Domestic violence awareness vigil held in Tallahassee

October 17, 2017

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) -- The Refuge House of Tallahassee held its annual candlelight vigil and "speak-out", raising awareness and honoring domestic violence survivors.

The event included skits to show what to do in a situation involving violence and invited survivors to share their stories.

"The reason we put on this event every year is to really create a safe space for survivors to tell what can be some pretty grizzly stories," said Refuge House Director Meg Baldwin.

The Refuge House provides services for domestic violence and sexual assault victims in the Big Bend, and aims to eliminate violence through education and advocacy.

"You're falling, you've had this happen to you, it's traumatic, your mind is everywhere. So I would describe Refuge House as a safety net," said survivor Lauri Hunter.

Jennifer Battles, who lost her daughter Jovana Glover to

was the keynote speaker.

The speak-out ended with a candlelight vigil, honoring those who lost their lives to domestic violence in the past year.