A mother and father who felt the pain of losing a child to gun violence wanted to make the holidays a little brighter for the brothers and sisters of other victims of the violence by hosting Christmas dinner.
"I’d like to make it known that his energy is all around," said Billa. "This is our first holiday without him physically being here. I know how hard it is for me and my immediate family."The couple set the goal to create the dinner, in order to give siblings a day to enjoy and a night for parents to see their kids happy.
"They can’t perform the way they want to or used to after losing a loved one or a child," Russell explained. "The siblings get lost. They start to think they are not as loved as the one they lost, but they are loved. We want to show they are not forgotten today." They partnered with a catering company and the owners of Essential Community Connections, all of whom have lost loved ones to gun violence. Owner of the hall where the event was held, Zaira Ford, lost her brother to gun violence in 2020.
"We’re just trying to find ways for other people who feel the same way that we do," Ford said. "Families out there that are hurting can find a safe place to be in within their own city."The team from Rapping About Prevention brought the house down with their dance moves after dinner, bringing some hope to the families.
"It does provide me a tiny bit of relief that I’m doing it for others," said Billa. "I know that Dom would be proud."