For 15 years, the Russian River Ride has brought together a dedicated community of cyclists, supporters, and advocates who believe every child deserves to grow up safe, loved, and supported.
This year, Safe & Sound’s 15th Annual Russian River Ride will take place October 2–4, 2026, bringing riders together for a three-day, 200-mile cycling fundraiser challenge with approximately 16,000 feet of climbing, from San Francisco to the Russian River and back.
The 2026 riders start from Safe & Sound’s historic Waller Street office in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, where children and families receive critical support services. From there, they’ll ride north through the scenic roads of Northern California toward the Russian River before making the journey back to San Francisco.
Accommodations along the route are generously donated by riders themselves, who open up their own properties each year to host the group, one of the many ways this community shows up for each other, and for the families Safe & Sound serves.
15 Years of Riding. Nearly $1 Million Raised. A Lasting Impact for Children and Families.
What began in 2011 as a small group of friends riding to support Safe & Sound’s mission has grown into one of the organization’s most powerful annual fundraising events.
In 2011, co-founders Chris Keane and Daniel Morillo launched the Russian River Ride with a small group of friends who shared the belief that every child deserves a safe and nurturing childhood free from abuse and neglect. Fifteen years later, what began as a grassroots ride has grown into one of Safe & Sound’s signature fundraising events, challenging riders to conquer nearly 200 miles and 16,000 feet of climbing—all in support of children and families across San Francisco.
Over the past 15 years, the Russian River Ride community has raised nearly $1 million to support Safe & Sound’s mission, funded programs that provided families with resources, support, and connections before challenges become crises.
‘’The Russian River Ride is one of the most meaningful days on our calendar. Every rider who takes on these 200 miles is showing a family in San Francisco that someone believes in them. Fifteen years later, this community has proven that prevention, not just intervention, is possible when people show up.'”— Dr. Pegah Faed, CEO, Safe & Sound
Year after year, cyclists return to take on the challenge, not only to test their endurance, but to raise critical funds and awareness for reducing and preventing the impact of childhood abuse, neglect and trauma and providing family support services and programs that strengthen children and families throughout San Francisco and the Greater Bay Area
The impact of this incredible community extends far beyond the Ride. In 2025 alone, Safe & Sound served 11,754 children and caregivers. Over the past 25 years, our work has helped reduce child abuse by 69% and foster care entries by 51% in San Francisco.
We are grateful to our 2026 Russian River Ride sponsors for their generous partnership and commitment to our mission. Their support helps make this extraordinary event possible and ensures that riders can continue to make a meaningful impact for children and families.
Greenberg Traurig
BDO
Mazlo
EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultant
Kean’s Law Firm
Special thank you to Bi-Rite Family of Businesses, Sports Basement, Starbucks, and Trader Joe’s for their in-kind contributions towards our 2026 Russian River Ride! Their valuable support and commitment fuels the work of our riders and strengthens our mission to end child abuse, neglect, and trauma.
As we celebrate 15 years of the Russian River Ride, there are several ways to be part of it: Support a Rider/Become a sponsor/Donate. Together, we ride for safe kids, strong families, and sound communities.
This year’s budget season asked a lot of San Francisco. The final FY 26–27 budget answers that challenge with a clear message: the City still believes in prevention, family support, and the everyday work of helping children and families thrive.
Gratitude for Our Partners
Safe & Sound is deeply grateful to the City for continuing to fund both our direct services and our systems-change work. We want to especially thank Mayor Lurie; the Mayor’s Budget Office; Policy Chief Kunal Modi, Assistant Chief Peggy Moriarity, and the rest of the Mayor’s team; the Board of Supervisors and their legislative aides; and the Controller’s Office.
We’re equally grateful to the City departments who partner with us year after year: the Department of Early Childhood (DEC), Department of Public Health (DPH), Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD), Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF), Human Services Agency (HSA), Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH), and Mayor’s Office for Victims and Witness Rights (MOVR).
And to our 45 Family Service Alliance (FSA) member organizations, our fellow coalitions, community partners, family support staff, and the families who show up to do this work with us every day: Thank You!
