Lanisha Jones

Lanisha Jones, in her own words, helps support families who have lost loved ones in Oakland — their advocate. And the best and the worst part of her job are closely linked. “Seeing mothers cry is the worst. There is nothing you can say or do to make them feel better,”Lanisha said. “But I love the fact that I can support them and give them some sense of relief no matter what that looks like.”

An Oakland native, Lanisha went to Oakland Tech high school, she knows her close ties to growing up in Oakland give her insight in her work, in understanding what is happening with families. She also has personal experience. She has been the victim of violence, she has lost loved ones to gun violence and because of that she can relate to the experiences of the people she helps.

It is that personal experience that first linked her to Youth ALIVE!. She met a staff member from YA! while working elsewhere. With that introduction she connected the dots of her experience, using her personal experience as fuel and tool to help others manage the grief of losing someone they love.