GOSHEN – In what has become an annual ceremony to keep the promise of never forgetting those impacted by domestic abuse, residents and Orange County officials stood before a line of 650 t-shirts strung along the entire front side of the Orange County Government Center in Goshen.
The shirts carry both heartbreaking and inspirational comments by victims of abuse and their families. One woman stood weeping while the names of those killed during domestic violence were read.
Kellyann Kostyal-Larrier, executive director of the organization Fearless! Hudson Valley, formerly called Orange County Safe Homes, said the violence must be stopped.
“We cannot forget why we are here. The realities of it are there are women dying every single day at the hands of their intimate partner, and it cannot continue to be in the top five deaths for women in this country,” she said.
Last year Fearless! Hudson Valley provided advocacy services to 23,276 clients, 3,833 nights of safety, 5,467 adults and children served, and 11,123 hotline calls.
“We are here to celebrate the survivors,” said County Executive Seven Neuhaus.
The T-Shirt display will be travelling to various sites during October.
