By sharing your crash story on the map, you are creating a collective portrait of preventable loss that is difficult to ignore. Sharing stories is among the most compelling ways we can focus attention on this crisis. The more stories we share, the more the map will reflect the true crisis on our roadways. Join the virtual weekly Story Writing Support Circle for a little guidance and camaraderie as you write.

Register here

Holidays can be stressful and exhausting even in the best of times. After the sudden loss of a loved one, holidays can be the time when we miss our loved ones most. This is also the time when we most need support from others who understand. Community members share strategies for remembering loved ones during holidays, creating new traditions, and finding solace at a difficult time. Please join us at 7pm ET/4pm PT.  
RSVP to receive the Zoom link

The space to process grief, remember loved ones, and understand the repercussions of one’s individual loss is essential. Yet grief can be isolating, and even close friends and family may not be able to understand all you are experiencing.

FSS founding member and Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Dana Lerner shares her expertise and experience as a bereaved parent in a new support group geared for those who have lost a child to traffic violence.  Dana works with individuals, couples, and families, and focuses on issues including bereavement, PTSD, anxiety, and depression. She has written about our culture’s harmful tendency to pathologize grief and disregard the realities and needs of those who suffer from profound loss.

This group is a safe and welcoming place for community members who have lost a child in traffic violence. A monthly facilitated conversation will enable participants to tell their stories, connect with others and share perspectives unique to the loss of one’s child.

* This group will meet twice a month for a limited time. Participants are asked to join each session. Dates include:

April 17, May 1, May 15, May 29, June 26, July 10

Register here.

This weekly space is for anyone who wants a little guidance, or simply a little company as they write their or their loved one's story to share on the map.

The new FSS National Story Map is a forum where our community can honor loved ones or their own crashes, and show decision makers the true human cost of traffic violence, beyond the numbers and statistics. We hope you’ll share your story.

Register to receive the Zoom link.

Anniversaries and birthdays can be very challenging. These are times to be comforted by peers who have been through similar loss and heartbreak.

Join this ongoing gathering in the month of your or your loved one’s anniversary and/or birthday to share stories, traditions, to comfort others and receive comfort.

This gathering will be facilitated by FSS support staff and open to anyone who has a crash anniversary or birthday in the given month.

Register here to receive Zoom link.

Gather with peers who have been affected by injury crashes. We will talk about challenges, resources practices that you have found helpful, and listen to your ideas for future Survivors gatherings.

Please join us at 7pm ET/4pm PT. RSVP to receive the Zoom link.

Anniversaries and birthdays can be very challenging. These are times to be comforted by peers who have been through similar loss and heartbreak.

Join this ongoing gathering in the month of your or your loved one’s anniversary and/or birthday to share stories, traditions, to comfort others and receive comfort.

This gathering will be facilitated by FSS support staff and open to anyone who has a crash anniversary or birthday in the given month.

Register here to receive Zoom link.

Poetry has a unique ability to unlock and express emotions - providing imagery and words to help us understand our own feelings around pain and loss, and share this with others. Join community members to connect, reflect, and support each other using poetry as our medium. We will create a bibliography of favorite poems, lyrics, and more. 

RSVP here.

Anniversaries and birthdays can be very challenging. These are times to be comforted by peers who have been through similar loss and heartbreak.

Join this ongoing gathering in the month of your or your loved one’s anniversary and/or birthday to share stories, traditions, to comfort others and receive comfort.

This gathering will be facilitated by FSS support staff and open to anyone who has a crash anniversary or birthday in the given month.

Register here to receive Zoom link.

Book Club #2: February 20th, 4 pm PST, 7 pm EST

Three meetings: February 12th, 20th, and 26th

We all enjoyed the first book club so much hat we are hosting a second one with our fearless facilitator and literary guide, FSS member Rebecca Sonkin - a writing professor and author, whose work can be seen in the Washington Post, LA Review of Books, and more. We will be reading Men We Reaped, a memoir by Jesmyn Ward, called “one of the best books of the century” by New York Magazine. The book addresses traffic violence, untimely loss, societal failure, and the role of strong community and family.

Before each gathering, Rebecca will share reading assignments and prompts to help us think through the book. If you haven't completed the reading we encourage you to attend anyway. (Fine to listen to the book on audio too of course.)

Register here for meeting #2 on February 20th

Register here for meeting #3 on February 26th

Crash anniversaries and birthdays can be very challenging. These are times to be comforted by peers who have been through similar loss and heartbreak. Join this ongoing gathering in the month of your or your loved one’s anniversary and/or birthday to share stories, traditions, to comfort others and receive comfort.

