October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Agencies and communities have joined together to acknowledge the survivors of domestic violence and bring awareness of this serious issue.
Prevail’s annual Day of Remembrance will be held on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 620 N. San Joaquin St., Stockton, and is free to the public. The program will be held from noon to 1 p.m. with speakers to include civic leaders and Prevail – Pioneering Restoration and Elevating Voices of Advocacy, Idealism and Leadership – partners. The silent witness silhouettes will be on display from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Day of Remembrance is an opportunity to honor and remember individuals and families whose lives were lost due to domestic violence. Vigil attendees are encouraged to walk around the courtyard display of the life-sized silent witness silhouettes – each one representing a man, woman, or child who was murdered in an act of domestic violence since 1994. As a somber and reflective vigil, Day of Remembrance is a time to honor those we have lost, and an opportunity to join in efforts to end violence.
According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, within the United States an average of 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner. Prevail – formerly Women’s Center Youth & Family Services – within a 12-month period served 943 victims of domestic violence and assisted in petitioning 554 Temporary Restraining Orders. During that same time Prevail Domestic Violence Shelters housed 408 clients and the crisis lines received a total of 2,608 calls.
As part of its Domestic Violence Awareness campaign, Prevail has invited agencies and leaders from throughout San Joaquin County to display the silent witness silhouettes during the month of October. The life size wooden silhouettes represent individuals in San Joaquin County who lost their lives to domestic violence.
Some of the participating locations include: San Joaquin County Office of Education, Department of Child Support Services, City of Tracy, County Administrative Building, District Attorney’s Office, Tracy Defense Depot, UEI College, Human Services Agency, Collins Electrical, Stanislaus State – Stockton Campus, Family Justice Center, St. Joseph’s Medical Center, Tracy Police Department, United Way, Mexican Consulate in Sacramento, Huddle Cowork and Lodi Police Department.
For more information, visit the website at https://weshallprevail.org.
Prevail is San Joaquin County’s only provider of free, confidential shelter and services specifically designed to meet the needs of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and homeless and runaway youth. During this last year, Prevail provided services to over 5,000 participants through its various programs.
