JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville’s non-profits would struggle to continue providing life-changing services without the help of community members - and Saturday, they didn’t disappoint.
Hubbard House, a domestic violence shelter, said 1700 people showed out for its 16th annual Stand Up & Stride Domestic Violence Awareness Walk.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
Action News Jax had the chance to speak with CEO Dr. Gail Paten before walkers took off.
“This is often a crime that people don’t talk about and today is about celebrating the strength, courage and resiliency of survivors,” said Paten “It also brings awareness to the community and it raises money for our mission – because as long as there’s domestic violence, we want to be hear to help survivors be safe and we want to help them find their path.”
Despite registration being free, the walk managed to raise more than $113,000 for Hubbard House’s mission.
Domestic violence is something that not everyone manages to make it out from. Friends and family members of victims turned out Saturday to make sure their loved ones aren’t forgotten.
“This cause is so important to me because I lost my sister to domestic violence back in 2003.” said one walker, Latoya Calhoun. “It’s important for me to come out here in her remembrance to let her story still live and also encourage other people to get out and support people that are in this situation.”
Hubbard House provides a sanctuary for people and their children who need an immediate way out of violent home situations.
“We have a shelter where people can come and live for free who are literally fleeing for their lives, for them and their children. There are programs in this shelter for everybody of every age,” said Dr. Paten.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Still, not everyone knows the resources available to them. That’s where events like these come into play.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, you can reach a trained advocate from Hubbard House by using one of its 24-hour contact numbers.
- 24-hour call line: (904) 354-3114
- 24-hour text line: (904) 210-3698
In 2024, Hubbard House said it shelters 826 women, children and men while providing services to more than 4,500 survivors and families.
To learn more about the shelter’s services, click here.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
