It only takes a moment for life to change completely.

For one homeless Rockdale family, that moment came on July 22, when they lost their mother, Judith Russell, 38, to a tragic death.

Eighteen-year-old Jerrell, seventeen-year-old Sierra and five-year-old Sydney Russell brave a new world without their mother, but are fortified with her memory and the lessons she taught them.

Family, friends, and the community are also rising to the occasion.

The siblings will remain together under the care of their mother's cousin, Beverly Benjamin. And local business Glenn's Bar-B-Que is organizing a fundraiser, "Giving from the Heart," on Saturday, Aug. 13.

The children are holding up remarkably well - a credit to the strength instilled in them by Russell.
"They've been through some really rough times, and they're an awesome family," said Deborah Anderson, their former teacher, "She did a great job raising her kids."

Benjamin agreed. "When I look at the strength of the children and I look at my own, I realize my children wouldn't have been able to cope with it. The children are going to be fine."

The family weathered setback after setback in recent years. Moving her children south from New Jersey in search of better opportunities, Russell initially did well for herself. She had a good job and bought her own home. Things were on the upswing. But when she lost her customer service job in the slowing economy, things began unraveling. Their home was foreclosed on. Unable to find a comparable position and incapable of making ends meet with the odd waitressing jobs, they were evicted from a rental home.

After a period of staying with family and friends, they began living in extended-stay motels. Both Jerrell and Benjamin say Russell had a lot of pride and wanted to do things on her own, making her reluctant to ask for help.

"It doesn't matter who you are, unfortunate situations can happen," said Benjamin, "The reason she was homeless is not because she didn't have family, but because she was such a fighter...she had such a strong drive."

Tim Carey, with Family Promise of NewRock, an interfaith hospitality network working to launch soon in Rockdale and Newton Counties, said, "This is a reality that happened here, a homeless family lost its matriarch leaving behind two teenagers and a five-year- old. The tragic death was the result of the hardships of homelessness. I don't know if Family Promise of NewRock would have made a difference, but I wish we had been up and running to see."

Despite all the difficulties, Jerrell, a recent Salem graduate, said his mother was upbeat and wanted to prove her happiness didn't come from material things. He laughs remembering a pair of big headphones she would wear listening to music and dancing around. She woke them up with hugs and kisses first thing in the morning.

"My mother really cared for everybody," said Jerrell, "She was love."

Russell also wrote poetry and performed at spoken-word nights. Sierra says she was always encouraging her to perform with her. She was a good cook and loved preparing food for her family. Russell's father, who flew in from Jamaica, said his daughter was known for her cheesecakes.

One silver lining forming for Jerrell and Sierra are college scholarships provided by Ft. Valley State University that their former teacher Deborah Anderson is arranging on their behalf. Jerrell plans to study mechanical engineering while Sierra would like to pursue fashion design. Another is their grandfather arriving from Jamaica and other family coming in to support them.

Russell's funeral will be held on August 7 at Unfolding Faith, 1419 Old McDonough Highway, Conyers at 2 p.m.

Glenn's Bar-B-Que is donating 20 percent of all meals purchased on Saturday, August 13, to the Russell children for the "Giving from the Heart" fundraiser. The restaurant is located at 1377 Old McDonough Highway in Conyers.