“It keeps us all connected and we really are one big family,” Mrs Moran said.
“We have all lost someone very close to us and we all have times when we are struggling and feel sad and on our own.
I love the fact that through Victoria Police Legacy we can feel supported and help support each other.”
Mrs Moran’s husband, Sergeant Edward Moran 15453, was a police veteran who tragically died in a motorcycle accident in 2004.
“When you’re the widow of a police officer you share two things profoundly in common with other police widows,” she said.
“First, we know what it’s like to be married to a police officer, which comes with its own set of worries. Plus, we also know what it’s like to then have to live without our partners. This makes us a unique group of people who can understand each other in a very special way.”
Mrs Moran connected with Victoria Police Legacy in 2017, when she moved back to Victoria from Queensland where she and her husband had retried.
She regularly attends Police Legacy events, including going to police graduations and joining other police widows on annual getaways.
She describes the trips as a lot of fun and a chance to see some great places but admits they are about much more than a short holiday.
“They are therapeutic for many of us women,” Mrs Moran said.
“Some never get away and some have young children, so these trips give them an opportunity to have a break and relax while bonding with people who understand their situation.
“They certainly helped me transition back to my home state, which was a big move on my own after so many years living interstate.”
Mrs Moran said she was incredibly grateful to the serving police officers who gave so generously to help support police legatees.
“What our police do for us is very much appreciated,” she said.
“They may not always see us, they may not even know us but we appreciate their time, their kindness and their financial contributions which make so many wonderful and meaningful things possible.
“Emotionally it’s huge! Some women would have totally lost their connection to Victoria Police if it wasn’t for the reach of Victoria Police Legacy and that’s why it’s so important.
“When I am around police, I am taken back to my early years of marriage and my handsome young husband in his uniform. He would be really happy to know that the comradery he enjoyed so much in the job still exists and that I am now a small part of it.”