Bertha Purnell talks about Mothers OnA Mission28, the advocacy group she formed for families dealing with a loss from gun violence, during Oak Park’s 10th annual Candlelight Peace Vigil to End Gun Violence. (Photo by Kevin Beese/Chronicle Media)

Bertha Purnell felt a calling after her 28-year-old son was murdered in 2017 less than a mile from her home.

“I had never done advocacy work in my life, but I know compassion and I have love for people,” Purnell said.

She started Mothers OnA Mission28 when she saw the high murder rate in her Austin neighborhood in Chicago and so many people dealing with similar losses due to gun violence who did not have a support system or resources.

“I started the organization for just mothers who had lost their children, but we were not making a great impact because how can you treat one person in a house when the whole house is hurting?” Purnell asked. “So, we had to change our way of thinking all while spending my own personal money.

“I knew nothing about trying to write a grant and everybody I went to wouldn’t help me, but I know God and I know God is able; and the vision I had was not a selfish vision. So now we’re working with fathers; we’re working with children. We have partners.”

Purnell shared her story about the founding of Mothers OnA Mission28 during Oak Park’s 10th annual Candlelight Peace Vigil to End Gun Violence held Dec. 10 at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church.

Candles are placed on the altar at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Oak Park during the Dec. 10 Candlelight Peace Vigil to End Gun Violence. (Photo by Kevin Beese/Chronicle Media)

The event was sponsored by Moms Demand Action Oak Park-Austin Area, Community of Congregations, Catholic Parishes of Oak Park, Waging Peace of First United Church of Oak Park, Gun Violence Prevention Team of Unity Temple Unitarian Universalist Congregation Oak Park, Mothers OnA Mission28, Gun Responsibility Advocates and Congregations Networking for Social Justice.

Purnell said through her advocacy work she has learned that losses through gun violence go deeper than just the affected family.

“One of the things that I have been trying to bring home in this work is that when my son was killed, there was a person loss, but it was also a loss and a hurt in my community,” Purnell said. “Many people believe that when gun violence happens in a community it’s that just that one house that feels the pain.

“It’s everyone connected in that area because now there’s fear.”

She said Mothers OnA Mission28 connects with other organizations to make sure people get the resources that they say they need.

“Even though I lost my son, I can’t tell the people that I work with what they need (if they suffer a similar loss),” Purnell said. “That’s a personal thing. So, we listen to what the community asks for.”

She said her organization offers survivor support group meetings and offers rituals where anyone who has had a loss can show up and grieve.

The Rev. George Arceneaux, pastor of St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church, places candles on the altar during the vigil. (Photo by Kevin Beese/Chronicle Media)

Even though her grief remains with her, Purnell said she works with others to help them with their sorrow. She noted that a domestic violence survivor she recently went to court with has lost four family members to gun violence.

Purnell has found through her advocacy work that it is important to give people a way to grieve that best fits them, “that you’re not put into a box by somebody telling you actually what you need.”

“So, those are things we are doing. We go to funeral homes with people,” she said. “We help them do their victim compensation form. It is so important that we listen to what survivors say.”

kbeese@chronicleillinois.com