BRIDGEPORT, CT — A crowd gathered at the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater for the “Use Your Voice” Domestic Violence Awareness Month Vigil Wednesday evening to honor the memory of the 26 Connecticut residents who lost their lives to domestic violence in the past year.
The victims ranged from age two to 82, according to Debra Greenwood, president of CEO of The Center for Family Justice (CFJ), the nonprofit that sponsored the event.
Speaking from the podium, Greenwood said education on prevention is important, and expressed hope of a brighter future upon seeing so many young people participating in the vigil.
“I’m tired of coming to these vigils and hearing the names you’re gonna hear,” Greenwood said. “It’s up to all young people to be those advocates, but also all of us. I don’t care how old you are. I see the hope in front of me with the young people that are here. It is on your shoulders to do this. I know you can. But you need someone to show you the way.”
Young men from Sacred Heart University’s Delta Tau Delta Fraternity were on hand to show their support for the cause of ending domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse, as well as members of SHU’s Kappa Delta Sorority.
Nate Dussault, an SHU junior, is the internal philanthropy chair for the fraternity.
“It’s incredibly important,” he said of Delta Tau Delta’s stand against domestic violence and sexual assault, “because fraternities get a bad rap and we want to combat that by making sure every girl feels safe walking back to her dorm at night.”
The Delta Tau Delta Fraternity has been involved with the White Ribbon Campaign, in which men and boys take a stand against violence toward women and girls, since 2013.
Hailey Filera, an SHU senior and president of the Kappa Delta Sorority, said one-in-three women will experience an abusive dating relationship before graduating college.
“We live in a world where domestic violence is not a women’s issue, but a societal issue — and it needs to be addressed,” she said. “Sexual assault and domestic violence were concepts that did not become a reality until I became a college student. The problem is currently all around us. The evil actions I heard done to so many women on our campus is truly frightening.”
Filera encouraged everyone to stand up to bad behavior and to support and believe the victims, adding it is never their fault. She praised the work of CFJ and expressed encouragement over people coming together for the vigil.
“Look out for those around you. Take care of one another,” Filera said. “Together, we can create a future where every woman feels safe, respected and valued.”
Bunnell High School Head Football Coach Ty Jenkins, who is involved with CFJ’s White Ribbon Campaign, brought his players to the vigil.
Among the young participants in the event were members of Camp Hope America-Bridgeport and the Trumbull High School Interact Club, whose students who made T-shirts with messages like “Love Should Not Hurt,” which hung from the rafters.
Greenwood said the vigil also included students from the University of Bridgeport and members of Fairfield Ludlowe High School’s RAAFT Club.
Girls from The Dance Workshop of Monroe gave two performances for guests.
The vigil also included stories from survivors. Amanda Posila, director of education and community engagement for CFJ, said the gathering was to honor survivors and to show support for victims of domestic abuse.
“We’re also here to mourn the deaths of those that we have lost last year, because of domestic violence,” she said. “Tonight, we will remember and honor 26 victims who lost their lives by someone they once loved and trusted.”
“We hope one day there will be no more names to remember,” Posila added. “Together, let’s build a movement that says, ‘not one more.'”
The image of a lit candle appeared on the big screens overhead and the amphitheater went silent as the names of those who lost their lives appeared, a bell ringing for each name. Everyone held a glow stick or turned on the light of their cellphones.
The Silent Epidemic
The Center for Family Justice offers free and confidential services for victims of domestic and sexual violence and child abuse, while serving the communities of Monroe, Trumbull, Easton, Bridgeport, Fairfield and Stratford.
“Last year we served over 5,300 individuals. Look around you,” Greenwood said, estimating there were just under 6,000 seats in the venue. “So imagine someone sitting in every single seat here in the amphitheater. That’s what we did last year.”
As demand for CFJ’s services and programs grows, Greenwood said there will be funding cuts by June of 2025, calling such a prospect “terrifying.”
According to Greenwood, 1 in 3 women will experience physical violence, rape and stalking; 1 in 10 men will experience intimate partner violence, 1 in 4 survivors of domestic violence identify with LGBTQ+, and 1 in 3 teens will experience physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
“This is a crisis,” she said. “They call it the silent epidemic. It needs to stop being silent. That’s why we have this vigil, because we need your help.”
Community Partners
Among the public officials speaking at the vigil were Monroe First Selectman Terry Rooney, State Sen. Tony Hwang, R-28th, and Bridgeport state representatives Christopher Rosario, D-128th, and Antonio Felipe, D-130th.
To the survivors, Hwang said, “your strength and courage inspires all of us and we stand with you. It is so important for people to know we stand and support them, and we’ll continue to fight for them.”
“And let us channel and turn the pain that we feel from domestic violence and knowing those that have suffered, and let’s channel and honor those that we lost by committing ourselves to action and by asking, ‘what are you going to do?'” Hwang continued.
“We need to break the cycle of violence and it begins early and it begins with the young people here today,” Hwang said. “Together we can break the silence, heal the wounds and work to create a world that love is not used as a weapon, but as a source for safety and peace.”
Rosario and Felipe vowed to fight for funding for CFJ to help support its mission.
During his days as a Bridgeport police officer, Rooney said he noticed how domestic violence calls often occurred in the same homes with the same perpetrators, and that so many of the victims stayed with their abusers, whether it was finances, out of love or other reasons that trapped them internally.
He said the staff of CFJ let these men and women, but mostly women, know there is a place to go for safety and support to help them escape the abusive situation.
“Without legislation that allows law enforcement to do their job, there is no safety,” Rooney said.
He also called upon legislators to strengthen accountability for juveniles who commit crimes, by passing tougher laws that foster respect.
Law Enforcement
In addition to thanking CFJ’s board members, staff and volunteers, Greenwood expressed her gratitude to public officials for their support, especially to law enforcement.
There was a strong police presence at the vigil, including cadets from the Bridgeport Police Academy.
Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter, who emceed the event with Greenwood, shared his commitment to educating his officers and the community about what domestic violence is, while his department aggressively investigates cases.
When he was a captain, Porter said Bridgeport started to send its officers to participate in CFJ’s programs, before individuals above him at the time decided to end the relationship.
As police chief, Porter said one of the first things he did was to re-engage with the center. “As long as I am police chief in the city of Bridgeport, we will be partners with The Center for Family Justice,” Porter said to applause.
During the ceremony, Trumbull Police Chief Michael Lombardo was presented with the “Key to Hope” award for his dedication to CFJ’s mission.
Gary MacNamara, Fairfield’s former police chief, is a member of CFJ’s Board of Directors and heads up its White Ribbon Campaign.
MacNamara, who’s head of public safety at Sacred Heart University, said the families of incoming freshmen classes, especially parents of female students, are often concerned about how the school can protect them. He said he always mentions the young men of the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity on campus.
“I’m very fortunate to have the Delts on campus engaged in our White Ribbon Campaign,” MacNamara said.
Bridgeport Police Officer Sandy Gonzalez-Quinonez, who is a talented singer, sang the national anthem at the start of the program, and finished the night with the uplifting song, “Bring Me a Higher Love” by Steve Winwood and Will Jennings.
Watch the two performances by The Dance Workshop of Monroe in the video below:
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