Safe & Sound brought together 300 guests to the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco on Saturday 7 December for their annual Blue Ribbon Celebration event. Guests were invited to ‘light up the night’ to recognize the importance of Safe & Sound’s critical mission and raise funds so they can build and expand on their work in the community.
For the last half-century, Safe & Sound has supported children and families in San Francisco, committed to their mission to prevent and reduce the impact of childhood abuse, neglect, and trauma. The families they serve are facing significant challenges, often living in San Francisco’s lowest-income neighborhoods so the support provided can be a lifeline for them.
Safe & Sound’s programming has achieved remarkable results—reaching over 200,000 individuals in the last 20 years, and creating systems-change, contributing to a 64% reduction in the rate of child abuse and a 51% reduction in entries into foster care in San Francisco.
In 2023 Safe & Sound continued to meet the direct needs of Bay Area families, serving 16,925 individuals, which represents a 47% increase over previous years.
Safe & Sound’s unwavering advocacy for a reimagined child and family well-being system has led to important changes, including an update to the state-wide reporting criteria for Children and Family Services to reduce the number of unsubstantiated and unnecessary reports which traumatize over 350,000 children a year. The work in this area is ongoing and its impact will be profound.
Safe & Sound is deeply grateful for the support from the generous community that attended this event and those that provide ongoing donations. They are helping to shape the future of their community by enabling this critical work to continue and its impact to be felt for generations to come.
Chief Executive, Pegah Faed, said: “We were delighted that this event enabled us to share the impact of our work with our guests, who between them raised $936,000 in donations so that we can build and expand on this critical support to our community.”
One way people can engage with Safe & Sound this holiday season is by participating in the Holiday Gift Program, which will make a meaningful impact on families with children in need. The annual Holiday Toy Store brings hundreds of Bay Area children joy, turning holiday wishes into reality. Each contribution helps to create a joyful, welcoming space for families where children can receive toys, clothes and books.
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About Safe & Sound:
Using a coordinated, multi-generational approach that spans the entire spectrum of prevention, Safe & Sound aims to break the cycle of childhood trauma and improve outcomes for at-risk children. They provide direct, evidence-based services to families, educate children, caregivers, and professionals to understand and respond to trauma and abuse, and collaborate with government and community organizations to transform the child welfare system into one centered on child and family well-being.