(This article originally appeared in MOAA's Council and Chapter News update, which is delivered monthly in The MOAA Newsletter. Read the latest Council and Chapter News here.)

By Anne Hartline, Surviving Spouse Advisory Council

Our group made great strides throughout 2019 in our efforts to serve all surviving spouses in the focus areas of encouraging, engaging, and educating. Here are some accomplishments from throughout the year:

New Surviving Spouse Liaison Training — A highlight of the year was the development of Surviving Spouse Liaison Training at MOAA’s regional leadership conferences. Reactions and evaluations have been very positive, with appreciation for information and opportunities to share ideas on how to help surviving spouses continue to feel included in the military and MOAA family.

Virtual Chapter Growth — The membership of Surviving Spouse Virtual Chapter continues to grow, with 126 surviving spouses from 28 different states. The next meeting will be Jan. 21 at 1 p.m., Eastern. For more information, email mssvco2@gmail.com or go to the surviving spouse section of MOAA.org.

Advocacy Efforts — Surviving spouses stormed the Hill with MOAA in April with television station WUSA-9 in Washington, D.C., recording our visit with Sen. Doug Jones and others.

Newsletter Content — Our members wrote a monthly “Surviving Spouse Corner,” which can be found on MOAA.org.

Surviving Spouse Liaison Excellence Award — We selected Jayne Henley-Davis, surviving spouse liaison for the Hawaii Aloha Chapter, as the 2019 recipient of Surviving Spouse Liaison Excellence Award. Read more about her work and service to her chapter.

In 2020, we will face new challenges and opportunities, including selecting three new committee members. Our goals for 2020 include increasing the number of surviving spouse members at the chapter and national levels; growing the Surviving Spouse Virtual Chapter; increasing the number of state council surviving spouse liaisons; and developing and conducting activities at national MOAA meetings for both spouses and surviving spouses.