AURORA, Ohio — In honor of National Crime Victims’ Week, the Ohio chapter of Voices of Black Mothers United hosted a two-day retreat at Bertram Conference Inn & Resort in Aurora for Cleveland families who have lost a loved one to violence.
As head of Ohio’s VBMU Chapter, Yvonne Pointer has been hosting the retreat for crime victims’ families for the last six years.
“The hardest part about grief has been that even after 40 years, you still wake up looking for that person,” said Pointer.
It’s been 40-years since Pointer’s 14-year-old daughter Gloria was brutally raped and murdered in Cleveland.
“It was 29 years before her case was solved. So, because of that I just started working by God's grace with families who have been victimized by violence,” said Pointer.
The event featured community leaders and speakers, including Judge Dave Matia of the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, Cuyahoga County Commissioner Meredith Turner, Cleveland Cavaliers Director of Community Engagement and Events Celena Zevnik, local police officers, and local pastors who provided workshops on healing and transformation for families.
“People got a chance to come together, get pampered, line dance the night away and for just a moment they get to forget that there is a loved one missing,” said Pointer.
Carol Y. Joiner lost her son Kevin Joiner in 2002.
“He was over some friend’s house having a cook out and the guys were standing around shooting dice. A young lady came and stood behind a fence, shot through the fence and the bullet went through another young man's shoulder and hit my son in the heart,” said Carol.
Carol said every day she sees her son’s personality and spirit in his three kids.
“He had this happy spirit about him, and even though I lost him I haven't lost the memory and how happy he was. And so that's how I live my life,” said Carol.
Since 2002, Carol has been a member of VBMU, using her story to help heal and strengthen families.
I want people to know you're not alone, you can reach out, you can call and talk to us. People don't even have to have a conversation, sometimes you see someone and say, 'If they can do it, I can do it too,'” said Joiner.
For Pointer, this year’s retreat was special because some of the mothers were able to share their stories of loss in a book called Life Beyond the News Snippet.
"A lot of times, the news only gets to report how they died; they don't get to report who they were. So, our book focuses on something about that individual that may not make it to the news, and just telling the stories gives the families hope,” said Pointer.
For many of the writers, they wanted to show others that you can live after grief.
“Our objective is to find that and walk in it, and to find joy and happiness wherever it is. sometimes it could be in a milkshake, we don't have to make it complicated. I love a hummingbird, so to see a hummingbird is like an epitome of joy to me. So, we have to find happiness and joy wherever we can find,” said Pointer.
