It has been more than a decade since Rose Davis lost her son to gun violence, but she still feels the impact.

While the absence of her son, Timothy E. Williams, continues to hurt, she found joy in watching his children grow up and hopes they have long and fruitful lives.

Ms. Davis shared her journey in sorrow and faith on Dec. 9 with others who have lost family members to homicide during the Richmond Coalition Against Violence’s 31st Annual Holiday Memorial program.

“It has been a long 16 years, but I still can say I’ve been blessed,” Ms. Davis said. “I know it’s hard. It’s a journey we did not ask for. Just take one second at a time.”

Ms. Davis was one of many survivors speaking at the memorial, which was held virtually again like last year because of the pandemic.

The coalition was founded by Linda S. Jordan following her son’s murder in 1990.

This year’s memorial comes at a time of heightened gun violence in Richmond, resulting in deaths and injuries impacting scores of families. An estimated 50 to 60 people were a part of the virtual event.

“People are beginning to be more active because we are bringing awareness of what happens to the surviving family members,” said Gilbert Wilkerson, the coalition’s president. “Our new website lets people know we are there for them. They see an organization they can identify with and get healing and support in the grieving process.”

In previous years, the memorial featured guest speakers. But organizers decided the families should speak this year about the loved ones they lost. More than 50 people signed up to share their story. And while not all of them were able to speak, the two-hour event allowed people to connect— area residents, recent transplants and people who live entire continents away — on common threads like the after effects of the death on their lives to frustration with not obtaining any justice for the loss.

“He was a loving, kind person,” Faye Moton said about her grandson, Michael Gregory, who was killed in October. “And he was loved by all. We miss him dearly,” she said.

Those who spoke stressed the importance of events like the memorial to ease the grieving and to allow them to find kindred spirits in a time of sadness.

“This is a pretty serious time to remember our lost ones,” said Eva Haff, a child psychologist who joined in from Indonesia. As in previous years, the names of those lost to violence will be added in the form of a red ribbon to “The River of Tears” sculpture that stands in the lobby of Richmond’s City Hall in Downtown.

The coalition is working to obtain nonprofit status, while it helps to implement crime prevention programs in the city, Mr. Wilkerson said.

“We all share the same pain,” Ms. Jordan said. “Keep the faith, keep the hope.”