Walking vigil at Lions Park shines light on domestic violence
Civic leaders and about two dozen community members reflected on the stories of domestic violence survivors as they followed a lavender-lit path at Lions Park in Costa Mesa Wednesday evening during the Shine the Light walking vigil.
To kick off the event, Mayor John Stephens, Councilwoman Arlis Reynolds and Police Chief Ron Lawrence issued a proclamation marking October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month alongside Maricela Rios-Faust, chief executive officer of Human Options. The nonprofit began hosting the vigil in 2022 and provides financial and legal aid, access to shelter and other forms of support to people who have endured domestic violence.
They joined attendees bearing purple LED candles as they meditated on experiences shared by relationship violence survivors. Their stories were posted on boards arranged on a path surrounding the lawn in front of the Donald Dungan Library. A soft lavender glow from paper luminaries lit the way before them.
“That’s the most important thing we could do tonight, is shine the light on an issue that really does thrive in silence,” Rios-Faust said. “And although many know that it’s not OK to harm, it continues to happen. Because what we need to do is make sure that people have access to resources.”
One of the accounts came from a therapist who struggled to understand how she wound up in an abusive relationship despite her education. Several survivors shared how the violence targeting them went on to emotionally scar the children who had to witness it.
Survivors also explained how their lives changed for the better after getting in touch with people who could help them. That’s why speakers at Wednesday’s vigil urged attendees to watch out for signs of abuse among the people around them and asked them to be ready to guide survivors to resources available from police, Human Options or other support organizations.
“It’s an issue that has affected my family,” Stephens said, “and I am so grateful that my parents who were as children victims of violence and abuse broke that cycle when it came to my family. That’s hard to do. That’s really hard to do. What you see is generational violence.”
Stephens cited statistics revealing that domestic violence appears to be more prevalent in California than in the rest of the U.S. He said 43% of women and 42% of men in the state have experienced some form of physical harm from an intimate partner. The mayor added that abuse in the household is the third leading cause of homelessness among families across the country.
Chief Lawrence said domestic violence’s reach is not restricted by wealth or social standing. The victims his officers encounter come from all walks of life, he said. And regardless of their backgrounds, many of the same issues keep them from speaking out: concerns over the shelter and well-being of their children as well as fear of judgment from anyone who might find out about their situation.
“Today as you walk around, you’ll see the stories of many victims who have been part of our program and part of our city who found a way to get to our doors and get the support they needed,” Rios-Faust said. “They did that because one person came forward. One person took that step to make it safe for them. Each of you here can be that one person.”
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