I Support

Mother’s Day, 1997, my youngest son went missing.   May 18th, his body was found in the Miami River.   Ten years later, May 18th, my heart son, my son-in-law, was found shot to death and robbed.  Twice, my family has been violated by murder and the aftermath.  Murder has a terrible effect, not only on the close family of the victim, but on the friends and on the whole community.   Twice, we have lost someone to violence. We know first-hand the gut wrenching, spirit crushing agony of having a life stolen in a senseless violent act. 

Some wonderful organizations helped us through these terrible times.  I continue to support them

Parents of Murdered Children:  a group of supportive parents who have lost their children to homicide.  They have support group meetings everywhere. 

The Compassionate Friends:   Quaker organization that gives love and support to people of all faiths who have lost their child.

Citizens Against Homicide:  A group that closely monitors legal actions, raises money that they offer for rewards in unsolved cases to revive interest in solving them.  They notify members when someone who has committed a heinous murder is about to be released so that members can support other members with letters to parole  boards to block parole.  If a person has killed once, do we want to take a chance and release him to kill again?   It happens all too often.   

When you lose someone you love, there is a hole in your heart, an empty place where they used to be.   I designed this heart with the hole for my daughter, who lost not only a kid brother, but a husband.   The beads and wire represent the love and support of friends and even strangers without whom you would struggle harder to survive.  Other people have come to me and asked for a survivor necklace.  Any that I sell will have a percentage donated to one of the above organizations.

survivor heart

 I made some in brown, blue and black.   Am making one now for a lady who lost two children to a rare disease.   Putting two beads on the bottom in their birthstone colors.   I put them on chains or cords.   I make earrings to match.  

survivor heart in brown

I also do charity knitting and donate warm knitted hats to children in low income families and to Caps for Kids an organization that knits hats to chemo kids.