Jahaira DeAlto (Pittsfield, 2021), Vanessa Poulos (Egremont, 2021), Jillian Tatro (North Adams, 2022), and Brittany LaBombard (North Adams, 2023) are just a few of the victims who left behind their families, friends, and their very own children after being violently murdered by their partners.
“Everyone knows someone,” said Janis Broderick, Executive Director of the Elizabeth Freeman Center (EFC) in North Adams, an organization that provides services to those in dangerous relationship settings.
On Thursday night, September 19, 2024, Broderick came to the center of North Adams to host the Rise Together Safety and Justice Walk, which was attended by a diverse crowd of people, from young children to elderly adults. It included a group of MCLA students, sponsors from different organizations, and those who lost their loved ones to domestic violence, with many attendants having lost their siblings, cousins, and even children.
Before the walk around North Adams Center began, Broderick explained the seriousness of in-relationship violence and how much more often it occurs than we think.
“Berkshire County’s rate of restraining orders is 35% higher than the state average,” said Broderick. “In the year before Covid, we received 1,079 calls from our hotline. This past year we responded to 3,492 calls. That’s a 324% increase, and numbers are continuing to rise. We always knew we were just seeing the tip of the iceberg, but we believe that so many people are calling because of this growing community and movement in Berkshire County.”
Joanne Ringer (Clarksburg, 2017), Celeste Kordana (Pittsfield, 2017), Christa Leigh Steele Knudslien (North Adams, 2018), Kassedi Clark (Pittsfield, 2018), and Justine Wilbur (North Adams, 2019) are several more of the victims whose stories were told on Thursday night.
As people marched the streets of North Adams, they carried signs which read: “Protect ROE,” “Love is not abuse,” “My dress is not a yes,” and “Children deserve safety.” In response, many passing drivers honked their horns in support of the walk, bringing smiles to the faces of the walkers.
Ara Phoenix, MCLA’s coordinator for the Gender and Sexuality Center, said, “I think more of us than we’d like to admit have a connection to sexual and relationship violence, whether that is for ourselves, our friends, or our family members. When we ask people around campus, we always have nearly 100% of people in the room say that they have some sort of connection to the issue.”
It puts Broderick’s conclusion into perspective: everyone knows someone who has gone through some form of relationship violence. We may not even know that we know somebody who has been harmed by relationship violence, but more often than not, we just haven’t been informed by the victim.
MCLA student Summer Nicholas ’25 brought up the issue of domestic violence as it pertains to public role models, or others who live life very visibly. She explained, “A while ago I remember the whole Chris Brown and Rihanna situation that went on. That was definitely a very shocking thing considering how people that have such a high pedestal in society would do that to each other, especially because these are people other people look up to.”
At the end of the night, Broderick thanked everyone for attending and recognizing the importance of bringing awareness to such a common and saddening issue.
Michelle Padquell (Pittsfield, 2006), Rev Esther Dozier (Great Barrington, 2007), Julie Shade (North Adams, 2008), Donna Aqar (New Marlborough, 2008), Rebecca Moulton (Pittsfield, 2009), Shayley Estes (North Adams, 2015), and Halena Huda (Pittsfield) were the last victims mentioned on Thursday night, and it is the hope of EFC and the loved ones of these victims that these names will never be forgotten.
If you or anyone you know is in danger of in-relationship violence, contact EFC’s hotline at 1-866-401-2425.
