Marches to raise awareness on domestic violence held in Glendale, Burbank

PanARMENIAN.Net - Nearly 60 volunteers marched the streets of Glendale and Burbank to raise awareness and gain support for a new domestic violence help center that they hope will make inroads with Armenian families.

Volunteers met in front of St. Peter Armenian Apostolic Church in Glendale and walked to St. Leon Armenian Apostolic Church in Burbank, marching under the slogan “Violence Hurts, Love Conquers.”

Fr. Vazken Movsesian of St. Peter Armenian Apostolic Church in Glendale formed the domestic violence task force under the auspices of His Eminence Archbishop Hovnan Derderian, primate of the Western Diocese of the Armenian Church of North America.

“Nobody has a right to hurt a human being,” Movsesian said. “You don’t have a right to hurt your wife and your children. In these cases, I don’t look at statistics because if we have one case, that’s too many.”

The purpose of the domestic violence task force is to create a resource center where victims can get help and support, or be taken to a safe place. The center, with a central office at the Western Diocese in Burbank, will probably open this fall, organizers said.

The walk ended in Burbank St. Leon Armenian Cathedral, where Derderian conducted the blessing ceremony of volunteers, Glendale News-Press reported.