Round Rock vigil remembers victims of domestic violence

One by one, the names

Matt Mossman, community development manager for the Hope Alliance, and Rachael Jonrowe, a Georgetown City Council member, read aloud the name Dora Quiroz-Gonzalez, on June 4, 2018.

They read aloud the name Ellen DeHart 3, 2018.

The two were among the 211 Texans ranging in age from 16 to 85 years old who died from domestic violence last year.

More than a dozen people gathered to commemorate those victims of domestic violence at a vigil Wednesday evening at Centennial Plaza in downtown Round Rock. The Hope Alliance, which provides services to help victims of domestic and sexual violence, organized the event in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

"One of the things I discovered when I came to Hope Alliance is how cruel and mean and horrible people can be to other people," said Hope Alliance CEO Rick Brown. "I never knew that to the extent that I know today. It's something that hopefully in the future we'll be able to curb with prevention activities."

The Round Rock-based domestic violence service center provides free crisis services for more than 3,500 victims of family and sexual violence. Brown said provided 9,100 sheltered nights of safety for more than 400 people in its 30-bed facility.

Brown announced that the board of directors recently agreed to raise money for a new building that would centralize local efforts in combating domestic and sexual violence.

"We've decided that it's time for us to build one facility for all law enforcement, CPS, Brave Alliance, everybody who comes to play to provide services for victims, can be under one roof," he said.

Brown asked those in attendance to spread the word about the organization to help. "There's a lot of people who don't know who we are or that we exist," he said.

At the vigil, Round Rock Assistant Police Chief Willie Richards called survivors "overcomers."

"To me you're not captivated by it anymore and you're free from that bondage," he said. "They signify that there is hope for others so that they can speak out and find a way out of that cycle."

He thanked those in attendance for offering support for victims as well as the Hope Alliance for providing a safe place for victims.

"We're very appreciative of having a shelter where we can provide hope for those that are stuck in a situation they may see as hopeless," he said.

Musician Sue Ireland, also known as Texas Tilly, sang songs at the vigil that related to her experiences with domestic violence. She now serves as an advocate for the Hope Alliance.

"It was a night much like this that I left in December 1997," she said about leaving a previous abusive relationship and seeking shelter with the Hope Alliance. "When I left, it wasn't my first time, but I am ever so grateful that a hand was there when I made the decision to leave."

In the U.S., 20 people experience some form of family violence every minute, according to the Hope Alliance. One in four women and one in nine men experience some form of family violence in their lifetime.

Mossman said that's why it is important to gather as a community to recognize the grim reality faced by so many in this country and "that we communally illustrate our grief for the many lost lives and our support for those who have escaped violence with their life intact."

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