When someone is murdered, the ripple effects of the homicide extend far and wide. That is why EMIR Healing Center, a nonprofit organization based in Germantown, aims to provide support for everyone impacted by a murder.

According to Chantay Love, chief executive officer and co-founder of EMIR, leaving this trauma untreated can lead to disastrous consequences.

“[EMIR Healing Center] takes a family and we help them move forward, help validate their pain, and give them the best of the best trauma services so that the bullet stops traveling,” Love told the Local. “If they don’t get support, it will travel through each family member and continue until they either die from the grief and the pain and not addressing it, or it impacts their health, their finances, and their ability to even live.”

To continue this work supporting loved ones affected by murder, EMIR is embarking on a new initiative. The nonprofit has partnered with Determined by Design, a Washington D.C.-based interior design firm, to lead a fundraising campaign for a new healing center.

Every murder is real

On March 26, 1997, Emir Greene was murdered at 20 years old. Victoria Greene, a single mother of four daughters and one son, worked as a drug and alcohol counselor and social worker in the Philadelphia prison system. When her son was murdered, Victoria attended a grief assistance program. These support groups were life-saving and she recognized that everyone affected by a murder should receive judgment-free healing services.

The family founded EMIR Healing Center in 1999, choosing to name the foundation after Emir and also using his name as an acronym for “Every murder is real.”

“We said, ‘What does it look like if we had a trauma-informed center that healed families and communities, regardless of the circumstances?’” Love explained. “We will put in zero judgment and just serve. …So from the beginning, it’s always been about how do I help heal my neighbor and how do I help heal a family? And then, how do I help heal a block and how do I help heal a city?”

EMIR provides various survivor and trauma support services (victim compensation programs, accompanying survivors to court hearings, assistance with relocation), grief counseling, and health and wellness workshops. The organization also collaborates with other groups to prevent community violence.

According to Love, EMIR is always looking for volunteers.

“Whether you give us some of your time to wipe a tear or two or read to a young person or hug a mom or dad, we can use all hands on deck,” Love said. “I do believe that the services we do are life-saving and life-changing.”

A new healing center

The organization started in Emir’s bedroom, before moving to a location in Germantown. However, according to Love, the newest location on Greene Street will be the best iteration thanks to the partnership with Determined by Design.

“In the previous [spaces], all I would do was pick some colors I like and then say, ‘Okay, let’s go buy some things,’” Love said. “But this time, it’s intentional.”

The 3,800-square-foot space is currently being designed as a dedicated space for therapeutic services, healing circles, wellness programming, and community engagement. Determined by Design is carefully ensuring that all aspects of the physical environment align with EMIR’s mission.

“You should be able to walk into a space and begin your healing there. It’s not gloomy,” Love said. “There will not only be individual counseling and support groups, but there will also be healing around your body, around art and music, around creative writing — all the things that a person may possibly use to heal.”

Determined by Design’s campaign, entitled The Space That Holds Us, has set a goal of $150,000 through Fractured Atlas, a technology company that provides business tools such as fundraising. The money raised is set to cover Determined by Design’s fees, furnishings, paint, wall coverings, electrical adjustments, carpentry, and construction work required to finish the space.

The campaign is scheduled through Feb. 15.

“It’s a quick turnaround,” Love said. “But I do believe in the power of hope and the power of people coming together.”

To donate to EMIR Healing Center’s fundraising campaign, visit fundraising.fracturedatlas.org and search for “The Space That Holds Us.”

Maggie Dougherty can be reached at Margaret@chestnuthilllocal.com.