October is domestic violence awareness month and in New Haven, a vigil was held Tuesday to honor the lives lost and provide hope to surviving victims.
Dozens filled Long Wharf Pier for the vigil held by BHcare and the Umbrella Center for Domestic Violence Services. The event included a bagpipe processional and flowers that attendees tossed in the water for the victims.
The organization reports that in 2022, 22 people died due to domestic violence in Connecticut.
“There was a rise during the pandemic that we saw, that’s not really coming down,” said Rachael Schippani, community educator at the Umbrella Center.
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Last year, the center helped more than 6,000 victims get the resources they need.
Linda Adu Poku chose to share her story at the vigil. She said she suffered abuse at the hands of her family.
“Ever since I was younger, there was a lot of like, verbal, emotional abuse. When I had to leave there because I know that it wasn’t good for my mental state, it was very painful because I didn’t have that support system that I needed,” Adu Poku said.
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She credits the organization with giving her the support that she desperately needed. She’s now getting her degree to help others in her shoes.
“Calling to go to the shelter with the umbrella organization is what was my safe haven, and basically that’s what had saved me,” she said. “Because of what I’ve been through, I feel like I have an obligation to come here and bring an awareness.”
Adu Poku hopes others will follow in her footsteps and reach out for help.
“If any victims are watching, I would definitely tell them not to be afraid to ask for help, I would tell them they’re not alone, I would tell them they can do anything they want to do in life and that there is hope," Adu Poku said.
Another vigil is set for Tuesday night in Waterbury from 6 to 7 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church.
