Murphy – Reach of Cherokee & Graham Counties held its annual Shatter the Silence Ceremony with the reading of the names vigil on Oct. 3, on the steps of Murphy First United Methodist Church for the third year in a row.
Reach Executive Director Cecelia Crawford-Faulkner said the vigil has been held in various places throughout Cherokee County since 1984. The names read, as compiled by the N.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence, are victims within the last calendar year of domestic violence as well as law enforcement officers lost nationally in the line of duty while responding to domestic violence calls.
Each attendee was given a small purple organza bag with a memorial card bearing a victim’s name along with a purple ribbon awareness pin and butterfly, “We Carry You With Us Always” sticker and remembrance card for the deceased. Staff handed out a fact sheet, including the staggering statistics of domestic violence and its impact on about “1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men who have experienced some sort of physical violence by an intimate partner as well as the 20 people per minute who are abused by an intimate partner in the United States.”
In an emotional welcome and introduction, Crawford-Faulkner said, “We hope to see a day when we do not have to read any names.”
Pastor Wil Posey of Murphy First United Methodist thanked the crowd for showing up in “difficult moments” before leading the group of about 50 in a prayer of remembrance of God’s unfailing and perfect love shown through Jesus Christ. He went on to invoke the biblical trials of Hagar and Joseph, and through those difficult circumstances that God worked also “for good.”
Posey pointed out that through God we are able to both “love those who hurt and to elevate the voices of those who have been hurt.” Posey ended his prayer with a special call for God’s grace upon families of the victims.
Crawford-Faulkner explained more about what her nonprofit agency does and advised those present that if they or someone they know is being abused, Reach is “the friendly face” they need – and that there is never “any judgment” when someone visits or contacts the office.
Thanking the Reach staff was next on her welcoming agenda as the staff were also on site to help give out free “You Matter” bags along with various purple remembrance items including bead necklaces and sunglasses. Crawford-Faulkner also thanked community sponsors and local business for their support.
That support included a speech by Cherokee County Sheriff Dustin Smith. Crawford-Faulkner characterized Reach’s relationship with the sheriff’s office as a special partnership, who are able to agree to disagree at times.
“You don’t disagree with Cecilia,” Smith added. “She will eventually win you over.”
Smith went on to highlight Reach’s role in helping law enforcement who “sees these domestic violence situations all the time” and knowing that “with Reach, we have someone to hand victims over to where we know they’ll be cared for the way they should be.”
Smith also shared the common goal of both his and Reach’s office “to leave things better than we found them when dealing with people’s lives” and commended the Reach staff for “their fire and passion for service and to help people get back to where they need to be in their lives.”
Crawford-Faulkner went on to say she “wished there was no reason for Reach to exist.” She urged the crowd to pray for both abusers’ and victims’ families because “no one ever says to a newborn, ‘You’ll be the best abuser or murderer.’ ”
Murphy Mayor Tim Radford thanked both the community and Reach for their support and important work. Radford previously recorded the names to avoid becoming emotional as he did during his live reading of the names last year.
Staff wrote the names on the easily recognizable purple wooden cutouts that appear around Cherokee County every year during this month. The only sounds during the 15-minute reading were those of traffic on Valley River Avenue and crowds at Art Walk.
To close the evening, board Chair Alissa Cheek, board members and staff members Denise Bowden, Renee Deweese and Daunita Maennle read special sections of poetry, ending with:
“Gone from our sight
But not from our heart
Tonight we remember
And vow a new start.”
Details: Reach serves both Cherokee and Graham counties with resources for those facing abuse. Call the crisis line at 828-837-8064, or visit reachofcherokeecounty.org and nccadv.org.