What the Budget Sustains
For more than 50 years, Safe & Sound has worked to prevent and reduce the impact of childhood abuse, neglect, and trauma. Over the last 25 years, that work has reached more than 250,000 individuals and contributed to major reductions in family child welfare involvement across San Francisco.
None of it happens without the nonprofit grant funding we receive from City departments. This year’s budget continues to fund our work:
Safe & Sound’s Pathways to Prosperity Program
This year’s City budget also sustains Pathways to Prosperity (P2P), Safe and Sound’s program, helping parents build income in ways that fit their families’ lives. Through the Corte y Confección sewing workshop, Spanish-speaking parents learn to produce goods to sell, and graduates receive a sewing machine to keep earning from home. Through Rooted in Beauty, participants learn hair-braiding skills that translate directly into income. Financial stress is one of the heaviest pressures families carry, and losing P2P would have cut off a primary income pathway for mothers and caregivers, raising both economic instability and child welfare risk. Continued funding means families keep building income, stability, and hope.
Beyond Direct Services
Safe & Sound knows that direct services alone can’t prevent childhood trauma or build the conditions families need to thrive citywide. That’s why we also work as a capacity builder, educator, and advocate, partnering with City departments and community organizations to make policies and practices more just, equitable, and responsive, and to build interconnected communities where every family can access the support they need.
What San Francisco Chose to Prioritize
This budget reflects a broader set of choices about what San Francisco values. Across the FSA network, about 95 percent of roughly $3 million in threatened cuts to 15 member organizations were preserved, protecting an estimated 23 staff positions and services for around 2,500 children, youth, and families.
The City also invested in the wider conditions that help families thrive, with new and restored funding for:
The City also increased the cost-of-doing-business adjustment for all nonprofit contracts, a concrete signal of its commitment to nonprofit sustainability.
Our Commitment
Taken together, these choices show a city actively investing in a prevention-focused, family-centered Community Pathway to keeping children safe and families strong. Safe & Sound is honored to be a trusted partner in that work, and we remain committed to using every public and private dollar to help build a San Francisco where all children grow up safe, nurtured, and free from harm.
Family stability is one of the most powerful drivers of positive outcomes across a person’s life. It influences physical and mental health, educational achievement, and future earning potential. It also reduces involvement in costly systems including child welfare and juvenile justice. When families have the support they need to remain stable during times of challenge, children are more likely to thrive and communities are stronger as a result.
Effective case management can be a cornerstone of prevention, helping families access resources early, build stability, and avoid crises before they escalate. However, for too many providers and families our current system of care is confusing and difficult to navigate. Families and providers are left juggling confusing services or falling through the cracks.
Last week, Safe & Sound and the Family Services Alliance hosted Supporting Families Through the Maze: Connecting SF Families to the Case Management They Need, a webinar focused on helping providers better understand San Francisco’s case management landscape.
Download the toolkit Supporting Families Through the Maze: A Guide for Frontline Providers Connecting Families to the Case Management They Need
The webinar and toolkit are part of a larger conversation about how we build a system that works better for families and those who serve them.
Frontline workers need practical tools, clear referral pathways, and stronger relationships across sectors. Systems leaders need opportunities to align programs, clarify roles, and create shared approaches that put families at the center.
There is still much work ahead, but we are encouraged by the strong participation and engagement from over 100 providers, healthcare partners, government agencies, funders, and community organizations who joined the conversation.
Together, we can build a system where families spend less time navigating services and more time receiving the support they need to achieve stability, well-being, and long-term success.
A new learning brief from the LA County Office of Education shows how a combination of legislation, local will, and community infrastructure can keep families safe, connected, and supported while ensuring child welfare resources serve the children who need them most.
The LA County Office of Education (LACOE) and the Mandated Supporting Initiative (MSI) have done that rare thing: they’ve quickly turned legislation into action. The brief they released, Educators Lead the Way in Mandated Reporting Reform, is a template for how counties across California can embed the intent of AB 2085 into schools to reduce unnecessary child welfare reports by connecting families to the tangible supports they need before a crisis ever begins.
