ICYMI - One Woman’s War Against the Silence after Violence
Inside Tyme to Thrive Beyond Grief, the survivor-led movement fighting for forgotten families
Back in April, we shared the story of Aaliyah Strong, who suffered a horrific gun violence tragedy, but has turned her grief into positive action with her nonprofit, Tyme to Thrive Beyond Grief.
In case you missed it, check out the full story, below.
One Woman’s War Against the Silence after Violence
By : Aaliyah Strong
In 2022, my life split in two.
My fiancé, Ty, was shot and killed while working in a nightclub — doing the job he took to support our family. I was there as the chaos unfolded. I saw the blood, felt the panic, and watched Ty take his final breaths.
That moment shattered me. But it also ignited a fire that couldn’t be put out.
From the wreckage of my grief, I founded Tyme to Thrive Beyond Grief — an Atlanta-based, survivor-led nonprofit dedicated to helping families like mine navigate the impossible aftermath of gun violence. What began as a cry for help quickly evolved into a movement.
In just three years, Tyme to Thrive has served over 617 families across metro Atlanta with wraparound support — providing funeral aid, therapy referrals, housing assistance, youth programs, and community education rooted in healing and justice. The organization has delivered more than $50,000 in direct financial assistance, built partnerships with hospitals, funeral homes, and schools, and launched signature programs like the I Will Thrive Restorative Support Group and Ty’s Promise Community Education Series, reaching thousands across the region.
Cohort 1 of the I Will Thrive: Restorative Support Group Graduation honors the incredible women on their healing journey.
I believe in wraparound care because healing is layered. It’s not just about covering burial costs, it’s about helping a mother navigate probate court, connecting a child with therapy, showing up at the vigil or the courtroom months later when everyone else has moved on. That’s what it really means to walk with someone through grief.
And we don’t do it from a distance. Every program is shaped by lived experience. Every phone call is answered by someone who understands. Every act of service is rooted in compassion, cultural competency, and the kind of support systems I once needed, but couldn’t find.
Thankfully, my work hasn’t gone unnoticed.
In 2022, I was invited to the White House, standing alongside survivors and advocates during President Biden’s historic signing of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Our work has since been featured on CNN, CBS News, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, NewsOne, The Trace, and Yahoo News. Through this, we’ve continued to use our platform to fight for families who are too often left in the shadows.
I didn’t choose this work, grief chose me. But I made a promise to Ty and to every family like ours: you will not be forgotten.
Today, just a few years after tragedy changed everything, I am no longer standing in the wreckage, but building something lasting from it.
Tyme to Thrive now operates with a diverse and growing team of peer advocates, licensed therapists, case managers, and certified life coaches. Our year-round programming provides survivors with not only resources, but community and dignity. And now, with momentum building, the organization is on track to double its impact within the next year. What started as one woman’s fight to survive is now one of Atlanta’s most courageous and rapidly growing survivor-led movements.
Tyme to Thrive unites 50 families at the Rocket Foundation Grantee Summit hosted by Quavo and Vice President Kamala Harris, 2024.
But even with hundreds served and lives changed, there’s still something missing — a permanent home.
Tyme to Thrive is now actively seeking a building, property, or donated space that can become the heart of its healing mission. The vision is clear — a Tyme to Thrive Healing Hub that brings together therapy, legal support, youth mentorship, restorative programming, grief services, and community healing all under one roof.
So here’s the call: If you believe in community healing, in second chances, in rewriting what’s possible after loss, now is the time to act. To support, connect, or help secure space, email aaliyah@tymetothrivebg.org or visit Tyme to Thrive Beyond Grief.
These buildings could be sanctuaries, but right now, they’re just missed opportunities. Let’s build the place grieving families have always needed, together.
Aaliyah Strong is the Founder and Executive Director of Tyme to Thrive Beyond Grief, an Atlanta-based nonprofit supporting families impacted by gun violence.
Subscribe at this link to receive a special 25% off paid subscription. The deal ends June 30th.
All photos courtesy of the author.