Gabrielle’s Wings: Nonprofit has flourished in the 7 years since New Rochelle girl’s murder
The murder of 7-year-old Gabrielle happened at a home on Arbor Glen in June 2017.
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An organization created after the murder of a New Rochelle girl by her own father is now flourishing in the little girl's memory.
The murder of 7-year-old Gabrielle happened at a home on Arbor Glen in June 2017.
"She was murdered by her father during a divorce proceeding," says her mother, Michelle Hord. She is also the founder and president of Gabrielle's Wings, a nonprofit organization formed to benefit children of color in historically underserved communities.
Hord says her mission is to make sure Gabrielle, who would have been 14 years old now, is never forgotten.
"I found that stepping outside of myself, my own grief and my own trauma to help others, was like oxygen. And so, it started like one or two small grants, locally, with organizations where my daughter loved and spent time and then over time, we re-focused," Hord says.
Gabrielle's Wings has taken flight since 2017, with operations in South Africa, Belize, Philadelphia and Seattle.
Hord credits her faith as the source of her strength.
"What happened to Gabrielle wasn't even in my realm of a nightmare. So, I felt like if God somehow was keeping me here, there was something important I was supposed to do in the world," Hord says.
Gabrielle's Wings has awarded more than $50,000 in grants nationwide to help children by creating safe spaces in schools and to create community centers in underserved neighborhoods.
For more information on Gabrielle's Wings, you can visit the nonprofit's website.
