As the victims’ memorial in front of Allen Premium Outlets continues to grow following last week’s mass shooting, volunteers are needed to maintain and manage the items left at the site.
The Dallas Express visited this memorial and witnessed members of the community gathering together to offer condolences and leave flowers, stuffed animals, religious symbols, notes, artwork, and other mementos.
Cheryl Jackson, who identified herself as an organizer of the memorial, told The Dallas Express of her experience in the days since the shooting.
“All of this has just been mind-boggling and I don’t have words. I just have prayer,” said Jackson.
She said she believes people add items to the memorial as a way of leaving a piece of themselves.
“It’s their way of speaking to the families. I think they want to leave a part of them somewhere. I think that’s their message to the family, that I was here. And that I care,” Jackson further explained to NBC 5.
She told the news outlet that the flowers brought by visitors and mourners were not only an indication of love from the community but also a symbol of diversity.
“When you see all the different colors of flowers, it just lets me remember the diversity that we have in this beautiful city, and how we’ve all come together to create just one beautiful memorial to these families,” said Jackson, according to NBC DFW.
She said the flowers are also a reminder of brighter days ahead.
As this memorial grows, Jackson is seeking help with its upkeep. She has a number of volunteers at the site to aid her already, but she reportedly works up to 12 hours per day to maintain the area, according to NBC 5.
Volunteers at the memorial site expressed a need for wheeled plastic bins to store stuffed animals for a possible later donation. The memorial is expected to stay in place for at least another week.
