LOVE “Love is more than a noun - it is a verb; it is more than a feeling - it is caring, sharing, helping, sacrificing.” ~WAW
Transforming society’s response to homicide while cultivating cycles of peace...
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SOS: An August Tale...
It Has Been Quite A Summer... of Triumphs and Trials
Inside: A little look at the work of SOS, who is supporting each other and survivors impacted by murder, trauma, grief and loss.
Since summer kicked off on June 21st, 2026, the SOS Team has been busy - dedicated to supporting one survivor after another who were faced with tragedy after homicide. From the start of summer in June, till the end of August 2026, SOS supported fifteen new survivor families after murder. We pray for the community who has been forced to pick up the pieces by leaning into the seven Principles of Peace as we navigate the work: Love, Unity, Faith, Hope, Justice, Courage and Forgiveness.
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Kyanna Lungelow Coordinator SOS welcomed Kyanna in September 2025. Soon after Kyanna would approach her supervisor to discuss this idea of her completing her college internship alongside her current duties as part of SOS here at the LDBPI hoping that in doing so, she can impact positive change in the healing sector of her role and continue providing effective survivor outreach services to all impacted by community violence. With the help of Alethea Pratt, Amy Piepiora and Ms. Stefany K. Boston’s, KYANNA WILL BE INTERNING AT THE LDBPI for the next year! Keeping the momentum going ... in August 2026, as part of her interning duties, Kyanna is excited to rollout a secondary Healing & Recovery space, appropriately called “Healing & Recovery TOO”! In this virtual space survivors will be offered intentional dialogue prompts and journaling assignments to support their path to healing and recovery after murder, trauma, grief and loss! Kyanna is eager to remind survivors that they have the internal tools to enact their own successful healing journeys! Let’s CELEBRATE KYANNA’S INTERNSHIP, Healing & Recovery TOO AND HER FIRST YEAR WORK’VERSARY!
In August, before leaving for a well-deserved twoweek vacation, Evandissa enjoyed working with all staff - leading in teaching some important Kriolu one-liners that may support the Cape Verdean community of walk-ins! And, while survivor work can bring its fair share of complex challenges every day for Evandissa, navigating these moments together only makes our work stronger! Disjointed communication, however, oftentimes makes the work more difficult. But, it’s never a dull moment with Evandissa! She had the absolute pleasure of being a part of the PEACE PLAYERS, led by Milton Jones, bringing fantastic live entertainment to all at the 11th annual Peace B’Que! Let’s see what Evandissa does in September!
Evandissa Cabral Coordinator 1
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Healing Support Services in August HSS, as part of SOS, offers ongoing healing support to survivors impacted by murder, trauma, grief and loss, with spaces that are safe, nonjudgmental and available to all, regardless of the circumstances.
MON AUG
Healing & Recovery
A nonjudgemental space that meets virtually on Mondays from 5:30PM-7PM. It is designed to bring together survivors impacted by murder, trauma, grief, and loss, providing an opportunity to be among others who understand and ensuring no one has to go through this alone. All are welcomed at any stage of their healing journey.
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Peaceful HEARTs
An annual event with Good Shepherd Community Care’s HEARTplay program! This workshop creates a space for families who have lost a loved one to heal together and build community. Fun for ALL! **HEARTplay is a heart-centered bereavement program supporting all under the age of 24 & their families who are navigating grief and loss.
Emily Thomas Coordinator Emily spent time each week coordinating healing support services that positively impact all survivors across SOS, and reports no real roadblocks. She loved reviving her Spanish in August to support with post-funeral check-ins on Evandissa’s survivors as Eva vacationed! Emily mentions feelng good being trusted by another of Eva’s survivors who’s been navigating system challenges (MA). Emily enjoyed Peaceful HEARTs in August! How proud she was to see more in attendance as this helped her to flex some of her facilitator and planning muscles. She also noted opportunities to reflect on what’s working & what isn’t. Emily’s feeling gratitude for this growing partnership. And shout-out to Emily for REPRESENTING SOS in the Data + Soul Pod!
