PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Families left to deal with a loss from violent crime may find it difficult to put a smile on a child's face this holiday season.
Saving Grace Ministries, a foundation based in Camden that also serves Philadelphia, has the mission to help bring joy to grieving families.
They offer supplementary support for families and children who have suffered a loss due to violent crime.
Nyzia Eastering, who runs Saving Grace Ministries, said this was born out of personal trauma.
"My first husband was murdered in Camden," said Eastering, whose daughter was just 9 years old at the time. "He was shot 18 times, leaving 30 bullet holes."
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She said when the music stopped and everyone went on with their lives, she felt she had to do something.
"In helping them, how do I help the children like my daughter? How do I help the children like the children that were in a gang initiation and killed my husband and didn't know him? How do I help mothers like myself that had to start life all over again?"
It began in 2011 with just 30 families and victims, but they are now serving over 840.
The work of counseling, trauma healing and mentoring is year-round, but during the holidays there's a special push for people to adopt families and children by simply buying them gifts.
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It's called Christmas Away From Home.
"We make sure to hay every one gets something for Christmas," said Eastering. "And because there's a lot of grieving families, they don't have the finances to do a lot."
This year she wants to supply gifts for 350 children. She's more than half way to her goal.