National Marriage Week runs thru February 14

National Marriage Week USA is taking place this week and will conclude on Valentine’s Day.

“Even though our society doesn’t always recognize it, marriage is extremely beneficial,” said Erin Stevens, executive director of the sponsoring organization. “Creating and maintaining a strong marriage takes hard work, but it is worth the investment. We have loaded our website with tools and opportunities from the best marriage-building organizations in the country.”

The effort is supported by both Protestants, Catholics, and all major denominations.

This year’s campaign combines a public education component, which promotes the beneficial impact of marriage in reducing poverty and improving outcomes for children, with grassroots marriage-strengthening events in local communities across the United States. Serving as a national clearinghouse for marriage events, National Marriage Week will direct couples to resources and opportunities to invest in and nourish their relationships.

Recent statistics show this is a critical time for the marriage-building movement. The decline in marriage rates to an all-time low, coupled with a rise in cohabitation, means Americans are missing many of the substantial benefits of marriage. “

“We are making progress as reflected in the falling divorce rate and the reversal of the decades-long rise in nonmarital childbearing, so we need to keep the movement going,” Stevens said. “ National Marriage Week exists to spread the word that marriage is worth it: for both the health of adults and the wellbeing of children.”

Research demonstrates that marriage is one of the best ways to increase happiness, decrease child poverty and improve outcomes for children. Children raised in a two-parent home are 82 percent less likely to experience child poverty, addiction, trouble with the law and teen pregnancy. Additionally, married adults are twice as likely to identify as “very happy” compared to divorced or never-married adults.

National Marriage Week USA released a toolkit with a list of trusted and proven resources for struggling marriages, a national calendar of marriage-bolstering events and ideas for how to promote marriage in the local community.

“We invite marriage advocates to join us in spreading the word this February,” said Stevens. “Together, we can transform families and continue making progress toward creating a culture that recognizes the necessity of healthy marriages for a healthy society.”

Marriage resources are available at www.MarriageWeek.org.