Georgia
Grieving family of Georgia police officer starts nonprofit Gotcha Covered Blankets
This story discusses suicide. In case you or somebody is having ideas of suicide, please name the Suicide and Disaster Lifeline at 988 or contact the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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Nonprofit donates blankets to police to honor fallen officer
In one in all Officer Mitchell Georgiana’s final textual content messages he ever despatched to his mom, he requested if she had any blankets to spare that he might hand out to people who find themselves homeless or going via a traumatic occasion and will use the additional consolation. Two days later, Donna Mitchell mentioned her son took his personal life.
SMYRNA, Ga – A household, mourning the sudden lack of their son, began a nonprofit to assist others. Mitchell Georgiana was a Smyrna Police officer who took his personal life.
Mitchell Georgiana wished to be a police officer since he was in highschool. He joined the Smyrna Police power in 2020 and was on the SWAT group.
“He was on high of the world,” mentioned Donna Georgiana, his mother.
On November 16, 2021, Mitchell took his personal life.
“We walked round in whole shock. To this present day we won’t perceive it,” mentioned Donna.
Donna and her husband, Paul, felt they needed to do one thing to maintain their son’s reminiscence alive. Donna remembered a textual content he had despatched her two days earlier than he died.
“The textual content was merely, ‘Do you’ve got any previous blankets you need to eliminate?’” mentioned Donna.
Donna mentioned he instructed her he wished to maintain blankets in his automotive handy out to homeless individuals or anybody going via a traumatic occasion who wanted consolation.
The Georgianas began a nonprofit known as Gotcha Lined Blankets, and provides blankets to police to maintain of their automobiles.
By means of fundraisers, just like the one held Tuesday night time on what would have been Mitchell’s twenty fifth birthday, they’ve raised sufficient cash handy out 800 blankets to police throughout Cobb County.
They know their son would have cherished what they’re doing.
“He would have been all in. He would have been doing every part he might do to assist with what we’re doing. Little question about it. He had that form of coronary heart,” mentioned Paul.
The nonprofit additionally sheds gentle on the suicide price amongst officers.
“Officers are killing themselves at a better price than dangerous guys are killing them,” mentioned Chris Michael who just lately retired from the Cobb County Police Division.
Michael was a peer assist commander for the police division. He helped officers who have been struggling and is grateful the Georgianas are bringing consideration to the issue.
“If he thought he had made a distinction in different officers’ lives that will imply rather a lot to him,” mentioned the Georgianas.
This is not a one-time factor, when officers hand out their blankets, they get one other one, in order that they’ll all the time have a blanket of their automobiles.