The Data Has Always Told This Story
California’s child welfare system receives nearly 400,000 reports every year. Yet only 1 in 9 children with an allegation of abuse and/or neglect, just over 10%, is substantiated [1]. Almost half of children with an allegation of maltreatment are related to general neglect, a catch-all category that too often brings children and families into Child Protective Services (CPS) for a lack of resources, not for true maltreatment. General neglect allegations are unsubstantiated nearly 80% of the time.
The data further shows that Education accounts for the most reports of maltreatment with nearly 25% of all allegations. Yet across California, those reports are only substantiated 4% of the time. The data is similar In LA County where Education accounts for 24% of all CPS reports, yet only 8% are substantiated.
Four years ago, Safe & Sound helped sound the alarm. In partnership with the Office of Child Abuse Prevention, we released an issue brief shining a light on the over-reporting of neglect and its disproportionate toll on Black and Native families. The momentum it helped build, paved the way for AB 2085. This is not a call to abolish CPS, but rather to examine current policies and practices to increase the precision of reporting with the central objective to ensure families can thrive.
What the Law Changed — and What It Didn’t
AB 2085, signed in 2022 and effective January 2023, revised California’s definition of general neglect to explicitly exclude economic hardship, and requires a substantial risk of serious physical harm before a CPS report is warranted. Most significantly, it gave educators a legal third option: find support for a family rather than report to CPS when a child’s safety is not in question.
AB 2085 is not a minor technical amendment. It is a legally mandated opportunity to pause, examine a situation, and determine whether a family can be better supported outside of contact with CPS.
Reform Only Works If the Ecosystem Exists
This reform is not about changing what happens inside the child welfare system. It is about building a prevention ecosystem outside of it.
Educators are perfectly positioned to be one piece of that connective tissue. They see families early, notice instability before it becomes a crisis, and have relationships that make hard conversations possible. For years, they had nowhere to turn except the hotline, not because they wanted to report families, but because they had no alternative. AB 2085 changes that, backed by new training, decision-support tools, and an evolving in-school support structure with community linkages. The goal is simple but powerful: connect families to support before a crisis emerges. That is prevention in the truest sense.
Los Angeles Is Leading the Way
In May 2023, the LA County Board of Supervisors unanimously formalized the Mandated Supporting Initiative, producing the state’s first AB 2085-aligned training, a decision-support tool, and a Family Resource Finder. In October 2024, LACOE and MSI convened an Education Summit with more than 130 district leaders from across the county and began rolling out AB 2085 training with educators.
Fast forward to 2026, and LACOE conducted listening sessions with four local education agencies that were early adopters of the AB 2085 training—Inglewood Unified, Lynwood Unified, Lawndale Elementary, and Vaughn Next Century Learning Center. The conversations revealed a clear three-stage framework.
Changing practice requires scenario-based training and clear consultation pathways. Educators need to know who to call before they reach for the hotline.
Shifting systems demands leadership commitment, as well as tangible resources like food, housing, and mental health services that make “support don’t report” a real option.
Sustaining change means embedding training in Human Resource systems, aligning board policy with the law, and securing stable, dedicated funding.
Early results are promising: educator confidence in supporting families increased nearly 30% after training, and 95% of live training participants can correctly define general neglect. But only 1.8% of LA County education staff have been trained so far. The infrastructure is proven. Scale is the next goal.
This is What Child Safety Actually Looks Like
Critics sometimes ask whether reducing reports puts children at risk. This reform takes that question seriously and answers it directly. A caseworker investigating a family whose only issue is unpaid rent is a caseworker not investigating a child in genuine danger. When trained mandated reporters, proven decision-making tools, and community resources can come together to support families navigating everyday hardship, child welfare can focus precisely on the children who truly need protection. That is not a threat to child safety. It is a more effective version of it.
What We Believe
Prevention works. Community-based support builds the conditions for families to thrive and offers a pathway to help when those conditions break down. AB 2085 shows that legislation can set the framework, but it takes real resources, real relationships, and real pathways to make supporting families before a crisis a reality. Los Angeles County is showing what that looks like, and sharing a roadmap for other counties to join the reform.
