(KNOXVILLE) An outpouring of support for the family of a Knoxville teen shot and killed Thursday night continues as the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee Office on Aging and the pastor officiating the funeral stand behind the Dobson family.
Zenobia Dobson, the mother of Zaevion, works at the CAC Office on Aging. Due to the number of media requests and calls, Dobson has asked that all correspondence go through that office.
Dobson’s coworkers said she raised her children to give back to others, and they will be greatly missed this Christmas, when the family usually helped with the Mobile Meals program.
"We're gonna miss Zaevion for Christmas,” said Judith Pelot, manager of the Mobile Meals program. “He was a part of carrying out the gifts and making sure that everyone got fed on Christmas Day, and we're really gonna miss him."
Pelot said Dobson is processing 15-year-old Zaevion’s loss, and the CAC Office on Aging is glad to help their fellow coworker during this painful time.
"Everyone wants to reach and tell the Dobson family how much they care, and we're glad to help her kind of manage that,” Pelot said.
On Saturday, Zaevion’s funeral will be held at Overcoming Believers Church. The family will receive friends from 11:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. with the funeral following.
Pastor Daryl Arnold will be officiating, and Arnold said the focus will be on celebrating Zaevion’s life and heroism.
"This young man is the personification of what Jesus said,” Arnold added, “and Jesus said that there's no greater love than a man who'll lay down his life for a friend."
Arnold said part of his message will focus on taking steps to end violence and healing a community that is hurting amidst tragedy.
"I believe that his life and his death is going to help us bring some recognition to what's taken place,” Arnold said, “so we can bring some solutions to the problem."