Greetings, LEOW's, Supporters and Friends!
We are excited that you have come to check out Police Wives of America and see what we are all about! We hope that you are encouraged by what you find on our site. If you are wondering why there is a need for another non-profit police wives’ organization, we hope that you will see that we exist to empower, encourage and support our Blue Family wherever they may be.
Please, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Deborah. I have been married to my husband for 12 years, 11 of them have been as a police wife. I am a stay-at-home mother to our 4-sweet rug-rats: 1 girl and 3 boys. For the first three years into this LEO wife life, I would search off and on for wives’ groups on the internet and was certain that, surely, a wives group would appear here in the Las Vegas area, our department was undergoing a hiring surge and rapidly growing.
At that time, in my search across America, there were not many wives' groups to be found specific to their cities and departments. As I met more and more LEO wives here within our department I began to realize that we all share similar struggles, including the fact that many of us were transplants to Las Vegas and knew very few people. I told a few LEO wife friends that I was thinking about starting a wives group, to which the response was very positive and encouraging!! So LVMPO Wives began and as they say, the rest is history! We, finally, had a group of ladies with whom we could all share life, who could relate to the struggles we all share being married to “city-sanitation workers”!
I know, I know! When women hear of wives’ groups, they are leery. When you get a crowd of women together in one group, no doubt there will be some level of drama. The solution to this problem is to create a group whose narrative is focused on bettering the lives of others through service to your community. We are more than just a social-club, although there is a lot of that too!! We enjoy the social interaction while focusing on helping others! I have found that having a positive mission will rally and unite a great team of individuals who share the same desire to give of themselves and their time to support. We can be a powerful force for the good of those around us and I have found there is not a better, more reliable, supportive, or powerful group of individuals who back the blue more than police wives.
Over the past 8 years, we have shared in many highs as well as some very low lows. We have cheered each other through joyous occasions such as growing families, promotions, accomplishments in our personal lives, family get-togethers and many wonderful day-to-day family friendships! We have also suffered losses within our department, both on and off duty, that have made us witness fellow wives suffer the loss of their husband, child or family member. We have also stood by one another while members of our community have faced severe health battles within their own families. I have found that both the highs and lows are better when shared with a community of supporters, which is exactly what we aim to provide for our department and other departments across America.
To a family welcoming a new baby without any family in town to rely on for support during the early days, we aim to provide support. We know what it’s like to adjust to parenthood and the sleepless nights that come with a new child. We know what it’s like to keep balance in a growing family while also living life has a police wife! We aim to encourage and support our families through meal-trains, babysitting, mentoring, and friendship as life adjusts to a new normal.
To a widow and her children who have suffered the loss of their husband/father, we want them to know that we see them. We aim to assist with everything and anything the family needs. We help with funeral details, meal-trains, occasional housekeeping, babysitting, pet care and errand running. As time passes, many people on the outside of the loss will return to their normal ways of life. The families who have suffered the loss remain broken and alone. We remember each immediate family member on their birthday, anniversary, Valentine’s Day, and Christmas, so that we may bring some sunshine into their lives. It doesn’t matter how big or small the gesture, showing unexpected thought and letting them know that their sacrifice is not forgotten is important and a huge part of who we are. We aim to show love, support, care and remembrance on special occasions.
To a family whose husband, wife or child is battling a terminal illness, the last thing we want them thinking about is how to feed their family, clean their home, pay their bills, or run errands. We aim to provide help, as requested, in all these areas. A meal train, an occasional housekeeper, a fundraising event, or even a wife who is willing to help run errands is always a blessing to these families. We aim to help them focus on time with their loved ones. Again, after the loss of their loved one, we want to check in on them and let them know that we are there for them for anything they need.
To the wife of an injured office, we provide a “Critical Incident Kit”. We want the wife sitting in the hospital to know how we can be a help to her family while they focus on recovery. We want the wife to know that we care by providing a packet filled with encouragement and useful items that let her know many are thinking of her and her family. We want to give prayers and lift the spirit of those who are living through dark days! We know that providing support through small gestures can truly lighten the burden of the situation.
To the department who has suffered the loss of an officer in the line of duty, we want to offer support as needed. It’s smart to find out where each of your departments' stations/area commands are and rally some other wives together provide meals/snacks/bottled water for each area. It’s also a good idea to find out where the Honor Guard practices for the funeral and try to provide meals for them, while they serve and honor their fallen brother/sister in arms. Honor Guard members often spend hours’ practicing to perfect honoring the fallen officer, while also mourning the loss of a friend. Officers always appreciate finding baked goods, food, drinks, snacks, encouraging notes, gift cards or goodie bags that remind them that while they support our community, we support them. We aim to boost morale during a time when morale is very low.
All of the ways suggested above are listed in much more detail here, on our “How We Can Help” tab. As someone who does not particularly enjoy writing, and taking on tasks that involve lots of writing, I hope that those who feel the same will be encouraged and motivated to take all the information and assistance which we are offering for FREE, adapt it to fit the vision they have, and make it their own. This will, hopefully, give you an idea of how your wives' group can be a huge benefit and blessing to your department and its' families, while taking out the potentially overwhelming and dreaded work of starting from scratch!
YOU CAN DO THIS! Remember, God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called! ;)
With love on behalf of the Blue Family,
~Deborah