Raising awareness about children who are victims of sexual and physical abuse was the goal at a candlelight vigil held in Lackawanna County Monday night.
The Friendship House in Scranton hosted the vigil at Courthouse Square. The organization helps about 100 victims in Lackawanna County a year, some as young as three years old who have been physically or sexually abused.
The goal of the event was to let people know there is help out there.
A mother said her five-year-old daughter was sexually abused by a neighbor in July. She said her daughter and the rest of her family received counseling from the Friendship House. "They have circled around our family," said the mother. "If I have a panic attack walking down that hall and visualizing what happened that night, I am free to call them whenever I need to."
T-shirts made by some of the victims showed the pain children feel. It is another way the Friendship House tries to help children learn to heal.
A woman from Scranton said her four-year-old daughter is now on the road to recovery after being abused by a family member. "Unfortunately there was a case of abuse in our household. I didn't know where to turn or who to go to. Without them, we wouldn't be able to get through it."
"It is a very significant problem. We need our children to know it's okay to talk about it, it's okay to tell and we need our parents to know that it's okay to seek the support they so vitally need," said Janine Fortney of the Friendship House.
To learn more about Friendship House, click here.
The Friendship House in Scranton hosted the vigil at Courthouse Square. The organization helps about 100 victims in Lackawanna County a year, some as young as three years old who have been physically or sexually abused.
The goal of the event was to let people know there is help out there.
A mother said her five-year-old daughter was sexually abused by a neighbor in July. She said her daughter and the rest of her family received counseling from the Friendship House. "They have circled around our family," said the mother. "If I have a panic attack walking down that hall and visualizing what happened that night, I am free to call them whenever I need to."
T-shirts made by some of the victims showed the pain children feel. It is another way the Friendship House tries to help children learn to heal.
A woman from Scranton said her four-year-old daughter is now on the road to recovery after being abused by a family member. "Unfortunately there was a case of abuse in our household. I didn't know where to turn or who to go to. Without them, we wouldn't be able to get through it."
"It is a very significant problem. We need our children to know it's okay to talk about it, it's okay to tell and we need our parents to know that it's okay to seek the support they so vitally need," said Janine Fortney of the Friendship House.
To learn more about Friendship House, click here.
