{"id":22550,"date":"2025-11-02T14:30:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-02T14:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/22550\/"},"modified":"2025-11-02T14:30:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-02T14:30:09","slug":"turning-point-vigil-honors-victims-of-domestic-abuse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/22550\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning Point vigil honors victims of domestic abuse"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s Note: This content contains topics of domestic violence and may be distressing to some readers, viewer discretion is advised.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cRaindrops of recovery grow gardens of hope.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

That message was written on one of many T-shirts displayed as part of the Clothesline Project, a visual display bringing awareness to the realities of violence made up of creations from survivors of abuse.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hung along the length of a hallway on Mountaintop Campus, the project was a part of Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley\u2019s annual vigil held on Thursday.<\/p>\n

Located in Allentown, Turning Point<\/a> is a nonprofit that helps those impacted by abuse with a 24-hour helpline, a safe house, empowerment counseling, legal advocacy and other resources. The organization\u2019s vigil<\/a> honored the 10 people who died from domestic and intimate partner abuse in the Lehigh Valley in 2024-25.<\/p>\n

\"\"A T-shirt stating \u201cRaindrops of recovery grow gardens of hope\u201d is pictured at Turning Point\u2019s annual vigil. The shirt was part of the Clothesline Project which brings visual awareness to the realities of violence. (Natalie Javitt\/B&W Staff)<\/p>\n

As around 175 attendees passed through the T-shirt lined walkway, poems interspersed throughout the space told stories of recovery. Rooms along the hallway offered designated places of support, including a candle-lit memorial for the 10 victims and a room where individuals from local organizations tabled to offer resources.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Panayiota Papadopoulos, a training and education advocate for Turning Point, said there are numerous ways in which abuse can occur that are often overlooked.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s emotional, physical, financial or sexual abuse, Papadopoulos said it\u2019s important to recognize violence doesn\u2019t happen in just one way.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She also said as an educator for the organization, one of the most important parts of her job is helping people recognize signs of abuse they might not have realized were harmful at first.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Papadopoulos said she hoped the event would be a reminder that while people\u2019s experiences with abuse differ, resources and support exist for everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"T-shirts lined the hallway at Turning Point\u2019s vigil as part of the Clothesline Project. Each different color of shirt represented different forms of violence. (Natalie Javitt\/B&W Staff)<\/p>\n

The event and Turning Point\u2019s services, she said, would not be possible without community support.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lehigh\u2019s Break the Silence, a peer-education organization that spreads awareness about gender violence, was one of the groups tabling before the vigil.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Victoria Swider, \u201826, a member of Break the Silence, said Turning Point is one of the group\u2019s community partners that offers resources and information about domestic and relationship violence.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Next to their table laid a banner filled with handprints and messages of support for survivors of sexual violence. Swider said the handprints were from people who pledged to not commit violence, illustrating support for the vigils attendees.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Lehigh\u2019s Break the Silence brought a banner to the vigil where attendees wrote supportive messages and put their handprints. Turning Point is one of Break the Silence\u2019s community partners. (Natalie Javitt\/B&W Staff)<\/p>\n

While people filled the seats in the event\u2019s main room, a purple candle \u2014 the symbolic color of domestic violence awareness \u2014 sat on a front table next to a podium where speakers who have used Turning Point\u2019s resources shared their stories.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For some of the speakers, it was their first time attending the vigil. For others, it was their first time choosing to stand on the other side of the podium after years of being in the audience listening.<\/p>\n

Cass Noelle, a speaker and first-time attendee, has been using Turning Point\u2019s services since 2021. During her speech, she recounted when she had to file a Protection For Abuse order against her husband to protect herself and their child.<\/p>\n

Noelle said when she first had to file the order, it was hard for her to admit to herself what she was going through.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt could never happen to me,\u201d she said. \u201cI think that\u2019s what we all feel, anyone who\u2019s been through it. I\u2019m too smart to end up in that situation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

She said her husband consistently violated the protection order, trying to communicate with her in every way possible by showing up at her house or talking poorly about her around town.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Lori Sywensky, Turning Point\u2019s executive director, spoke at the vigil. Turning Point is an organization based in Allentown that helps victims of domestic violence and intimate partner abuse. (Natalie Javitt\/B&W Staff)<\/p>\n

After 10 months of consistent violations of the order, Noelle said she received a phone call one day from her brother-in-law saying they had found her husband\u2019s body.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She said she couldn\u2019t express the variety of emotions she felt at that moment.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of them was relief,\u201d Noelle said. \u201cHe couldn\u2019t come after us anymore. And then there was guilt, because I shouldn\u2019t feel relieved my husband just died. And then there was deep sorrow because my husband just died.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

After she finished sharing her story, Noelle picked up her guitar and sang a song she wrote about a year after her husband died titled \u201cSomeone to help you.\u201d She said writing and playing music has been one of the best forms of therapy for her.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She said she\u2019s been speaking up about domestic violence and drug abuse to let victims and survivors know they are not alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody either is somebody or knows somebody (struggling),\u201d Noelle said. \u201cI don\u2019t do it for pity. I do it to help people get the resources they need and hopefully find some strength.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"A table at the center of the vigil space held a purple candle. Purple symbolizes domestic violence awareness. (Natalie Javitt\/B&W Staff)<\/p>\n

Each of the four speakers shared their individual stories united by a common theme \u2014 Turning Point gave them hope when they felt there was none. Many of them were supported in the audience by friends, family, advocates and those who helped them.<\/p>\n

Once they finished recounting their stories, the names of the 10 people who died from domestic and intimate partner abuse were shown on the screen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The lights dimmed. Attendees held candles in a moment of silence honoring the individuals listed.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lori Sywensky, Turning Point\u2019s executive director, concluded the vigil by acknowledging the resilience of the speakers and survivors of abuse. Real bravery, she said, is a choice \u2014 the kind of choice that led people to have the courage to share their stories.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Sywensky said Turning Point\u2019s mission is to help people make that choice.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe help ordinary people who are facing some of the worst situations take brave steps, and we try and walk with them as they make those steps,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"A T-shirt reads, \u201cA successful woman is one who can build a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at her\u201d at Turning Point\u2019s annual vigil. The shirt was part of the Clothesline Project which brings visual awareness to different forms of violence. (Natalie Javitt\/B&W Staff)<\/p>\n

As people walked out of the vigil holding their candles, the Easton High School Choir performed two songs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The second, titled \u201cBe Like the Bird\u201d by Abbie Betinus based on a poem by author Victor Hugo, left the attendees with a concluding message.<\/p>\n

\u201cBe like the bird that\u2026 knows she hath wings.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Turning Point\u2019s 24-hour hotline can be dialed at 610-437-3369. The National Domestic Violence hotline can be dialed at 800-799-7233 or text BEGIN to 88788. More information and resources can be found at Turning Point\u2019s website<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Editor\u2019s Note: This content contains topics of domestic violence and may be distressing to some readers, viewer discretion…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":22551,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[5451,6223,153,155,154,1756,295],"class_list":{"0":"post-22550","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bethlehem","8":"tag-5-minute-read","9":"tag-analysis","10":"tag-bethlehem","11":"tag-bethlehem-headlines","12":"tag-bethlehem-news","13":"tag-events","14":"tag-top-stories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22550"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22550\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22551"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}