The ARK Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Shelter (The ARK) invites the public to take part in this year’s National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Each year, October is set aside to honor the victims who lost their lives to domestic violence, celebrate the progress survivors and advocates have made and connect with the community to help end domestic violence.

Throughout October, The ARK will display the Empty Shoes exhibit at local courthouses, medical facilities and public places in the tri-county area. The display honors local victims in Brown, Coleman and Comanche Counties that have lost their lives to domestic violence. The display is a sobering reminder that domestic violence continues to happen here in the local area. It is a tragedy that each name and pair of shoes represents a mother, sister, friend and child who were taken by violence at the hands of someone they cared about.

In addition to the Empty Shoes exhibit, “silent witnesses” will also be placed at various locations. These life size, red silhouettes display the name and story of each local victim. The “Silent Witness” Initiative is a nationwide project that urges the public to “Remember my story and remember my name”.

The ARK will have their annual candlelight vigil October 18 in the HPU Girling Center at 6 p.m. The candlelight vigil will feature a reading of all the names of Texas victims’ that lost their lives in 2017 as well as remembering the twelve victims from the tri-county area of Brown, Coleman, and Comanche. A local survivor of domestic violence will be a guest speaker. Other speakers will talk about domestic violence in the local community and how The ARK and law enforcement are responding. The candlelight vigil will end with the lighting of candles and a moment of silence to remember the victims. “Go Purple Day” will also be recognized October 18.

Each year, more than 100 victims in Texas alone are murdered by an intimate partner. October is the month to observe these issues and pledge to end domestic violence in communities. This month is set aside to remind all citizens what can be done to help stop the violence.

The ARK, along with local police, court officials and community agencies work together to make communities safer and to end the violence that is happening in too many homes. They are reaching out to the community and asking for help to end this epidemic of violence. For more information regarding services the ARK provides or about National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, contact the ARK at 643-2699 or visit arkshelter.org. Follow their Facebook page for ways to know, predict and prevent domestic violence.