At Safe & Sound, we recognize the urgency of strengthening the systems that families depend on. Through our new Community Pathway Initiative, we are working alongside trusted community partners to ensure the intent of AB 2085, that poverty is not treated as neglect, means families are connected to a network of organizations and a workforce equipped with the knowledge, skills, and infrastructure to truly show up for them. Join us in building a community where no family has to navigate their hardest moments alone. Learn how you can get involved here.
[1]California Child Welfare Indicators Project (CCWIP), CDSS/UC Berkeley. https://ccwip.berkeley.edu/
She went to the hospital for help. Her family was separated instead.
A mother in our community shared a moment she still carries with her. Her twin sons were not yet two years old when she noticed something was wrong. One child had a limp arm after being in daycare. Like any parent, she rushed her son to the hospital seeking answers, care, and help.
But what should have been a moment of support became something very different. Her son had a broken arm and fractures in both legs. Instead of receiving guidance and support, she was met with suspicion. Instead of being seen as a parent in crisis, she was treated as a subject of investigation.
“That moment should have been the beginning of help,” she said. “Instead, it became the beginning of separation. I walked into the hospital asking for help and I left without my children.”
In the days that followed, fear and confusion took over. The system she turned to for help became one she had to navigate alone. What she needed at that moment was simple, but critical—someone to stand beside her, explain what was happening, and help her care for her child as everything unfolded. A place where asking for help would not lead to fear.
This is what the Community Pathway makes possible.
Through Safe & Sound’s Community Pathway Initiative, families are connected to support before challenges escalate into crisis. Instead of being left to navigate complex systems alone, families are met through trusted community connections such as Family Resource Centers, schools, healthcare providers, and local organizations.
Together, they identify needs early, co-create support plans with families, connect to trauma-informed services, and address root causes like housing instability, stress, and poverty—reducing unnecessary involvement with child welfare and the justice system by supporting them when they need it most.
What this mother needed is exactly what you can help provide today.
With the Community Pathway in place, her story could have been very different—met with coordinated care instead of confusion, supported by a trusted advocate instead of isolation, and guided through a frightening experience with dignity and care. She would not have had to face it alone.
But too many families still do.
For more than 50 years, Safe & Sound has worked to prevent child abuse and strengthen families. Each year, we support thousands of children, parents, and caregivers. But too often families only receive help after a crisis has already begun.
The Community Pathway is changing that by building a coordinated, community-based system of care where support—not surveillance—is the first response.
Will you help make this possible today?
Your gift will:
Strong Families. Strong Futures.
When we care together, families don’t have to face their hardest moments alone. They can get support early, stay connected and can thrive.
Your gift will help us build a Community Pathway where every family is met with care, before the crisis ever begins. Donate today and be a lifeline for families in need. Together, we can build a safer, stronger community for every child.
We are thrilled to announce the publication of the Children, Youth & Family Summit report, which shares the findings from Children, Youth & Family Summit: Aligning for Thriving Communities, held on November 7, 2025, at UC Law San Francisco. Co-hosted by Family Service Alliance and Prosperity Initiative and funded by Safe & Sound and the Crankstart Foundation, the Summit brought together nearly 350 nonprofit leaders, Mayor Daniel Lurie, Board of Supervisor Members, City departments, philanthropy partners, and community members for a first-of-its-kind convening centered on honest, solution-driven conversations about what it takes to better support children, youth, families, and the nonprofit workforce that serves them.
The report reflects four key themes and shared solutions that emerged from the day’s conversations:
We encourage you to read the full report and share it with your networks. We are planning to host the Summit again in November 2026 and would love to have you involved. Please reach out to fsainfo@safeandsound.org if you are interested in participating!
Friday, October 16th
6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Fairmont Hotel
950 Mason Street, San Francisco
Cocktail Reception, Seated Dinner and Dancing!
Cocktail Attire
Join us as we celebrate our achievements and impact with our community of supporters!
