at a young age. she grew up in a funeral home and would sit at the top of the stairs and watch her parents comfort mourners through the banister. what she saw, young mothers in tears, young men missing their friends, and children unable to process how their world had been shattered to pieces. those sights and sounds made her want to do more than just follow in her family's footsteps. she opened roberta's house to help low-income families cope with loss. she offers many programs for guardians and their children, like a 5-year-old boy named kyron. troubled teens, mothers who have lost a child and workshops and public schools. since 2008, more than 2,300 people, half of them children have learned that no one has to mourn alone, that grief when we embrace it, share it, and talk about it can transform us, show us how to live and even help a city heal.