The day before Thanksgiving, November 23, 2016, the joy of the approaching holiday shattered for the Mourning family. A phone call delivered the unthinkable: Trina Mourning-Dodson learned her brother, Arthur Lee Mourning Jr. – their beloved “Lee Lee” – had been stolen from them, gunned down in the very sanctuary of his home, his child a witness to the horror.

Imagine Trina, alone in a solitary vigil in the sterile hospital lobby, each tick of the clock amplifying her dread. Then, the hushed words in the family room from the doctors, the confirmation of their deepest fear: Arthur was gone. The weight of that moment then shifted to Trina’s shoulders as she heard those neverending word, “we are sorry, we tried our best, but he didn’t make it.,Alone at the hospital, Trina had the agonizing task of relaying the devastating news. Picture the phone calls, each one met with the raw, heart-wrenching cries of his parents, his siblings, his children 1oved ones – a chorus of pain echoing the senseless loss.

In an instant, the Mourning family found themselves on the “other side of the yellow tape,” a place no family should ever know. Arthur’s laughter was silenced,his presence immediately missed, leaving behind six children trying on their own to process grief, desperately needing support that was nowhere to be found. For years, the ache of loss was compounded by the struggle to secure even the most basic resources, especially the vital balm of mental health care for his grieving children.

But from the depths of unimaginable pain, a flicker of hope ignited. Fueled by a sister’s love and a fierce determination to honor Arthur “Lee Lee’s” memory, a vision took shape – a sanctuary of support, a haven of healing. And so, from the ashes of tragedy, a Circle of Hope was born.