Georgia Gold Star mothers honored with service cleanup project at Marietta National Cemetery
The Department of Georgia American Gold Star Mothers was honored on Friday through a service cleanup project at the Marietta National Cemetery.
The Gold Star Mothers, a nonprofit organization, supports families who lost a son or daughter serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. It also provides community outreach, veteran support, and remembrance programs across Georgia.
Lisa Jenkins, the organization's president, said she was recently contacted by ABM, a facilities management company. ABM, through its Veterans at ABM sector, offered to clean up the Gold Star Mothers monument and surrounding areas at the Marietta National Cemetery.
"ABM reached out to us and say, 'Hey, we found your monument. We'd love to do a service project to come out and do some maintenance and to clean it.'" Jenkins said. "They came out, they volunteered, they cleaned it up. It's absolutely beautiful."
Jenkins lost her son, SPC Frederick Jenkins III, who was a paratrooper in the Army.
"It is a way that we honor our children and carry their legacy while creating our own in service," Jenkins said. "I needed purpose. I needed something positive out of my tragedy. I learned from my son, so I'm following his footsteps, and I am connecting my legacy with his."
Carolyn Cagle is another Gold Star mother who turned her grief into a mission to serve others after losing her son, LCPL John Robert Franklin Cagle.
"I would never, never forget my son's sacrifice," Cagle said. "We're just here so that Americans do not forget the price that is paid for our democracy."
Kelly Yardley, the chair of Women for ABM, said Friday was all about supporting the Gold Star Mothers and providing a connection through service work done by some veterans at ABM.
"We want to support our community, show respect, show gratitude and thanks for the Gold Star Mothers for their loss and what they've gone through," Yardley said. "Combining this with the Veterans at ABM, it means a lot and makes a lot of sense to support this kind of event. This is unifying."
Jenkins said the Gold Star Mothers organization will meet with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp next month at the Capitol to highlight the work they're doing across the state.
