A Bridgeport woman whose mother was murdered nine years ago says she's turning "the pain of that experience into pure positivity through public service."

Eve Parsons says her 17-year-old nephew killed her 83-year-old mother in Dominica, where the family is from.

The 62-year-old says she got tired of being depressed all the time and decided to channel her energy into an effort called "Team up and Clean Up." It is a community beautification program made up of volunteers on the city's West Side. She says, however, that it still hurts to deal with her mother's murder.

"It hurts me to the core that she's not able to be here to actually see what I've done and what I've accomplished, so the reason why I'm so passionate about the things I do in my community, I do it in honor of her," Parson says.

Parsons adds that she also volunteers with people who are homeless in memory of her mother.