The victims of domestic violence were remembered at the candlelight portion of Thursday's procession, outside of the Kissimmee Police Department. PHOTO/KEN JACKSON
There’s strength in numbers.
But one person can be strong, too. When it comes to the vile subject of domestic violence, one person is a survivor, with a voice, and joined together those voices form a stand against intimate partner and family violence crimes.
The community joined, as it has for 15 years, members of law enforcement, the judicial system and Help Now of Osceola County for its annual Rally, Awareness Walk and Candlelight Vigil Thursday night.
According to Help Now, the community’s organization that advocates for—and, in some cases, provides a lifeline for—those experiencing that kind of abuse, 1 in 4 women, and 1 in 7 men (up from 1 in 10 just two years ago) have or will experience mental, physical or sexual abuse in a relationship.
“It is pleasure to come together with the community to hold events just like this, where we can stand together against domestic violence,” said Help Now’s longtime executive director Tammy Douglass.
The event started Thursday as dusk set in on the steps of the Osceola County Courthouse — where those victimized go to find justice. For a fitting close to Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, those from Help Now and law enforcement shared their pleas for prevention and awareness, and those gathered heard from survivor Cassidy Marin.
“I worked three jobs in hopes of overcoming homelessness, only for my money to be taken,” she bravely shared. “I broke and reciprocated, yelling for him to disappear from my life. When I went into work he was taken to prison.
“I stand here not sure how many times death came knocking at my door. I am a mother, a daughter, a sister … I am someone’s voice. I am a survivor, speaking for every survivor and victim out there.”
The crowd assembled was introduced to the Osceola County Domestic Violence Task Force and its co-chair, Dorian Coley.
“We never know when it’s going to strike close to home,” he said. “Our mission is committed to eradicating domestic violence in our community and facilitate a coordinated response to domestic violence issues and promote awareness, education and prevention. As a community, we can continue to move the needle on the matter in the right direction.”
Law enforcement representatives like Sheriff Marcos Lopez and St. Cloud Police Chief Doug Goerke said everyone must act at the sight of violence if there’s any hope of ending it on a wide scale.
“Sometimes it takes reminding ourselves on the signs of domestic violence,” Lopez said. “It’s about raising the awareness, like we’re doing here today. These are real, monsters exist, and those monsters can be your family. You can be the person that helps break a cycle that could be the difference between someone living and dying.”
“Survivors are living proof 102424. ONG there is hope after trauma, and you’re voices help break the stigma of domestic violence,” Goerke said. “It’s not a private matter, it’s a societal issue that requires us all to be vigilant, compassionate and willing to act when we see the signs of abuse. We can not be silent, we must speak up when we see somebody at risk.”
Osceola County Clerk of Court Kelvin Soto and State Attorney Andrew Bain reminded folks that “hope cards” are now available to those with active injunctions or restraining orders, that have all the court information on them to easy relay to police.
The cause was then on the move with a march down Broadway, creating a sidewalk-filling stand against domestic violence. The group walked to Broadway Pizza Bar to visit a memorial mural to Nicole Montalvo, an employee there who was the victim of domestic violence in 2019 and left behind a vibrant son. A candlelight vigil held on the lawn of the Kissimmee Police Department served as a somber reminder of those who could not be survivors.
To reach out to Help Now—to find escape from or hold an abuser accountable for their unlawful and hurtful actions—call its 24-hour crisis hotline at 407-847-8562, or its text line at 407-306-0677. Other resources are available at www.helpnowshelter.org.
