ROCKINGHAM – New Horizons Life and Family Services held its annual vigil on Monday at the old courthouse building in downtown Rockingham.
The vigil honored victims who have lost their lives to domestic violence. Attendees to the vigil were informed that this year alone, there have been 62 domestic violence-related deaths in North Carolina, three of which occurred in Richmond County.
Speakers included several employees with the organization, including Karen Bostick, executive director of New Horizons Life and Family Services, Sheri Dunn-Ramsay, New Horizons Life and Family Services board member and David Richmond, chairperson of New Horizons Life and Family Services.
Richmond County Sheriff James Clemmons, also spoke at the event to inform those in attendance about domestic violence. There was also a special musical performance by Benny Dimery. Sally Ingram, a Richmond Community College student, also read a poem.
There was also a section in the program where each person at the program read the name of a person who was killed this year in North Carolina in a domestic violence incident.
New Horizons Life and Family Services, located at 801 E. Broad Avenue, offers the following free and confidential services to Richmond County constituents:
– 24-hour Crisis Lines
– Crisis Counseling
– Elder Abuse Services
– Emergency Transportation to Court and Doctors
-Community Outreach
-Court Accompaniment
-Emergency Shelter
-Options to Crisis Needs
-Referrals to Appropriate Agencies
The 24-hour crisis hotline for New Horizons is (910) 997-4840, or the main office can be reached at (910) 997-4448 during regular business hours Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
According to the North Carolina Courts System’s website, October is National Domestic Violence Awareness. North Carolina governor Roy Cooper has proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the State of North Carolina and, “encourages citizens to raise awareness of the prevalence of domestic abuse; foster supportive communities where all people feel safe in all aspects of their lives; and help survivors recover, heal, seek justice, and thrive.”