Stay tuned for HSS’s Fall Program that welcomes back Michelle Turner Young who will again facilitate DANCE-SWEAT-MEDITATE! Plus, opportunities for HSS involvement as the holidays approach. And HEARTplay returns in November!
We will miss her constant in-office presence as Emily is set to begin her internship soon at the Harvard Immigration Refugee Clinic. But not to worry! You’ll still see her Mon, Wed and Fri!
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Aug 2026 Meredith LaMalva & Jasmine Washington Coordinators
MEREDITH IS CELEBRATED! During a Wellness Check we learn that survivor, JC, is SO THANKFUL to Meredith for her unwavering support with VC follow-ups, medical IT setup, son’s ER bill settled and help getting her son’s EIN to file taxes! Thanks Ms. Portia Williams for elevating the compliment! This acknowledgement comes right on time as Meredith felt that some of her long-time survivors weren’t getting the attention they deserve as violence ticked up affecting the amount of crisis support needed this simmer ... but, she made time for those in need and they felt it. GO MEREDITH!
JASMINE IS HOLDING... In service to a newer survivor (OR), Jasmine could feel how different it was sitting with a father grieving for the first time - he was vocal about his struggles, even shared that he’s already in therapy. It felt good leaving him with a sense of relief knowing she was here for him to help navigate this traumatic time. YES JASMINE! One of the reasons we’re here! And, how amazing a feeling it was when the family returned to place their loved one’s Memorial Button on the LDBPI’s Traveling Memorial and better still - leave Jasmine with a delicious Jamaican Rum Cake - AND SHE ISN’T SHARING!! KUDOS Jasmine!
UNITY
A twig by itself is too weak; It’s twigs in a bundle we seek! By working together, we can defeat any enemy and solve any problem. It’s called “UNITY”! We are all twigs in one bundle. Only by UNITY can we survive... (~PS) 3
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Ms. Stefany K. Boston Director
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Since 2020, Ms. Stefany K. Boston has had the absolute privilege of managing the deeply meaningful work of Survivor Outreach Services ("SOS"). While her title has evolved over the years and the SOS Team has seen Coordinators come and go, the WHY remains unchanged! SOS is wholeheartedly dedicated to the "heart-work" of the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute ("LDBPI") and transforming society's response to homicide while cultivating cycles of peace. This year has been incredibly challenging for our small Boston city. From January 1 through midAugust 2026, our city experienced over 159 shootings, with nearly half of that number occurring during the summer months. Since the start of summer in June, sixteen new survivor families have been referred for support after homicide. Twelve of those heartbreaking homicides were shootings, two were stabbings, one was blunt-force-trauma and the final one was vehicular homicide. Six of these tragic losses happened just this August. Referrals came in to Ms. Stefany from across various neighborhoods in Boston and also from Cambridge.
The SOS Team was honored to step in and directly support every single one of the families who welcomed the help. Together, the SOS Coordinators walked alongside nearly every family assigned - sitting with them, guiding them on next steps using our Burial & Resource Guide, assisting with Victim Compensation applications, supporting with burial payments, providing funeral advocacy, and connecting them with essential resources for healing, housingand more! Even during the LDBPI’s 11th annual Peace B’Que, the reality of these crises was ever-present. As we gathered, we were already holding three new families in our hearts in August, with three more to tragically follow. None of these families could have anticipated that these would be their last days with their loved ones---their last summer, their last 4th of July, their last Juneteenth, their last Cinco de Mayo... As the Peace Players performed, we kept the community in our thoughts and prayed for all the survivors - past & present - who we continue to support year-round. AND THE YEAR ISN’T EVEN DONE YET! But we are so grateful for the opportunity and the trust to step in when our community needs us most. Through it all, we proudly uphold the LDBPI's core belief: that all families impacted by murder deserve to be treated with dignity and compassion, regardless of the circumstances.
SOS Team of Coordinators!
