheryl Barnes

  1. Home
  2. Article author Cheryl Barnes
  3. (Page 2)

National Grief Awareness: The Phantom Limb

by Cheryl Barnes in Coping Mechanisms, Grief, Hope and Healing
August 29, 2018August 29, 2018
The Phantom Limb A widow sister of mine, Kimberly H, did a video post on Facebook that many widows can relate to. In the post, she said how she wanted to hurry home and tell her love, Rasheed, something special ...
Read More

Behind My Eyes

by Cheryl Barnes in Grief, Hope for Widows Foundation, Solo Parenting
August 12, 2018June 19, 2020
    Behind my Eyes   When I was new to grieving, I used to call my mother a lot to get advice, confirmation that I wasn’t losing my mind or just to talk.  She is a widow too. My ...
Read More

Stop Pressuring Me!

by Cheryl Barnes in Coping Mechanisms, Grief, Hope and Healing
April 2, 2018June 19, 2020
"Take your time...do it right...we can do it..." S.O.S Band "Stop pressuring me!" Michael Jackson Not just song lyrics...these phrases should be the mantra of every widow and widower on this planet. But in this world where everything has to ...
Read More

Future: Under Construction

by Cheryl Barnes in Coping Mechanisms, Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation
February 24, 2018February 24, 2018
One of the greatest things about relationships and marriage is that you get to share it with someone you love. As your relationship/marriage evolves, a foundation for life is built between the two of you. Together, the people in the ...
Read More

Caregiving and Grief

by Cheryl Barnes in Coping Mechanisms, Grief, Hope and Healing
January 27, 2018January 28, 2018
  Since I became a widow three years and five months ago (isn’t it amazing how widows always know how many days and months it has been, while at the same time suffering from the “Widow Brain." How does that ...
Read More

How are you grieving?

by Cheryl Barnes in Coping Mechanisms, Grief
December 31, 2017January 2, 2018
                                How are you grieving?   People should ask that instead of “How are you doing?" when the person they are addressing has lost someone. ...
Read More

How Social Media Saved My Life

by Cheryl Barnes in Coping Mechanisms, Grief, Hope and Healing, Hope for Widows Foundation
November 25, 2017November 27, 2017
You may scoff like many people have, but it’s true. Social media, mostly Facebook, saved my life. No, they are NOT paying me to say it either. I still hear that I spend too much time online, but being online ...
Read More
12
← Previous page

PLEASE NOTE: The information provided by Hope For Widows Foundation on all social media platforms are not to be interpreted as professional advice. None of the Hope for Widows Foundation members are professional therapists or counselors. All interactions are intended for educational and informational purposes only. Hope For Widows Foundation is formed, founded and operated solely in the United States and has no other affiliated chapters outside of the United States.
Address: 102 E. Broad St. #3171 Forney, Texas 75126
Hope For Widows Foundation is a tax exempt 501(c)3 nonprofit organization - EIN 81-4394119.
Hope For Widows © 2022 | Designed by in Geneva, Il.