LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — Two mothers who each lost a child to gun violence have joined forces to turn their grief into a lasting tribute for families touched by senseless violence.
Ground has broken on the garden at Cross Keys Park, a project led by Heather Mammen's nonprofit, the GLOW Project, in memory of her daughter Elaina. Elaina Mammen was 19 years old when she was shot and killed in December 2022.
Alisa Hairston lost her son, 17-year-old Berkley Parks, in August 2021. Her nonprofit, Berkley Really Does Matter - Put the Guns Down, is now offering to sponsor concrete pavers for family members who have lost loved ones to gun violence.
The two women only met this month, but say the connection was immediate.
"My son would probably have been interested in your daughter!" Hairston said, laughing.
The garden will feature names of those lost etched onto concrete pavers placed throughout the space. Hairston said the memorial is meant to give grieving families a sense of purpose and remembrance.
"Just having that space for the families to know that your child was not killed, did not die in vain. People are remembering them, and their lives really do matter," Hairston said.
The women say they hope the garden becomes a refuge for others who have experienced devastating loss.
"This is a safe haven where you can come, you can meditate, you can pray, you can reflect, you can play with your kids," Mammen said.
As the city marks more than 140 days without a homicide, both women say they are finding reasons for hope.
"It gives me hope for what we're doing and helps us continue to press on. I always said after my daughter died, there was gonna be beauty from ashes, and we are making that possible," Mammen said.
Hairston echoed that the work ahead requires a community-wide commitment.
"We have a lot of work to do, and we all have to come together, and that means churches, school system, parents, nonprofits, like what we're doing now. That's what it's going to take," Hairston said.
Hairston will be speaking on a panel called "Let Me Grieve in Peace" Saturday, June 27, at the Marksbury Public Library from 2 to 4 p.m. Registration is required, but open to the public. For more information, visit this link: Let Me Grieve In Peace | Fabulously Fit
To get in touch with the nonprofit, Berkley Really Does Matter - Put The Guns Down, email berkleyodell21@gmail.com or call (859) 492-1614
To get in touch with the GLOW Project, email lovelikeelaina@gmail.com, call (859) 420-5653, or visit Go Light Our World | Youth Mental Wellness, Grief Support and Community Hope
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