'Silence the Violence' Mother's Day event helps those who lost children to gun violence
The Brief
A special event is being held specifically for mothers who have lost children to gun violence.
Alisa and Tabitha think about their children every day, and as Mother's Day approaches, they miss them even more.
Their group, 'Mothers Keeping Boots on the Ground,' is turning pain into purpose, and they will be at the Church of the Messiah at noon on Saturday.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - It's almost Mother's Day a time of joy for many, but for others, it's a struggle. Meanwhile, a special event is being held specifically for mothers who have lost children to gun violence.
Why you should care
Alisa Sanders and Tabitha Nahabedian think about their children every day, and as Mother's Day approaches, they miss them even more.
The two moms are among the many who have lost their sons and daughters to gun violence.
"I still get weak—my strength comes and goes—this is a fight," said Nahabedian. "I'm typically one that doesn't celebrate Mother's Day because my mother passed on Mother's Day, and now I'm dealing with the loss of Hayden as well."
Tabitha's daughter, Hayden Davis, was murdered in the summer of 2022.
Alisa Sanders' son, Derrell Rockette, was killed in December 2022.
The two moms lost their children but gained a friend, sister, and confidante in each other.
What they're saying
Their group, 'Mothers Keeping Boots on the Ground,' is turning pain into purpose, and they will be at the Church of the Messiah at noon on Saturday for a different kind of Mother's Day celebration.
"This is when some mothers grieve, so we would like to take the time the day before and honor them and say we love you," said Pastor Barry Randolph. "We're supporting you, and we're working on the issue of gun violence, and you're not alone."
Randolph has made ending gun violence a priority, marching in the streets each June to 'silence the violence.'
"You can't arrest your way out of gun violence. It's got to be where everybody comes together and understands that this is an important issue—especially when it comes to the lives of children," he said. "Gun violence is the leading cause of death of children in America."
They're hosting this year's Peace in Justice Mother's Day of Redemption.
Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist is the keynote speaker, and the luncheon will also feature lots of love, laughter, and likely, tears.
"There will be licensed therapists at the event, which I think is very important to be able to process emotions and process feelings," said social worker Ivy Nichole.
What you can do
The organizers are asking you to share this with anyone who may need it—these moms need to know they're not alone. Everyone is welcome at Saturday's event.
For more information on Saturday's Mother's Day event, you can click here for details.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
4 days ago
- New York Post
Kin of tragic tot tossed into East River accuses NYPD of ‘negligence': ‘We're devastated'
Grieving kin of a 2-year-old boy whose dad allegedly threw him in the East River are blaming cops for not stopping the slaying — even though the tot was dead before the NYPD even knew he was missing. Law-enforcement told The Post on Monday that the mom of little Montrell Williams did not alert cops that he had vanished with his father till May 11 — the day after Arius Williams, 20, had already allegedly threw his little son off the Bruckner Bridge in The Bronx. But still no one knew what had happened to the boy for the next two weeks — and during that time, cops botched the investigation and left the accused killer dad roaming the streets, while Montrell's mom and other relatives were frantic with no answers, the tot's kin said at a press conference Monday. Advertisement 'A 2-year-old boy is not here today due to the neglect of the NYPD,' said the Rev. Kevin McCall, a Big Apple community activist, outside the 40th Precinct stationhouse in The Bronx. 'The Police Department knew that this was a missing case, and they failed this family.' 5 Octavia Roane, the grandmother of slain 2-year-old Montrell Williams, appeared at a Bronx press conference with the Rev. Kevin McCall on Monday. James Messerschmidt 5 Montrell was allegedly thrown into the East River by his father, Arius Williams. Advertisement Arius Williams is accused of tossing his son off the bridge May 10 — with the boy's mom waiting outside a local McDonald's on Mother's Day the next day for her ex — who shared custody of Montrell — to drop the boy off according to their agreement. Arius never showed up with the boy. 5 Arius, 20, is charged with murder and manslaughter in the death of his son. Kevin C Downs forThe New York Post 'She didn't hear from nobody, so she decided to call 911,' McCall said. 'She called 911, and 911 told her that 'you have to deal with this in court. This is not a police matter. It's a custody issue matter.' 'She hung up in disbelief,' he said. Advertisement Unaware that her son had been killed the previous day, the frantic mom then spent the following weeks trying to get someone to pay attention to her plight, only to get the runaround, McCall told reporters. Although the helpless toddler was dead before cops were notified, it still took until May 28 that a warrant was issued for him to produce Montrell to his mom. Then last week, Arius allegedly snapped at his ex with a heartless taunt. 5 Police search the East River for the body of the 2-year-old. It was later found nearby. News12 Bronx Advertisement 'Shut the f—k up! I threw that n—a into the river,' he allegedly told her. On Wednesday, Montrell's body washed up near the bridge off Ferry Point Park in Queens, with the city medical examiner still working to determine the exact cause of death. 'The cause and manner of death are pending further study following the examination last week,' the coroner said Monday. 'The ID was confirmed by the medical examiner using DNA provided by the family.' Arius Williams is charged with murder and manslaughter in his son's death. 'I just want to get justice for my grandson,' Montrell's grandmother, Octavia Roane, said Monday. 'My daughter is supposed to graduate [from high school] this weekend, and [Montrell] was supposed to be here to see her. 'We're sad,' she said. 'We're heartbroken. We're devastated.' 5 The dad is accused of heinously tossing his little boy to his death from a Bronx bridge. Desheania Andrews Advertisement A Police Department rep said in a statement, 'The murder of Montrell Williams is an absolute tragedy, and the NYPD extends our deepest condolences to his family. 'Our detectives are always committed to conducting complete and thorough investigations, and the arrest of Arius Williams is the first step in the pursuit of justice for Montrell's death.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Woman Demands Father Pay for Phone He ‘Completely Destroyed.' But They Say She's Being Unfair to ‘Poor Old Parents'