The January 31 event is for people with anniversaries in January.

We will meet at 7 pm EST and 4 pm PST monthly. This gathering will be facilitated by FSS support staff and open to anyone who has a crash anniversary or birthday in the given month.

Register here to receive the Zoom link.

FSS Peer Mentoring provides bereaved family members, those seriously injured, and their caregivers, with a connection to a volunteer peer support mentor. FSS mentors are all individuals who have been through similar experiences and are dedicated to helping others survive these life-altering tragedies. If you are interested in becoming a peer mentor - or just want to learn more about this process

Please join us on Thursday, January 25th, 6:30 EST | 3:30 pm PST

Register here. We will send a confirmation email with information about the training.

We know that the company of animals makes us feel good. Extensive research proves it. Pets have the ability to relieve stress and anxiety, lower blood pressure, and boost our mood. We’ll share conversation, visits from pets who want to be on camera, and resources for pet therapy. Join us at 7pm ET/4pm PT. RSVP here to receive the Zoom link.

For those grieving loved ones or the loss that accompanies life-changing injury, the holidays can be profoundly painful to navigate. The support of those who have experienced similar loss is especially important during these times.

Join a facilitated conversation with peers to share your holiday challenges, rituals to remember loved ones, and strategies to care for yourself during this season.

Join us at 7pm ET/4pm PT.

Register here to receive the Zoom link.

If you have lost a loved one or been injured in a crash, join us on Thursday, December 7 at 7:00pm ET/4pm PT for a virtual sound bath meditation.

A sound bath or sound healing is an ancient tradition using instruments with deep, resonating vibrations, like Tibetan singing bowls, bells, chimes, and gongs to help release tension and ease symptoms of stress, fatigue, and depression. This practice can help bring us relaxation while also helping beginners to experience and learn about meditation. As always, we will also have space for members to connect, share, and support each other, especially as this will be several weeks before the holidays and the end of the year.

We will be guided by sound healer and percussionist Samer Ghadry, who has led numerous sound baths for our group over the years. Samer blends Eastern and Western cultural and musical approaches with various energetic healing modalities. 

RSVP here to receive the Zoom link.

FSS Peer Mentoring provides bereaved family members, those seriously injured, and their caregivers, with a connection to a volunteer peer support mentor. FSS mentors are all individuals who have been through similar experiences and are dedicated to helping others survive these life-altering tragedies. If you are interested in becoming a peer mentor - or just want to learn more about this process

Please join us on Thursday, November 9th, 6:30 pm EST | 3:30 pm PST

Register here. We will send a confirmation email with information about the training.

The ancient tradition of Haiku poetry or "play verse" focuses on themes including the temporality of life, ephemerality of nature and the seasons.  These are very short poems that nonetheless pack a punch. Together we will discuss and explore the power of this type of poetry writing, and create our own poems. ALL WRITING ABILITIES WELCOME! 

RSVP here

During this meeting, we will come together to share our experiences, connect with one another, and build a strong FSS support group in Spanish. By joining this gathering, you'll have the opportunity to meet fellow members who share a similar language and cultural background. Together, we can build a strong and supportive FSS Spanish-speaking community. We will send you the Zoom meeting link closer to the date. If you know any other members who might benefit from this group, please feel free to pass along this invitation or to email ana@familiesforsafestreets.org

FSS Peer Mentoring provides bereaved family members, those seriously injured, and their caregivers, with a connection to a volunteer peer support mentor. FSS mentors are all individuals who have been through similar experiences and are dedicated to helping others survive these life-altering tragedies. If you are interested in becoming a peer mentor - or just want to learn more about this process

Please join us on Thursday, July 20th, 6:30-8:30 pm EST | 3:30-5:30 pm PST

Register here. We will send a confirmation email with information about the training.

Traumatic injury can alter the body we’ve always known, and challenge the way we see ourselves. This workshop will support those recovering from injury and share tools for cultivating a healthy body image. Register here to receive the Zoom link.

Guided, detailed, writing can help us process what we’ve been through and envision a path forward. Journaling has even been found to lower blood pressure, ease anxiety, and improve sleep. Join FSS peers around the country for a facilitated workshop to help you start or maintain a journal writing practice. ALL WRITING ABILITIES WELCOME!!

Please RSVP here to get the Zoom link