--- IN AUGUST --Rest In Peace Funding: $7,860.00 Live In Peace Funding: $3,079.00 ISSUED: # of Burial & Resource Guides: 9 # of Always in My Heart Workbooks: 7 # of Court Prep Guides: 8 # of Victim Compensation applications: 4
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SPOTLIGHT! Ayla Duros
PT Digital Literacy Navigator Summer Peace Fellow Intern for SOS Ayla’s Why? “Even before this, I was looking into trying to do digital literacy stuff because I thought it would be a good way to learn more and also teach people ... because I like teaching people and I think this is a very important issue.”
ome of you may already S know Ayla Duros from seeing her around as a toddler and at the LDBPI’s FIRST Peace B’Que event! Well SOS was so blessed to welcome her to the Team! She is incredibly bright, well-versed in computer and data literacy, and came to us eager to support survivors. It has been an absolute pleasure watching Ayla jump right into her
summer role with such dedication. Ayla immediately presented fantastic ideas to ensure this summer’s Digital Literacy program would be a success, starting with designing her own flier. She was collaborative and open to feedback from Taylor Lee and Ms. Stefany K. Boston, gracefully taking their notes in stride to make the workshop flier perfect before being shared out with our Networks and the LDBPI’s social media platforms. Speaking of grace, Ayla spent much of her time beautifully supporting the SOS Team administratively, and developing wonderful, user-friendly PowerPoints that will benefit survivors and providers for years to come. Even though the weekto-week Digital Literacy classes couldn't fully launch as hoped due to shifting interest, Ayla didn’t miss a beat. She kept her positive spirit, forged ahead with a smile, and continued developing her useful presentations, including resources! We will miss Ayla as she heads back to Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical High School in Canton, MA this September. But she won’t be lacking in things to do-----Ayla is a talented musician and musical competitor, participating in a marching band, winter percussion ensemble and concert bands!! Perhaps a future ‘Peace Player’? Hmmm... Let’s root for Ayla as she prepares herself for college! Having spent time on multiple college tours already, Ayla is looking forward to applying to attend Boston University to study either Computer Science or Data Science and we have absolutely zero doubt that BU will welcome her enthusiastically! Will she continue her music? Probably... BEST OF LUCK AYLA!!! Thank you for your excellent contribution to the LDBPI and the SOS Team this summer!
Ayla is walking away with:
“Even if I helped just a few people, it’s still important... I’m glad I did this. And I’m happy that I now know everyone at the LDBPI.”
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SOS: Learn More About Our “WHY”
When asked: Why do you do this work? What keeps you showing up everyday? And if you had one wish, what would that be? The SOS Team was not short on thoughtful, heartfelt, community driven responses. Check out what Ms. Stefany and her “SOS Angels” had to say to these questions!
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Emily Thomas Her Why: “I am called to service... always have been. I enjoy doing things that I’m good at. Also, in my own experience with grief, I’ve had the privilege of time. I can’t imagine working somewhere where I’m not able to sit with people who were not granted that privilege, and do something that makes life even just a little bit easier. I’m a big believer in the power of one to make a small difference. This is my being that one.” What Keeps Emily Coming Back: “Because this work humbles me. I don’t think there’s ever a
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day that goes by where I’m like “I was perfect in that” or “that went perfectly”. There’s always something new to learn. I’m always grounded in conversations with survivors where I’m reminded of the fact that, despite the number of cases that come in, each of those cases is still a person. I feel honored to be able to sit with people and hear those stories and learn about their people. So it grounds me and it humbles me and makes me grateful for things. So I’m grateful for that.” Emily’s Wish: “My wish would be, even in this process, I would wish that there weren’t so many constraints. I think it’s wonderful that we have a (MA) Office for Victim Assistance and we have some funds that we’re able to lend to families to help with burial, but even within those processes we have to get creative. I think my wish would be that there were no constraints and a recognition of the fact that when something like this happens, people should be able to get whatever they need without having to get creative, because half of the families that we serve have to get creative about everything in their lives already.”
