In communities across Chicago, families impacted by gun violence continue to show profound resilience in the face of grief, loss, and ongoing uncertainty.

Survivors carry not only emotional pain, but also the financial and systemic burdens that follow sudden and traumatic loss. And yet, even in the midst of this reality, people continue to ask deeper questions—what does true healing look like, and what would it take to build support systems that are not only responsive, but sustainable, compassionate, and rooted in lived experience?

This report centers the voices of survivors as they reflect on these questions, naming both the strength within their communities and the urgent need for more coordinated, survivor-informed approaches to care and healing.

Click here for the full report.