Please join us to celebrate and fundraise for the families we serve at Safe & Sound! For more than 52 years, we have been at the forefront of providing programs that keep children safe and families strong. Support our mission at our 29th Annual Blue Ribbon Celebration and help us build brighter futures for our families and community!
Starting as the San Francisco Child Abuse Center in 1973, and now a statewide leader on prevention and family wellness, we are proud of the work we have done for and with children and families. Let’s shape the next 50 years of safe children and strong families together!
The Blue Ribbon name and symbol are used to show support of child abuse prevention. When the Blue Ribbon Celebration started 29 years ago, Safe & Sound chose the name as a way to honor the vision of a future free from child abuse and neglect.
We are grateful to our generous 2026 sponsors for their support in helping create a safe and strong future for children and families.
Anonymous
Anonymous
Topher & Sloane Conway
The Polk Wealth Management Group
at Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management
Anonymous
P. Wayne Osborne & Gregory R. Price
Bedford Insurance Brokerage, Inc.
Greer Odom Charitable Fund
Ron Conway
Adobe Employee Giving Program
Katie Albright & Jake Schatz
Tracy Chen & Tom Schoenherr
Julie & Greg Flynn
Mary & Brent Gullixson
Jillian Manus & Rob Chesnut
JaMel & Tom Perkins
Gil & Danielle Simon
SSL Law Firm LLP
Sarah & David Whitelaw
Tina & Joe Bou-Saba
Dr. Jennifer Brokaw & Dr. Allen Fry
Rachel J. Castillo
Becca Chappell
Patricia Duffy & Les Sherman
Faraz Ezazi
Golden State Warriors and Golden State Valkyries
JP Morgan
Kaiser Permanente
Katie Knepley
Farah & Victor Makras
Hilary & Jamie Mendola
Liz Moress & Carolyn Otis Catanzaro
Northern Trust
Karen Parker & Joe Fusco
Polsinelli LLP
James Ward & Laura Harrison Ward
Wells Fargo Advisors
If you are interested in joining the event host committee, please email alvaro.gonzalez@safeandsound.org.
Tracy Chen
Sloane Conway
Topher Conway
David Guiffrida
Katie Knepley
Farah Makras
Anna Moy
Alkey Pandya
Adam Swig
Sarah Whitelaw
Safe & Sound is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. A Blue Ribbon Celebration Ticket is valued at $195.
Federal Tax ID number: 94-2455072
Read our Donor Privacy Policy.
Safe & Sound is delighted to welcome Kula Koenig as our new Chief Policy Officer. Kula brings more than a decade of experience advancing policies that support children, families, and community wellbeing. At a time when families are facing increasing pressure from cuts to essential social services, her leadership comes at a critical moment for our work. Kula is excited to help advance Safe & Sound’s mission to strengthen families and prevent child abuse through thoughtful policy and systems change.
Most recently, Kula served as Chief Program Officer at Public Health Advocates, where she led Defend California, a statewide public health movement, and All Children Thrive, supporting youth across more than 30 cities to pass trauma-informed policies that promote children’s mental health. She is also the founder of the Social Justice PolitiCorps, a Sacramento-based nonprofit that builds civic participation and leadership in communities most impacted by structural inequities.
Kula’s previous roles include Senior Director at the United Way California Capital Region, District Director for a California legislator, and Government Relations Director at the American Heart Association, where she helped advance policies on safe drinking water, childhood nutrition, and tobacco reduction. She has also served as President of the Sacramento chapter of Black Women Organized for Political Action (BWOPA).
A survivor of the Liberian civil war and a former refugee, Kula grounds her leadership in the belief that policy, prevention, and civic engagement must be inclusive, accessible, and healing. She is honored to join Safe & Sound and looks forward to advancing policies that strengthen families and communities across California.
As summer brings longer days and brighter skies, many families are also preparing for the return to school—a season full of excitement, but also real challenges, especially for those navigating economic hardship. For families balancing tight budgets, the added cost of school supplies can become one more strain.
At Safe & Sound, we believe every child deserves to start the school year with the tools they need to thrive. There’s still time to make a difference—join us in our Back-to-School Drive to help 250 children start the year strong and ready to learn.
