Thanksgiving is usually a day spent gathered around the table with family.

But for those who have lost a loved one to violence, it's a reminder of who is no longer here.

A table lined with pictures of smiling faces of loved ones lost to violence. Fifteen families, once strangers, are now connected by grief.

Among them is Francisco Belmarez, whose son, Juan, was shot and killed in 2017.

"I'm not alone, I know I got the Lord by my side, but I got all these people here, and I'm very thankful, and I will keep on coming. I hope that, hoping, that things get better," Belmarez said.

Every week, families gather to support each other through their pain and in their pursuit for justice.

"There's a huge difference when a loved one is taken from us like this, compared to when they die from illness or natural causes," Maria Guadalupe Molina said.

Molina lost her father in a drunk driving incident in 2022.

These people are members of the RGV Families and Friends of Murdered Children, a group dedicated to helping families through their grieving process.

It's a group Leticia Cisneros never expected to be a part of. She lost her husband in 2000.

"Twenty-five years ago, I didn't find a support group, they didn't exist for homicide survivors," Cisneros said. "I dealt with my pain the best that I knew how, by myself."

Roberto Garcia is the founder of RGV Families and Friends of Murdered Children. He created it as a way to honor his brother, Rogelio Garcia, who was murdered in 2011.

"The five stages of grief really doesn't pertain to us, because we grieve on, constantly," Garcia said. "So we're going to have a lot of ups and downs."

While time may help them learn to manage their pain, the support from this group ensures they don't have to face the pain alone. 

Watch the video above for the full story.