NORFOLK, Va. — Losing a loved one isn’t easy and if that life is taken suddenly, it can be hard to process that grief.
In Norfolk, there’s a new way for families to get free grief counseling. A Homicide Survivor Support Group is launching in the city tomorrow night. It’s for anyone who's lost a close friend or family member to homicide.
The support group's coordinator, Scharnelle Hamlin, said it’s a regional effort coming to Norfolk for the first time.
She said losing a family member to homicide can come with a lot of grief and trauma that's not always easy to talk about.
“It takes a lot to ask for help," Hamlin said. "Where are the families going in Norfolk? Who do they have to lean on when they don’t get the convictions that they want? When they don’t get the answers they want? Sometimes, they don’t even get the answers that they want because the case goes unsolved.”
Hamlin is hoping to give families a resource to turn to when they need support.
It’s a regional effort with chapters in Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Portsmouth, and Isle of Wight. Starting this month, the initiative is launching in Norfolk.
Hamlin said it’s a chance for families to find healing with others who can relate to what they’re going through. She said the job is personal.
“I lost my first cousin Travis Newby in 2012," Hamlin said. "I lost my nephew in 2022. It’s heartbreaking. It’s heartbreaking to know that our loved ones were normal when they left our homes. We always expected them to return.”
Hamlin said the group will meet twice a month, offering fellowship and support to those who’ve experienced a life-altering loss.
"I have a first-hand in knowing what that pain and that brunt feels like," Hamlin said. "When the sentence is over and the calls and the funerals – that is over, these people are left with this pain. That’s a life sentence for us.”
In addition to supporting family members and friends who need help, Hamlin said she also wants to advocate for the victims.
“I want to be their voice," Hamlin said. "They’re no longer here but I want to continue to advocate for them because they are not forgotten.”
The Norfolk support group meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month. It's free to attend but the meeting locations are not being made public out of respect for the families' privacy.
More information on how you can get involved in any of the support groups can be found on their official website.