Evandissa Cabral Her Why: “I always liked helping people. I can’t help but help people. But also, the community does need all the support they can get, especially because a lot of people don’t know about these kinds of resources. There’s also a lot of healing that needs to be done – we have a long way to go. I feel like, me being here … I can be part of the change … be there for people and just try to make a difference in the community. It’s a very tough thing to be around. I’ve seen a lot of loss with a lot of friends, and random strangers, or colleagues from middle school till now. I think it’s very important for me to keep helping others as much as I can, especially the Black & brown community who don’t have that much support to begin with. And death is very hard. And they have to deal with families and everybody else that makes it even worse when they’re going through this… So the more caring people that are around to support the better for our people. So, being able to be there for them just…I don’t know… I just liking helping folks!” What Keeps Evandissa Coming Back: “If not I, who else? I am made to help others and I’m going to continue doing it no matter what, even when I’m feeling defeated. It’s never wavered so I guess I have no choice either.” Evandissa’s Wish: “Stop cutting the funds of these important programs to support the humans that are suffering. It’s very frustrating. It’s pissing me off.” Jasmine Washington Her Why: “I do this work because I understand what it’s like to be on the other side of it, so to be able to make that impact on the provider side – to be able to relate to people who have gone through similar things, it’s my drive. It keeps me coming back.” What Keeps Jasmine Coming Back: “I love to care for people. Again, I know what it’s like to be in crisis, to not know where to go, to not have the direction and needing that extra support from that person who does know where to go. I want to continue to be that person.” Jasmine’s Wish: “My realistic wish … just being able to really be appreciated for what we do and how much of ourselves we have to put aside in order to give 100% of ourselves to the people we are serving on a day-to-day basis. Just to be a little more seen.”
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SOS: Learn More About Our “WHY”
(cont...)
The SOS Team was asked: Why do you do this work? What keeps you showing up everyday? And if you had one wish, what would that be? Here is the thoughtful conclusion to the SOS Team August Newsletter... Does any of this resonate with you?
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Kyanna Lungelow Her Why: “I do this work because my community is really important to me and I feel as though, when I was growing up, if I had more people that are in this work to surround my peers, I wouldn’t have lost a lot of the peers that I grew up with, whether from homicide or jail. I also do this work because it’s needed. The people in our community deserve to be supported in the ways in which we support them.” What Keeps Kyanna Coming Back: “I can’t sing. I can’t dance. And I can’t crunch numbers… This is what I’m good at and this is what feeds my soul, so I’m going to keep coming back to the thing that feeds my soul.” Kyanna’s Wish: “I honestly wish SOS could be more community-based instead of stuck in a building. I would love to do more community-facing work that is wrapped around in what we already currently do. Outside of SHVAM, Peace B’Que and the MDW4P, that is my wish.” Meredith LaMalva Her Why: “I think it’s really special to be a part of someone’s healing journey and be there for them and see them through all the ups and downs of what that looks like. I think community is very central to the healing process and this work is very community-focused. I can’t really imagine doing a job that isn’t so communityfocused and working with people.”
Meredith’s Wish: “I wish funding wasn’t getting cut for exactly what the LDBPI does and is supposed to be doing. I wish it were a little more outwardly recognized that working with survivors is the heart of what we do and should continue to be.” Ms. Stefany K. Boston Her Why: “I do this work because I believe every family deserves to feel safe and supported after homicide. Community violence deepens trauma but also can reveal incredible strength in the survivors left behind to pick up the pieces. I believe violence is a symptom of broken systems, not necessarily broken people.” What Keeps Ms. Stefany Coming Back: “I come back every day because I have seen individuals choose a different path when given real support. The work is heavy, but the moments of healing and the strength of our community keep me moving forward. (Compassion Satisfaction).” Ms. Stefany’s Wishes: “My wish is that every neighborhood receives the steady resources they need to heal themselves, moving us from constant crisis response to lasting safety and well-being. I also wish for access to good jobs, stable housing, and [mental] health care for all survivors of homicide victims as these lifestyle shifts may stop violence before it starts! And I wish for fair pay, and true mental health support for all in this field and other frontline staff. We face heavy daily trauma working within this field, being survivors ourselves ... let’s replace short-term grants with permanent budgets as stable money helps orgs plan for the future and perhaps minimizes constant turnaround. Know that the ability to bring happiness and fulfillment and a little bit of peace to everyone's lives is somewhat of a magic trick that can be draining to us all [in this field] so we all deserve grace, appreciation and the salaries to match to perform those magic tricks.”
COURAGE
Courage doesn’t always roar, sometimes courage is the small voice at the end of the day saying “I will try again tomorrow” ~M.A.R. 7