Coquitlam Night Light Walk supports women and families impacted by violence

It’s a short walk. And it might be a remedy for isolation.

On Thursday evening, residents from around the Tri-Cities are invited to support the second annual Night Light Walk at Town Centre Park in Coquitlam.

“This is to support the families who are suffering in silence,” said Tri-City Transitions executive director Jatinder Bhatti. “We want to let them know that we are here for them.”

The three-kilometre walk raises money for second-stage housing and shelters for women and children fleeing abuse, as well as transitional support programs.

The event is also intended to bring people together, Bhatti explained.

“Isolation is one of the biggest factors keeping women and children in abusive situations, which is why creating opportunities for connection is so critical,” Bhatti stated, adding: “everyone deserves to live a life free from violence.”

Hosted by the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, the event is also intended to call attention to the shortage of safe and affordable transitional housing.

Many survivors of violence struggle to find affordable and safe housing, often resulting in longer stays at shelters, which in turn contribute to longer waitlists and higher turn-away rates, according to a release promoting the event.

“Second-stage housing helps fill this critical gap, giving survivors a safe, stable place to rebuild their lives as they transition toward independent living,” the release stated. “Without access to this longer-term support, some may face an impossible choice: housing insecurity or returning to an abusive home.”

Women and girls are disproportionately impacted by intimate partner violence, suffering physical injuries and psychological symptoms with post-traumatic stress disorder.

In 2019, an estimated 80 percent of Canadians who experienced intimate partner violence didn’t report it to police.

Participants are advised to arrive at 6:15 p.m. with the walk starting at 7 p.m.

More info here.