Nonprofit honors two leaders in grief research and philanthropy while raising support for widowed women.

Empowering widowed women remains one of the most overlooked populations in philanthropy, this evening exists to change that — to honor two extraordinary honorees and to fuel the work of MWC.”

— Carolyn Moor

JERSEY CITY, NJ, UNITED STATES, October 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Modern Widows Club® | The Movement for Widow Care(MWC) will host its 2026 Legacy & Leadership Awards Dinner on Tuesday, October 20, at Liberty House in Jersey City, New Jersey. The evening will honor Dr. Mary-Frances O’Connor, author, neuroscientist and researcher on the science of grief, and Angelica Berrie, NJ philanthropist and President of Russell Berrie Foundation, for their contributions to how the world understands loss, personal growth, resilience, advocacy and leadership.

The 7th Annual Legacy & Leadership Awards Event will bring together community leaders, donors, journalists, and members from around the country to celebrate how their work has shaped the national conversation around grief and recovery. Proceeds from the event support MWC’s Hope, Heal, Grow, and Lead® Healthy Widowhood Pathway programs, a structured support model empowering widowed women.

O’Connor, a leading researcher on the neuroscience and psychology of grief, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Arizona where she directs the Grief, Loss, and Social Stress Lab (GLASS) that has helped redefine grief as a process of learning rather than a linear stage-based experience. This work led to authoring her NYTimes best sellers, The Grieving Brain and The Grieving Body. In recent, she announced working with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, for MasterClass titled, “Redefining Grief: Building Resilience Through Grief”, opening up about the grief experienced after the loss of his mother, Princess Diana.

Berrie has spent decades in business leadership and philanthropy with New Jersey based Russell Berrie Foundation and Russ Berrie & Company. She has helped to direct resources toward causes that strengthen families and communities in the area of diabetes care, interfaith bridge making, entrepreneurial leadership, and social investment philanthropy, with a focus on identifying visionaries, institutions and unsung heroes doing groundbreaking work. She states, “Widowhood is a Master Class in Leadership.” She is co-author of A Passion for Giving: Tools and Inspiration for Creating a Charitable Foundation and aims to build bridges between Christian, Jewish, and other religious traditions by providing the next generation of religious leaders with a comprehensive understanding of, and dedication to, interfaith issues. through the John Paul II Center for Interreligious Dialogue in Rome, Italy.

Both honorees were selected for their sustained impact on how loss, healing, personal growth and resilience are understood and supported.

“Empowering widowed women remains one of the most overlooked populations in philanthropy,” says Carolyn Moor, founder and executive director of Modern Widows Club. “This evening exists to change that — to honor two extraordinary women and to fuel the work of supporting women from crisis to community and leadership.” Moor founded Modern Widows Club in 2011 after being widowed herself. She built the organization from a small local support circle in her home into a global movement now supporting to empower widowed women globally.

The public is welcome to join our 2026 Legacy & Leadership Awards Dinner. Ticket information is available at https://modernwidowsclub-bloom.kindful.com/e/legacy-leadership-awards

Key event sponsorship through investment philanthropic partnership of New York Life Foundation. https://www.newyorklife.com/foundation

About Modern Widows Club®
Founded in 2011 in Winter Park, Florida, Modern Widows Club® — The Movement for Widow Care® — is a national nonprofit organization providing comprehensive, stage-based support to empower widowed women through community, advocacy, and structured programming. MWC’s Hope, Heal, Grow, and Lead® Healthy Widowhood Pathway addresses the financial, emotional, social, relational, spiritual and leadership needs of widows, rebuilding their lives from crisis toward long-term stability and purpose. Learn more at https://modernwidowsclub.org.

Carolyn Moor
Modern Widows Club® | The Movement for Widow Care (MWC)
+1 844-429-4369
media@modernwidowsclub.org
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