Montgomery mother installs city’s first wind phone to honor daughter

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - A Montgomery mother has installed the city’s first “wind phone” to help herself and others grieve the loss of loved ones.

Patricia June set up the phone four years after her daughter, Erica June, was shot and killed on East Fourth Street in October 2022.

A wind phone is a disconnected landline that people can use to talk to someone they have lost. The concept went viral online before June decided to bring one to Montgomery.

“A wind phone is to help you grieve loss. And in my case, the loss of my daughter is the reason why I started,” June said.

June’s phone booth includes a phone that reads “Pray, Talk, Release.” She stocked it with tissues, hand sanitizer, and a children’s free library.

June said she also wants to use the phone to keep the names of Montgomery homicide victims from being forgotten. The booth includes Montgomery homicide statistics.

“Keeping her name alive is not forgetting that her life was taken and that she existed,” June said. “That’s the whole point. Making sure that each year we all remember as a family and community that she existed just like a lot of other victims of homicide.”

June said the idea for the wind phone did not start in the United States. She said she visited one in Huntsville before deciding to bring one to Montgomery.

“I said, ‘this would be great for Montgomery,’” June said. “Not only victims, anyone who has lost a loved one. It would be great to have something different. It’s not to take the place of anything or any way of grieving, because we all grieve differently.”

June said the anniversary of her daughter’s death carries weight each year.

“With it being the fourth year today, it means a lot. It just means a lot that I keep her memory alive,” June said.

June described her daughter as someone who helped others and was emotionally moved by people she didn’t know.

“This would be something, believe me, that she would have done and thought of because of who she was. And who she is. She would have done it,” June said.

The wind phone is located at 2124 East Fourth Street and open to visitors at any time.

“You can come by any time, and view, talk, grieve, and sit in silence to yourself, because that’s what it’s about. It’s about grieving your way,” June said. “Say hello to your family members you’ve lost, loved ones. You can say your last goodbye, words that we didn’t get a chance to say.”

June said she plans to expand the space.

“This is just the beginning. I’m gonna make this an oasis for everybody so they can stay,” June said.

If you are interested in creating a wind phone station or finding one in your community, visit mywindphone.com.

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