Candlelight vigil invites community members to honor survivors of domestic violence

BALTIMORE, Md. — Survivors and community members came out to a candlelight vigil Wednesday evening to honor survivors of domestic violence.

Hosted by LifeBridge Health's Center for Hope and Dove Domestic Violence Program, the vigil aimed to provide a space to remember the lives lost to intimate partner violence and lift up those who had survived it.

Lea White, a survivor of the domestic violence she experienced as a teen mother, said the event shows others that violence is not the end of their stories.

"Being able to share things that I've experienced with other people who are kind of going through it, understanding that this is not a sentence (and) this is actually the beginning of something new, and that there are resources in our community as well as in our neighborhoods that can help to support us as we try to navigate these situations and get help," White said.

Resources are available for those dealing with domestic violence through LifeBridge Health.

"We provide services to people that are exposed to experiencing, and thriving through surviving through intimate partner violence," Yuvi Rattigan, an event organizer, said. "We are a part of Center for Hope, a violence prevention and intervention agency through LifeBridge Health."

White left those experiencing domestic violence that haven't taken the next step with a piece of advice: take your time.

"...make the decisions that work best for you, get the resources and the information that you need in the process, and when you're ready, you'll be ready," she said.