The Ark Domestic Violence Shelter held a candlelight vigil inside the Bettie and Robert Girling Center for Social Justice on Thursday, October 20th at 6 p.m. The event honored victims of domestic violence and their families as well as celebrated successes of survivors.
Program Director, Terri Densman, introduced special speaker Darla Biggerstaff. “We watch victims become a whole person again, and that’s very rewarding,” said Densman as attendees welcomed Biggerstaff.
Biggerstaff shared her personal story of survival and recovery, including a poem she personally wrote to express her journey. Several attendees were moved to tears as she told her story and read her poem. Her poem titled, “Will Not Bow” is as follows:
Having inner strength comes with a price,
as you will see I have had to roll the dice,
but with sweat upon my brow,
you will see I did not bow.
I have had a struggle for two,
and witness more tragedy than anyone should do.
I have made bad choices that caused pain in others,
and shook the trust I had gained in brothers.
I have lied, cheated and remained closed,
to keep my true self from ever being exposed.
It was hard for me to start over,
to search for luck among the clover.
With many guidelines as to where I should go,
I found freedom in life’s sweet glow.
I found inspiration in human life,
and to help guide others through their strife.
To give others what I did not have before,
a true sense of strength to clamor for.
To stand out front of a crowd,
to shine without a frown,
for this is what I vowed,
and placed upon my crown.
To fight for others when they bow out,
to plant a seed of hope and watch it sprout.
Into hope as mighty as an oak,
and into a life that is no laughing joke.
With a little strength and inspiration,
I will stand for the longest duration,
and help others become the best they can be,
I will lead them to their highest degree.
In 2015 there were 158 victims that lost their lives to domestic violence throughout the State of Texas. Rick Phelps read each name, along with their age at the time of their death, during the ceremony. The names of local victims who lost their lives to domestic violence were read by James Fuller while those in attendance held lit candles as a sign of remembrance. A moment of silence followed.
The ceremony concluded with the presentation of the Coy Pullara “Unsung Hero” Award. This year the Ark Shelter chose to recipients to honor, both Harold Thomas of the Brownwood Police Department for his work with domestic abuse victims and his continued support of the shelter, and JoAn Schenk, who personally worked with Coy Pullara as a program coordinator during the establishment of the shelter program.
Hank Hunter also presented a special surprise award to Bob and Ann Beadle to replace a previous award they had received which had recently been lost in a house fire.
The candlelight vigil coincides with the Empty Shoes Exhibit now on display in the Girling Center. The exhibit features shoes representing 11 deaths attributed to domestic violence in Brown, Coleman and Comanche Counties within the past 20 years. Beside each pair of shoes is the victim’s name and their story. In addition to remembering the victims, the exhibit sparks emotion and brings awareness to the general public about domestic violence in their community.
The ARK is a shelter for victims of domestic violence and/or sexual abuse and their families in Brown, Coleman and Comanche Counties. The phone number to call for help is 325-643-2699. For more information about the ARK Shelter, visit www.arkshelter.org.
CLICK HERE to view a photo gallery of the candle light vigil on BrownwoodNews.com’s Facbook page.
