BRASS held its third annual public candlelight vigil

Bowling Green, Ky. — With October being Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Barren River Area Safe Space held its third annual public candlelight vigil at Circus Square Park on Thursday evening.

Members of the Bowling Green community gathered to recognize people who lost their lives to domestic violence and to raise awareness about preventing it.

BRASS staff and attendees also recognized victims by reading survivors’ testimonies and the names of victims who were killed.

“One of the important things is that we continue to speak their names so that we remind the families that we’re still here. We’re still trying to end this,” said Aleasha Martin, BRASS’ director of community operations. “We’re working toward trying to eliminate domestic violence, and although we can’t control people, we can remember the people we’ve lost.”

Martin said Thursday’s vigil was intended to send a message to victims that they are not alone.

“There was a group of people here tonight that would be happy to stand in that person’s corner. Showing people compassion, listening to their stories, believing them when they’re saying they don’t feel safe and offering support or even just connecting them with a BRASS advocate.”

Organizers said anyone who is a victim of, or knows someone who is, should find a safe place and contact law enforcement or the BRASS hotline (1-800-928-1183) .