October is observed as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the YWCA of Kauai, its community partners, and supporters received a mayoral proclamation on Wednesday, ahead of the traditional annual Candlelight Vigil.
Open to the public, the YWCA of Kauai announces the vigil for Thursday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Lihue.
“This is an 18-Plus event,” said Katie Vanwingerden, the Director of Crisis Services at the YWCA of Kauai. “We will have childcare and refreshments.”
With a theme of “Centering Survivors,” the YWCA of Kauai is offering an opportunity for people to listen to stories from domestic violence survivors. The candle lighting honors victims of domestic violence, not only from Kauai, but all of Hawaii. The YWCA of Kauai, in addition to celebrating October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, is celebrating a Week Without Violence from Oct. 20 to 25.
“This year’s Week Without Violence focuses on Safe Beginnings: Protecting Mothers, Nurturing Futures,” said Cheryl Lum, the YWCA Kauai executive director. “This is an opportunity to support moms and their children as they build hopeful, healthier futures, and to amplify the voices of YWCA program participants, honoring their resilience, and inspiring action.”
The Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, in the Executive Summary of its Annual Report, said domestic violence is a prevalent issue in Hawaii’s communities.
“Eighteen percent of adult residents share that they have experienced physical violence or intimidation from an intimate partner, and 1-in-5 residents, or 20 percent, are survivors of coercive control or isolation,” said the report, “Scars on the Heart: Barriers to Safety for Survivors of Domestic Violence.
The report further says that the COVID-19 pandemic only “exacerbated this issue.” It suggests that thousands across the state are currently experiencing physical, emotional, or financial abuse and require support to access safety.
“Domestic violence affects far too many in our community, crossing age, gender, and background,” said YWCA Kauai Executive Director Cheryl Lum. “At YWCA Kauai, we provide critical services, from crisis support and therapy to shelter and offender treatment programs — helping one person at a time find safety and healing.”
Vanwingerden said during the period from last October through this October, there were 422 hotline calls involving domestic violence on Kauai. Of those, 220 were lethality cases handled with the Kauai Police Department. Of these lethality screens, 136 were identified as High Risk of Serious Injury or Death. She said there were 141 cases where the YWCA Kauai provided benefit services to survivors.
“By standing together, supporting survivors, and speaking out, we can create a Kauai where everyone can live safe, valued, and free from fear,” Lum said.
For more information, visit the YWCA of Kauai website at www.ywcakauai.org.
Source: The Garden Island
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