MOMS Group offers hope and healing to moms who have lost sons to violence
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - It's a group no one wants to be a part of, but it's one that is helping support the lives of so many here in Allegheny County.
On Saturday, a Christmas charity event organized by the "MOM'S Group" short for Mothers of Murdered Sons was held downtown.
They worked to offer guidance and support for the women who attended.
These mothers are bound together by loss and they lean on one another in the times when they need it the most.
It was created to help those suffering from an unimaginable loss and to let them know they are not alone.
"Since the group, there are other mothers who can identify with me, we have the same thing in common but different situations," said Crystal Coates, whose son Donnie Hammond was shot and killed in 2001.
She said it's important to know that help is out there for those who may need it.
"They know I'm passionate about this, this is my thing and I create a legacy because my son is not dead, he still lives with me," said Tina Ford.
Tina Ford, who is the founder, said the event and their daily work honor queens without crowns.
"That consists of going into homes of moms who are still going through their grief to help them and provide them with services that they probably can't seem to reach themselves but we can work together through their grieving process," Ford said.
Ford wants others, who may be suffering, to know the group is a safe space, a healing space, for moms to join together and lean on one another.
"With this group here, I'm sort of a beacon," said Beverly Warfield, whose son George Maxwell was killed in 2000. "These mothers are fresh in their grief - seeing they can come out on the other side if they just trust in god."