[email protected]
I am a Mom of 3 adult children and a grandmother to 8 grandchildren. Although my degree is in Criminal Justice, I have spent the last 10 years as a harm reductionist, shelter manager and most recently a Post Overdose Specialist.
I started and continue a yearly memorial for those who passed and had experienced homelessness in my community as well as raised funds to pay for cremations and obituaries for those in our community who passed and had experienced homelessness. It is my belief that every single person deserves to be memorialized.
After losing my only biological son, Sean Steven, on 9/13/2023 to an overdose, I realized that I could do the most good in the grief world.
As someone who has lost 60+ clients in 10 years, my closest cousin, many friends, two nephews, my 2 step-sons and now my son, becoming a peer grief support specialist seemed like the perfect way to turn my grief into purpose while also allowing myself the room to grieve all of the losses.
I will continue my work in harm reduction as a secondary and founder of a brand new 501C3(waiting on final paperwork), while I embrace the role of Peer Grief Support Specialist.
I will continue to help in any way I can as long as I have breath.