by Larry Felton Johnson

The Cobb Family Advocacy Center will host the inaugural meeting of the Metro Atlanta Chapter of the National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children (POMC).

PMOC is an organization of support groups for parents who have lost their children to violence, and also provides resources and training to “professionals in such fields as law enforcement, mental health, social work, community services, law, criminal justice, medicine, education, religion, the media and mortuary science.”

The meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 6 at 6:30 p.m. The Cobb Family Advocacy Center is at 277 Fairground St. SE in Marietta.

Read more about the Cobb Family Advocacy Center by following this link.

According to the county’s news release for the event:

Cobb District Attorney Flynn Broady, Victim Witness Unit Director Kim McCoy, and other advocates have supported the formation of this chapter by providing administrative assistance and a place to host meetings.

“Our job in this community does not end when we prosecute people who commit murders; we continue to support the victims and survivors,” said District Attorney Flynn Broady. “It takes a lot of work and support to help them deal with the grief of their loss and navigate the criminal justice system as survivors.”

Nancy Aguilar will lead the chapter. Nancy and her husband Frank lost their only son, 24-year-old Jesse, to a homicide in 2006.

“We were devastated to lose our only son, but the support and resources we received from the POMC group helped us a lot,” said Nancy. The couple moved from California and settled in Cobb County more than a year ago. This is the first and only POMC chapter in Georgia.

The Metro Atlanta chapter is a part of the National Parents of Murdered Children, Inc. headquartered in Cincinnati.

POMC describes its purpose, on a page entitled “Why we are here,” as follows:

POMC provides the on-going emotional support needed to help parents and other survivors facilitate the reconstruction of a “new life” and to promote a healthy resolution. Not only does POMC help survivors deal with their acute grief but also helps with the criminal justice system.

The staff of the National Headquarters of POMC will assist any survivor and if possible, link that survivor with others in the same vicinity who have survived their loved one’s murder. In addition, the staff is available to provide individual assistance, support and advocacy. The staff will help interested parents or immediate family members form a chapter of POMC in their community.

POMC will provide training to professionals in such fields as law enforcement, mental health, social work, community services, law, criminal justice, medicine, education, religion, the media and mortuary science who are interested in learning more about survivors of homicide victims and the aftermath of murder.