Mothers In Grief Support Group Leadership
Board of Directors
Pamela Smith | Founder & Executive Director | Chairman of the Board of Directors
Pamela Smith was born and raised in Fresno, California. She graduated from McLane High School in 1977 and then earned an Associate Degree in Paralegal Studies from Fresno City College. Pamela served on the FCC Paralegal Advisory Board for several years and was employed as the Senior Paralegal and Office Manager for 20 years for the Law Office of Dean B. Gordon, who specialized in employment law and personal injury.
Pamela Smith’s only child, Jackson Smith, died of a counterfeit Oxycodone laced with Fentanyl on July 3, 2016, at the age of 22.
In April 2018, Pamela began volunteering for PAIN | Parents & Addicts In Need, and in January 2020, Pamela accepted the Operations Director position with PAIN, as well as serving as the Secretary and Treasurer of the PAIN Board of Directors. Pamela resigned from PAIN in February 2024.
As Pamela has become an Advocate in fighting the Opioid and Fentanyl Crisis since Jackson’s death, she has spoken at various schools, churches and community events on the dangers of drugs, telling Jackson’s story.
In September 2022, she was a panelist at the KMPH 26 Town Hall Meeting, Fentanyl: Crisis In The Valley. She has also gone to Sacramento several times to speak on new Fentanyl legislation written by Assemblyman Jim Patterson and Senator Shannon Grove. In April 2023, she was invited to speak at a press conference on the grounds of the California State Capitol by the Republican Caucus regarding the Fentanyl Crisis and the resistance from the Public Safety Committees in Sacramento to hear the new legislation. She also appeared on the nationally known news program, Fox & Friends, regarding her work in Sacramento; was interviewed by the Associated Press, The Epoch Times and various local newspapers and television stations. Pamela also has gone to countless community events to train others on Fentanyl and the use of Narcan and has distributed approximately 10,000 boxes of the life-saving medication, to bring more awareness to the Fentanyl and Opioid crisis.
Elaine Hudson | Treasurer
Elaine Hudson was born and raised in Fresno, CA. Elaine graduated from Hoover High School in 1978. She received an Associate Degree from Fresno City College in May of 2019 and a Bachelor’s Degree from California State University, Fresno in May of 2021.
Elaine began working at the Poverello House in July of 2021 as an Outreach Specialist and was promoted to Housing Stability Case Manager in July of 2022, and received a third promotion in February of 2023 as the CES (Coordinated Entry System) Trainer.
Elaine has three children, Jenny Andersen, age 39, Sammy Brown, age 36, and Frankie DePrima who passed away at the age of 20, on April 17, 2020, from a Fentanyl poisoning.
After Frankie passed away, the nonprofit organization PAIN | Parents & Addicts In Need, contacted Elaine, which is where she met Pamela Smith and began a crusade to educate the public about the deadly drug, Fentanyl. Elaine also volunteered at PAIN and has spoken at several middle and high schools in Fresno, Clovis, and Madera about the dangers of Fentanyl. Elaine has also given many interviews with local television stations regarding Frankie’s story.
Before Frankie passed away, Elaine had never heard of Fentanyl, and it was not until she received Frankie’s toxicology report that she learned about Fentanyl. Elaine has committed herself to bringing awareness to the Fentanyl epidemic by sharing Frankie’s Story to prevent another parent the pain of losing a child to an opioid overdose, as she believes that the pain of losing a child is the worst pain one could ever experience.
Elaine Hudson now serves as the Treasurer on the Board of Directors for Mothers In Grief Support Group.
Kim Stidham | Secretary
Kimberly “Kim” Stidham, best known as “Mama Kim,” to her friends and family was born in Dallas, Texas. Eighteen years ago, Kim and her family moved to Sanger, California. Kim is married to her husband Christopher and together they have 7 beautiful children and 10 grandchildren.
Growing up, Kim was part of the foster care system, which at times was very challenging. Due to her experiences, Kim vowed to be a helping hand to anyone in need as she knew how it felt firsthand to need someone. Kim and her husband decided they wanted to become foster parents to love and support children who needed a home.
Kim and her husband have two biological daughters Jessica (33) and Andrea (27). They also have 3 children that they adopted, Little Jessica (22), son Ahlijah who is her forever 20 baby, and Kailee (18). They also have 2 sons that became a family early on, Jon (33) and Manuel (29).
Unfortunately, Kim’s family has become smaller by one, when her son Ahlijah passed away on October 21, 2022, at the age of 20, due to a Fentanyl overdose. He was found at a local junior high school, unresponsive and first responders had to use 12 units of Narcan to revive him. Ahlijah was in the hospital for a week, as Kim and her family prayed for his recovery, but unfortunately, he did not survive. Kim considered Ahlijah her little baby since day one, as she brought him into their home at age 8. Ahlijah was the light of their lives and at times he was their fire too, as he liked to break the rules and keep them on their toes. Ahlijah was an amazing child, but due to a rough childhood, before entering Kim’s family, he had a lot of demons. Fentanyl took Ahlijah’s life and since his passing, Kim and her family have made it a point to carry on Ahlijah’s name and help fight the battle against Fentanyl, in attending many community events regarding drug awareness to advocate for change.
Jason Gianakopulos | IT Support Specialist
Born in Fresno, California, and raised in the vibrant atmosphere of Southern California’s Los Angeles area, Jason shares a deep connection with Pamela Smith, the visionary behind our organization, as she is not only its founder but also a relative. Pamela’s unwavering dedication to combating the opioid and Fentanyl crisis stems from the tragic loss of her son, Jackson Smith, Jason’s cousin, who fell victim to counterfeit Oxycodone laced with Fentanyl in 2016.
After spending most of his life in the greater area of Los Angeles, Jason relocated to Detroit, Michigan in 2011 to care for his ailing father who later passed. However, in July 2023, he made the decision to return to Fresno, California. Driven by a desire to be closer to family and to ultimately work together and actively support the organization’s mission. As the Information Technology Specialist for Mothers In Grief Support Group, his role merges seamlessly with our organization’s advocacy efforts.
Drawing from his background in cybersecurity and technology, Jason is committed to ensuring our organization’s digital infrastructure remains secure, allowing Pamela and the entire team to focus on their crucial work in raising awareness about the dangers of drugs, particularly Fentanyl. Pamela’s tireless advocacy, from speaking engagements to legislative efforts, inspires him daily, reinforcing his dedication in support of our shared cause.
Together, as individuals deeply rooted in our communities, Pamela’s passionate advocacy and Jason’s technical expertise form a powerful alliance, driving forward our organization’s mission to combat the opioid and Fentanyl crisis and provide support to those affected by grief and loss.