Synopsis
It was a cold December evening. I recall being told my 15-year-old son Louis was brain-dead and there was nothing anyone could do to save him. I remember leaving the hospital empty-handed, both physically and within my soul. There were so many questions running through my mind: Where do I begin? Which funeral home do I call? How much does a funeral cost? Who will help us?The media speculated about why and how my son was murdered – was he gang-involved? Was it drug-related? When word finally spread that Louis was an honor student who wanted to be the first Black president, our family received an outpouring of support and we were able to bury Louis in a way that honored his life. Over the years serving fellow survivors of homicide victims, I have heard from countless families how the shame and blame they experienced in the aftermath of their loved one's murder prevented them from getting the resources they needed to lay their loved one to rest with respect. All families of murder victims deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion, regardless of the circumstances. Like your family, my family was not prepared to deal with the murder of our beloved son Louis. There were so many things to do and pay for in such a small window of time. This step-by-step workbook, created with the input of professionals, victim services providers, and survivors, shows how to build a support network so your family can get what you need and you don't have to go through this alone.
About the Author
Chaplain Clementina Chéry is the President, and CEO of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute. With over two decades of experience as a survivor serving families impacted by murder, Chaplain Chéry has developed the best practices in the field of homicide response. Her ultimate goal is to transform society's response to homicide so that all families are treated with dignity and compassion, regardless of the circumstances.Chaplain Chéry and the Peace Institute were selected as 2016 Social Innovators by the Social Innovation Forum in recognition of the Institute's groundbreaking solutions to social problems. Chaplain Chéry has developed innovative tools for families of murder victims and the providers who serve them, including "Always in My Heart: A Workbook for Grieving Children" (2011) and the Survivors Burial and Resource Guide (2013). Chaplain Chéry is also coauthor of an article entitled "Homicide Survivors: Research and Practice Implications" published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 2005.Chaplain Chéry has extensive experience training public health professionals and law enforcement officials to better serve families impacted by murder and interrupt cycles of retaliatory violence. She has trained doctors, social workers, psychologists, street workers, religious leaders, police officers, homicide detectives, and other providers at city and state agencies, hospitals, and community-based organizations. Chaplain Chéry has presented at the National Organization for Victims Assistance conference three times. Chaplain Chéry worked closely with the Boston Police Department to establish the Family Resource Officer position on the force to better serve families of homicide victims.Chaplain Chéry has received countless awards in recognition of her courageous leadership and tireless peacemaking work. Most recently, Chéry was named one of Boston's 100 most influential leaders of color in 2016 by Collette Phillips Communications, Inc. She was also given the 2016 Impact Award by Phillips Brooks House Association at Harvard University. In 2014, Salem State University Awarded Chaplain Chéry the Champion of Peace Award. She was named Citizen of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers in 2011. She was ordained as a senior chaplain with the International Fellowship of Chaplain, Inc. in February of 2012.
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