More than 100 people gathered at Rosa Parks Square in Downtown Macon for a Candlelight Vigil to honor victims of domestic violence. It was on October 26 as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Mayor Lester Miller, District Attorney Anita Howard, Solicitor Rebecca Grist, and other county officials were there for the observance, as well as dozens of people who have experienced some sort of domestic violence firsthand. The event was hosted by Crisis Line & Safe House of Central Georgia and the Macon Rescue Mission.  

There was a display of pinwheels showing how many people in Georgia were killed at the hands of their partner, and a line of t-shirts decorated with messages of hope, pain, forgiveness, and anger. Mayor Miller also read a proclamation naming October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. You can read that full proclamation here. There’s also a photo album from the Vigil on our Facebook page.  

Melanie Wolfe spoke about her daughter, Jessica, who was killed by her boyfriend in 2012. “I never want my daughter to be forgotten. If you know someone in a domestic violence situation, please help them. You may be the one and only person they reach out to and trust. Jessica’s friends and family are victims too, and I choose to keep my daughter’s legacy of love, compassion and kindness alive for her. In her honor.” 

District Attorney Anita Howard also spoke at the vigil. “Be willing to discuss domestic violence with your family and friends. Let them know you’re a safe person to talk to. We all have a role to play to stop domestic violence in our communities. I will always stand in the gap and be an advocate for the victims.” 

“I am very pleased with the efforts I’ve seen from all our community partners and how they’re working together to fight for victims’ rights and advocate for justice,” said Mayor Lester Miller. “With our Macon Violence Prevention (MVP) Program, we get so used to hearing about random acts of violence and gang violence, but we can’t forget that 25 to 30 percent of our homicides this year were tied to domestic violence situations. A lot of times those are put on the back burner. We need to change that. We remember those victims that are gone, but we can’t forget those who are still living with this.” 

Earlier this year, there was a focus group with representatives from MVP, Crisis Line, and Macon Mental Health Matters to hear from survivors of domestic violence about what services were needed most during their struggles. It was part of the planning process for a new Family Justice Center. You can read more about that event here.