Holiday food for souls of bereaved

When one of her brothers would have a birthday, Gwendolyn Mayo would call him at 12:01 a.m. to wish him happy birthday.

When Nathaniel Mayo's 53rd birthday came this year on Nov. 1, she waited until after midnight and said out loud that she loved and missed him, even though he wouldn't be around to celebrate. He and his brother, Willie Mayo, were stabbed and found dead in their South Richmond apartment Oct. 3.

Gwendolyn Mayo said she expects birthdays and holidays to be hard without her brothers. Yesterday, she was thankful that some visitors were helping her get through Thanksgiving.

Alicia Rasin, founder of Citizens Against Crime, along with Richmond Mayor-elect Dwight Clinton Jones and Police Chief Bryan T. Norwood, brought Mayo a turkey and other food to fix on Thanksgiving. Rasin said her organization and sponsors have given out about 40 turkeys during the past couple of weeks to families of crime victims and others in difficult times.

Yesterday, they gave out several meals, including turkey, dinner rolls, fruit and pumpkin pie, among other items, to families of homicide victims.

Jones handed Mayo a turkey, and tears filled her eyes as Rasin and Norwood offered words of encouragement. Also along were police Capt. John Venuti and Sgt. Ron Brown.

"I'm taking it one day at a time -- that's just all I can do," Mayo said. "Thank you," she added, her voice breaking up. "I really appreciate it."

Earlier, they dropped in on Michelle Johnson at her home in Richmond's Whitcomb Court public housing community. Johnson's brother, Michael Bowles, was shot in the head and killed Oct. 22 in Henrico County.

Rasin's group also stopped at the home of Mildred Thompson in South Richmond. Her son, Marijuana Monzelle "Pimp" Thompson, 31, was shot and found dead Nov. 6 at the intersection of 36th and Lawson streets.

Mildred Thompson appeared too overcome with grief to say much during the group's visit yesterday.

After the visitors left, her sister, Sharon Smith, said she was grateful that the police hadn't forgotten about the family.

"We really appreciate everything that they're doing," Smith said. "They are really trying to solve this case."

"That was my only child," Thompson said. "That was all I had in the world."
Contact Reed Williams at (804) 649-6332 or .