October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Chez Hope hosted their third annual St. Martin domestic violence awareness event at Parc De Pon Pavilion in Breaux Bridge.
The non-profit organization serves victims of domestic violence in St. Martin, Iberia, St. Mary and Assumption parishes.
The organization provides resources for those dealing with a domestic violence situation such as shelter and protective orders. They also have a 24-hour emergency shelter in Franklin.
Chez Hope Public Relations and Training Advocate Kelli Cantu said the purpose of this event is to educate those on domestic violence- and honor those who have passed.
“We’re gonna have a guest speaker, and we will just educate individuals on what domestic violence is, who it may affect, and how the community can be informed and get involved,” Cantu said. “We’ll also be ending the night with a candlelight vigil to honor those who unfortunately have lost their lives to domestic violence.”
According to the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence in 2022 Louisiana ranked fifth in the nation for the amount of women who are killed by men they know.
“I hope the community can recognize that it can happen to them,” Cantu said. “One in three women, one in four men, and one in ten teens will be affected by domestic violence or dating violence in their lifetime. That’s a large number of people.”
Cantu said 77 pairs of shoes were displayed in honor of the 77 victims who died from domestic violence this year.
Cantu said they will be launching their Adopt-a-Family program for Christmas where those can be sponsors for a family of domestic violence and help with their "wish list." For more information on how to donate click here