Families who partner with Safe & Sound are working hard to build stability and create brighter futures. Nearly all are low-income, and many are managing additional challenges, such as housing insecurity or healing from past trauma. A backpack filled with new school supplies may seem small—but for a child, it can be a powerful source of pride, motivation, and joy.
Safe & Sound supports 900–1,000 families annually with wraparound services that address the root causes of child abuse and neglect. Providing concrete supports—like school supplies—not only relieves financial stress for parents but increases resilience, and helps families focus on what matters most: their children’s success.
A backpack is more than a school item for kids—it symbolizes belonging, confidence, and possibility. Imagine the joy in a child’s eyes as they walk into school with a brand-new backpack, filled with everything they need to learn, grow, and connect with friends. It’s a fresh start, free from worrying about showing up unprepared or left behind.
Our Back-to-School Drive ensures that each child receives a backpack filled with essential supplies—from notebooks to pencils, and everything in between. Your support helps create a strong start to the academic year, especially for families navigating financial hardships.
This year, Safe & Sound aims to support 250 children with fully stocked backpacks, and we can’t do it without you.
You can help in three easy ways:
Every gift—no matter the size—makes a direct and meaningful impact.
Together, we can ensure that more children enter the school year feeling ready, excited, and supported—and that their parents feel just a little more hopeful about the future. Thank you for being a part of our mission to prevent child abuse, neglect, and trauma, and to create a future where all children are safe, supported, and loved.
Let’s fill 250 backpacks—and 250 hearts—with joy and possibility.
When I first came to Safe & Sound, I felt overwhelmed as the sole provider for my family, caring for three children and my wife, who requires extra support. Safe & Sound provided me with the support I needed while my kids participated in fun activities in their playroom. I enrolled in the Integrated Family Services and, with the support of my care coordinator, set goals for my family. Safe & Sound provided parenting classes and helped me focus on individual therapy, giving me the tools to make my family stronger and become an active father. After two years, we were in a much happier place when we finished the program.
However, financial stress made it hard to focus on anything else. As the sole provider for my family, the pressure was on my shoulders to leave the job I had always done in search of something that provided more financial stability. Safe & Sound welcomed me a second time when I sought their help with job searches, resume building, and submitting applications. They gave me the confidence to pursue a training program that could change my career, and during the process, they helped us meet our basic household needs for my family.
“Without Safe & Sound assistance, I wouldn’t have been able to seize this opportunity for a better future.”
I’m thrilled to share that today, I work full-time as a school bus driver and earn enough to support my family! My son graduates high school in the next two years, and I’m excited that the Safe & Sound team is already thinking about how to help him achieve his educational goals. I know that with their support and mine he will go on to achieve great things.
Thanks to your generous support, Safe & Sound has been able to provide vital services to families like mine. In 2023, more than 16,000 children and caregivers were served through Safe & Sound programs and supportive services.
Today, I want to ask you to spread holiday joy by making a contribution to Safe & SoundYour kindness gives us the assurance that Safe & Sound will be there to lend a helping hand when we are facing life’s biggest challenges, empowering us to dream and work towards a better future.
Safe & Sound has been a reliable place for parenting support, but it also felt safe, caring, and compassionate, which helped strengthen my family during tough times. Every family that walks through the doors has their own struggles, but it’s possible to turn things around. Safe & Sound creates a unique connection with each family and being participant-centered and participant-led allows families to access the services that will best support them. Whether it’s immediate assistance to help meet basic food and household needs, help with parenting skills, a caring voice at the other end of their 24/7 parental stress call-in line, or individuals to share your challenges and hopes with either one-on-one or with a group of other parents, Safe & Sound knows how to help families thrive.
Your gift as a Safe & Sound community member wraps all of this support around every family that comes to Safe & Sound with hope of a better future for themselves and their children. I know this incredible resource for families is possible because of the contributions made by people like you and, for this, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart, for partnering with Safe & Sound mission to prevent and reduce the impact of childhood abuse, neglect and trauma.
Happy Holidays,
Ramon E. Rivera
Parent & a Client of Safe & Sound