A mother was left conflicted after her father broke her daughter's phone The 50-year-old explained that her dad destroyed her 17-year-old daughter's phone after trying to force a charger for another device into it's charging port Her parents are refusing to pay for a new phone, calling her unreasonableA woman seeks support from the Reddit community after a family visit led to a heated dispute over a broken phone. The 50-year-old mother, who posted her story on Reddit, describes a tense situation involving her 17-year-old daughter and her 72-year-old father. "For some background, my father has always struggled with being responsible with money," she shares in her post, noting that her father is "currently in limbo between being broke and being barely not broke," setting the stage for the conflict that unfolded. The incident occurred during an early Mother's Day celebration at her parents' home. "My daughter spent time alternating between being on her phone and sketching while me and my parents were talking," she recalls. When her daughter's phone battery began to run low, she asked her mother if she had a charger, but their devices were incompatible. "My dad has a very cheap and old phone, and offered his charger," she continues. However, the charger wouldn't work due to the different styles, and the teen ended up leaving her phone on the counter while joining everyone else, aside from her grandfather, in the living room. "We spent the rest of the visit watching TV with my mom in the living room while my dad was in the kitchen," the mother writes, unaware of what was about to happen. As the family prepared to leave, the daughter went to retrieve her phone and was met with devastation. "My daughter went to grab her phone and started screaming and crying," the mother recounts. The phone's charging port was destroyed, the screen was cracked, and the frame was dented. The grandfather admitted to forcefully trying to charge the phone until eventually realizing "it didn't work." However, he seemed unfazed by the damage. The mother confronted him, asking how he didn't "realize the phone was breaking?" To which he insisted he was "too focused on trying to push the charger in." Frustrated, the mother told her father that he would need to pay for a new phone or repairs, whichever was more reasonable. "He started arguing with me, saying that he can't afford to buy an iPhone, and that my daughter can go without a phone for a while," she recalls. But she pushed back, emphasizing the importance of the phone for communication and safety. Her parents accused her of being unreasonable, saying, "I'm taking money from poor old people (yes, they pulled that card)." The mother insists her parents are "not going to go into poverty if they pay for this." "My dad just won't be able to gamble," she adds. Despite always paying their bills and having food on the table, she says her father quickly spends the rest of their income. The mother's siblings also weighed in, with her brother and sister suggesting she should pay for the phone herself, calling her daughter "a spoiled brat for throwing a 'tantrum' over not having her phone 24/7." The mother ends her post questioning her own judgment, asking if she is "really that much of an a–––––– for demanding that he pay for a phone he broke?" Read the original article on People
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
‘I knew': Woman grieves loss of unborn child following arrest of second shooting suspect
A Gastonia shooting left multiple people injured and an unborn baby dead in March, police said. Two arrests have been made, but a mother is still grieving her baby, who would have been a month old by now. Alyssa Raine was 17 years old and nine months pregnant when she said two masked men broke into a Gastonia motel room and killed the baby she never got the chance to meet. She told Channel 9's Ken Lemon that even though the shooting happened in March, it's still very real for her. 'Every night is hard to go to sleep, the same scene replays over and over in my head,' Raine said. She said the two masked men carried guns and forced their way into the room at the Ecolodge. Jadedic Black was arrested and charged in Gaffney on Thursday, police said. READ: 2 charged in shooting that left unborn baby dead, multiple hurt at Gastonia hotel Police arrested their first shooting suspect, Trinity Hopper, last week. Both are behind bars, charged in connection with the death of Raine's unborn child. She said she recognized Hopper from the robbery. Raine said Hopper pushed her onto the ground after she told the men she was nine months pregnant. She got up, told a friend to call the police, and then heard gunfire. 'I had nowhere to go, and the bullet hit me straight in my stomach,' she said. Raine said she felt her little girl react. 'I knew from the moment that I was shot when I felt my daughter curl up inside of me, and I felt no more movement,' she said. And she said it has been difficult ever since. 'I had to spend my first Mother's Day without a daughter,' Raine said. Lemon asked her if there was anything she wanted the suspects to know. 'I forgive them,' she responded. 'Because if I don't, I'll never be able to heal, and I'll always hold that over them.' Raine told Lemon that even though she forgives them, she still can't excuse what happened. She said she hopes they never get out of jail. Hopper has been indicted and Black is waiting to be extradited to North Carolina to face a judge. No additional details have been made available. This is a developing story. Check back with for updates. WATCH: 2 charged in shooting that left unborn baby dead, multiple hurt at Gastonia hotel
