The Family Justice Center is hosting Hope in the Light of Day to honor survivors and victims of domestic violence. The event will take place on Thursday, October 3rd from 10-11 a.m. at the Ouachita Grand Plaza. The plaza is located on 501 S Grand St. in Monroe, La under the I-20 bridge.
The Family Justice Center is an organization dedicated to serving those affected by domestic violence in our area. The center provides services like counseling or working with the police force for all Ouachita parish residents; men, women, and children included.
Valerie Bowman, Director of the Family Justice Center, says that the problem of domestic violence hits Louisiana harder than most other states. In fact, Bowman said that Louisiana "ranks second in the nation for the amount of homicides committed on females by males and we have continuoulsy been in the top 5 for the past five years."
This is not just a problem for the entire state, but also in our own community. The center has consistently been serving around "500 victims" per year. The Family Justice Center wants to change these trends and start fighting this issue head on.
The center's event, Hope in the Light of Day, has that goal. The event will include a time for sharing stories from survivors and also highlight the ways to get out of an abusive situation or a pattern of domestic violence. The center is inviting the whole community to this event in order to shed light on this daunting problem our community is facing and possibly have answers for victims seeking advice or help.
If you have ever experienced any form of domestic abuse and looking for help, you can always contact the Family Justice Crisis-line at (318) 323-1505 or the domestice violence hotline at (888) 411-1333.
For information about the Family Justice Center or Hope in the Light of Day click here.