Victims and survivors of domestic violence from across the state were honored at The Umbrella’s annual candlelight vigil at Kellogg Environmental Center Tuesday.
The one-hour event attended by more than 150 people also recognized nine police officers from local towns for their efforts on domestic abuse related incidents.
The 21-year old The Umbrella program, part of Birmingham Group Health Services, operates a shelter, provides domestic violence advocacy and other support systems for battered and abused individuals and their children.
The program has recently expanded with the acquisition of the New Haven Domestic Violence Program and serves more than 9,000 people in greater New Haven.
Umbrella director Susan Deleon said the program’s clientele are primarily women fleeing from volatile situations.
“The women we shelter are at high risk for being hurt,” she said. “We are here to help.”
The vigil’s keynote speaker Erika Tindill, executive director of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
Tindill called domestic violence a complex social ill that affects everyone. She said the best solution to break the cycle of domestic violence is recognizing the warning signs and education.
“Even if people are not personally affected by domestic violence you will be able to help a family member or a friend if you are educated,” she said.
The Rev. Janet Waggoner of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church of Huntington read the names of 27 victims of domestic violence over the past year, which included men women and children ranging in ages of six months to 85 years old.
“The people here are of every age, every race and every socioeconomic class,” she said. “Sadly, violence touches us all and these are the people who were victims of that violence.
Waggoner said she provides pastoral care to church members and makes referrals to the Umbrella for services.
For more information about domestic violence services in the Valley area, call The Umbrella at (203) 736‑2601, or visit the BGHS website at www.bghealth.org.
For emergency domestic violence services, call the Umbrella 24-hour crisis hotline at (203) 736‑9944.
