The area’s domestic violence and sexual assault shelter, the ARK, held a candlelight vigil on Thursday to commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Early resident Angi Reno was the guest speaker at the event held at Howard Payne University’s Girling Center for Social Justice, and she told her story of domestic abuse when she was growing up.

“As we grew up we were made to wake up and watch our father physically assault our mother,” Reno said. “As a young child, my father would wake me up and ask me if I was happy that what I was witnessing was my fault.”

She recounted growing up in that environment and watching not only her mother be abused, but also going through the physical abuse with her siblings.

“Then my father began to beat us,” Reno said. “When I was 7 years old, my father broke my arm, gave me black eyes, and I had to go to school. The school didn’t intercept that, it was okay, nobody cared.”

Reno said that after police intervened during a violent episode when she was 12, she never saw her father again after that until he passed away in July of this year.

“It is still very hard for me to understand how anyone could take out something on a child, or a mother, or their children because they’re angry and bitter and upset,” Reno said.    “I have made several decisions that I am not proud of, but I am proud of the woman that I am today as I stand here before you because my testimony is unique, and it is mine, and it is all driven from things that I saw as a child.”

See video below of Reno’s full story.

The names of domestic violence victims killed in the area were read aloud to conclude the ceremony as those in attendance honored those victims with a moment of silence and lighting of candles.

The mission of the Pecan Valley Regional Domestic Violence Shelter, Inc., dba The ARK, is to provide safe shelter and comprehensive resident and non-resident services through advocacy, referrals and education to support and empower victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault, one family at a time.

In 2011, the ARK served 308 clients, 145 of which were children.  They provided 8614 services for their clients.  The ARK’s domestic violence hotline received 3206 calls.

Those needing to contact the ARK can call 325-643-2699 or 888-313-2699.

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