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Domestic Violence Awareness Rally Held in San Ysidro

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, organizations in San Diego came together to host a rally to inform the community.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and South Bay Community Services held a rally in San Ysidro Thursday to help raise awareness.

β€œWere here to bring awareness of domestic violence and how it can affect everyone in the community,” said Lisa Cuestas, Casa Familiar President, and CEO.

Cuestas says domestic violence doesn’t just affect men and women but anyone who witnesses domestic violence, including children. They want to make sure people know where to go when they need help.

β€œI think there are many different ways to reach out, like finding someone you trust. And learn the different ways to connect to organizations,” said Cuestas.

Dozens attended the rally where they heard domestic violence survivor speaker Juan Medina discuss the story of his daughter who was killed as a result of domestic violence.

β€œMy daughter was killed by her husband in a parking lot in front of their daughters, they were just two days away from finalizing their divorce,” said Medina.

Medina said he wants to help spread awareness because he says domestic violence is more prevalent today in our community.

According to Cuestas, 24 people per minute are victims of some sort of domestic violence in the U.S.

Some signs that Cuestas says we should look out for would be unhealthy patterns of controlling, manipulating, and substance abuse that can lead to violence.

β€œAll of those kinds of things are signs and triggers often and patters that end up escalating to a much more serious case of domestic violence,” explained Cuestas.

Casa Familiar is putting together a production about domestic violence that will be shown next year. It focuses on what domestic violence looks like in a border community, with families who live on both sides of the border.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233. To find more resources click here

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