In the heart of Shreveport, Louisiana, a circle of healing is growing — one shaped by love, loss, and a fierce commitment to community. What began as a grassroots response to hunger and grief has blossomed into a full-spectrum support system for mothers, families, youth, and elders impacted by gun violence.
Martha Tyler, founder of Moms on a Mission, first started feeding children in her neighborhood when schools shut down at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I started feeding 45 kids every day Monday through Friday during the first six months of COVID,” she recalled. “The money came from my family and the food came out of my refrigerator and out of my cabinets.”
“I haven’t lost a child to gun violence,” Martha shared, “but I have lost twins — stillbirth. I raised my children alone because I lost their two fathers to gun violence. I watched their mothers live without their sons.”
What began as a homegrown effort expanded through Facebook, as friends and former coworkers started chipping in.
But everything changed after two of the boys Martha had been feeding were shot and killed. “I just made a Facebook post and asked, ‘Is anybody supporting the mothers who lost a child?’” she said. “It just spiraled from there.”
In June 2022, Martha hosted her first event honoring 25 mothers who lost a child to violence, complete with spa treatments, salon appointments, donated meals, and gifts. “It was decorated like a wedding,” she said. “Anything you could think of that was beautiful and nice, they had it.”
But the work didn’t stop there. That single event turned into ongoing grief support. Moms on a Mission now hosts monthly grief support sessions — often attended not just by mothers, but by fathers, siblings, and extended family. “They’re always asking, ‘When is the next one?’” Martha said.
In partnership with the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office, local therapists, wellness coaches, and organizations like Unique Body Studios, the team has built a holistic model that meets people where they are. “The grief is not going away,” said Saundra Roberson, Vice President, who supports the program’s operations, “but the mothers still have to live after that has happened.”
Circle meetings, now known as Moms Circle of Healing, are intentionally open and non-judgmental. “If you need to curse, you can curse. If you need to cry, you can cry. If you need to shout, you can shout,” Saundra explained. “But the other mothers provide so much — especially those who are further along in the journey.”
She shared the story of one mother who came to her first meeting looking for validation, not help. Her child had been killed just weeks earlier, and she had made up her mind to retaliate. “She came in angry,” Saundra said. “She ran out of the meeting. We hugged her, we kept talking to her.” The following year, that same mother became a featured speaker at the next induction ceremony and started her own foundation in her daughter’s name.
Moms on a Mission doesn’t just support those who’ve lost children. They’ve adopted local schools, hosted community baby showers with postpartum care packages, and brought joy to nursing homes by playing bingo and delivering gifts.
“Some of them might not have family that comes to visit them,” Martha shared. “So we do that because I had an older mother, and I used to work at a senior complex. The seniors are near and dear to my heart.”
As part of a broader community violence intervention ecosystem, Moms on a Mission plays a role in advancing safety and healing — not only by interrupting cycles of harm but by creating spaces where transformation is possible.
As they continue to grow, their vision remains rooted in shared leadership. “All of the things that we do come from people who saw the vision, embraced the mission, and worked to make the vision a reality,” Saundra said.
“We’ve seen this circle change lives,” Saundra added. “We’ve seen mothers who once thought about revenge start healing. We’ve seen families come together, including some who’ve never gotten answers about who killed their child — and still, they show up.”
From feeding children to facilitating healing retreats for grieving families, Moms on a Mission continues to do what its name promises. As Martha put it plainly: “We stay on a mission.”
