Domestic Violence Awareness Event at Pasadena City Hall on October 24

[Link] PASADENA, Calif.- Join the City of Pasadena Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) Department and the Commission on the Status of Women for Light a Candle to Honor & Celebrate Survivors of Domestic Violence on Thursday, Oct. 24 from 6-7 p.m. on the front steps of Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave.

The public is invited to this free event to honor and celebrate survivors, and to raise awareness to end domestic violence. Refreshments will be provided by Der Wolf, courtesy of Commissioner Crystal Aceves. Attendees are encouraged to wear purple.

"Leaving an abusive relationship is the most dangerous time for people experiencing domestic violence," said Vanessa Rodriguez, Chairwoman, Commission on the Status of Women. "With one in three California adults experiencing some form of intimate partner violence during their lifetime, the Commission on the Status of Women is dedicated to supporting survivors and providing access to city resources needed to overcome abuse."

The Commission on the Status of Women is pleased to be collaborating with three community organizations that provide direct services to survivors of domestic violence to present the Light a Candle event. Organizations include YWCA Glendale & Pasadena, who provide safety and healing to survivors as well as community education in order to break the cycle of violence; the domestic violence resource center Shepherd's Door, who serve survivors as well as offer domestic violence counseling and advocate trainings; and Peace Over Violence, a social service agency dedicated to the elimination of sexual and domestic violence and all forms of interpersonal violence.

This is the second year that the Commission on the Status of Women has organized an event to gather the Pasadena community together, both to educate the public and to offer resources in an effort to destigmatize and promote healing.

According to crime statistics published by the California Department of Justice through the Open Justice initiative, domestic violence-related calls for assistance have been steadily rising in the City of Pasadena over the past ten years, with a particularly sharp increase in weapon-involved reports from 2022-2023, the most recent year of available data.

"These trends are alarming, and it is important that the City of Pasadena does more to both raise awareness and support survivors," said Maura Harrington Roggero, Vice-Chair of the Commission on the Status of Women.

For more information, please contact Leticia Lopez, Recreation & Community Services Superintendent at [email protected]. To attend, please RSVP at Bit.ly/3MLgZEc