The tragic story behind Project Jason

One of the biggest Web sites devoted to missing persons is Project Jason, which was started by an Omaha family who lost their own son eight years ago. Jason Jolkowski, 19, was walking to meet a coworker for a ride to work at Fazoli's. He never met that coworker -- and in fact, has never been seen again. Like a lot of families who've endured great tragedy, the Jolkowskis have tried to make sense of things by doing something good. They pressed Nebraska to create a statewide database of missing persons, and their own site has directly helped resolve a handful of cases. CNN has more about Project Jason here.

Comments

[Maureen]

James,

Thanks so much for writing about Project Jason! Several families right here in the KC Metro area have been helped by Project Jason. 3 families just this past June, including myself, attended Project Jason's Keys to Healing Retreat. Sadly enough when I tried to get area media interested in doing a story on this they simply were not interested. Guess it took CNN to get them interested.

Kelly Jolkowski, Jason's Mom, is truly an amazing woman. Her focus is not just on helping solve these cases but more importantly on helping the families cope by giving them the tools and resources needed to not only aid in the search for their loved ones but on how to simply make it through the day. The public hears about a very few of the actual over 100,000 missing cases in the US alone. The public rarely hears about the families and the h e l l on earth they go through. And, the media misses a huge human compassion story in how the families reach out to help each other, lean on each other and pray for each other.

Out of Kelly Jolkowski's own trauma has arisen a God sent and God driven organization. I know I thank God everyday for Kelly and Project Jason as do many in the metro area and throughout the nation.

Always praying that answers come to Kelly and her family on her son's disappearance.

Maureen Reintjes