As we close the year and look forward to what is on the horizon, I want to focus on something at the heart of Safe & Sound – the feeling of hope.
Hope is not abstract. It’s what carries us through the hard moments – the belief that better days are not just possible, they are coming. This past year has tested that belief. Families across San Francisco are struggling, and for Safe & Sound, the road has not been easy.
But hope is not just something we feel – it is something we build together.
Each day, 127 children in California are confirmed victims of abuse or neglect – yet through early intervention, education, and support, Safe & Sound has helped reduce child abuse in San Francisco by 64% over the past two decades.
While challenges persist, your partnership ensures that our work continues to make a real difference – bringing hope and healing to children and families in San Francisco and beyond.
Last year alone, thanks to you, we:
Just earlier this month we brought joy to more than 600 local children through our annual Holiday Toy Store, enabling families to have the festive season they dreamed of, and back in November we helped to host a first-of-its-kind convening for 350 City officials, philanthropic partners, and community members, including San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, to find coordinated solutions that ensure our city is a place where families can live and children have the resources required to succeed.
That’s what building hope looks like, in action.
And the effect is profound. When parents are supported and children feel safe, they can dream bigger. That’s why at Safe & Sound we focus on the roots – the place where strong families grow. We strengthen parents and families before a crisis occurs. We advocate for systems that lift families up instead of tearing them down.
As we look to the future, Safe & Sound will continue to be bold, ambitious and hopeful. We are building a clear pathway to community support and evolving our programs and services to meet the changing needs of our community. Through our transformative Community Pathway Initiative, we are shaping a future free from childhood trauma, where all children, families, and communities are safe, supported, and loved. We believe that the work we do today will have implications for generations to come, for the children and families that we meet directly, and those touched by the reforms we champion.
I want to thank our dedicated staff and volunteers, our passionate Board Members, and most importantly, the brave children and families who walk through our doors or reach out to us every day for support – they are at the center of who we are, what we do, how we do it, and why we are here.
But all of this would not be possible without you. On behalf of the Safe & Sound team, I wish you and your loved ones a happy and prosperous 2026, and thank you for your ongoing commitment to our mission.
Together, we are tending the roots.
Together, we are building hope.
Together, we are Safe & Sound.
Thank you, and Happy Holidays