Candlelight vigil honors homicide victims
UPPER MERION » Montgomery County residents touched by the killing of loved ones filled council chambers Tuesday night for a solemn vigil remembering homicide victims.
The ceremony, now in its 28th year, is a way for Victims Services Center of Montgomery County to offer hope and healing to those affected by these tragic and untimely deaths.
Unfortunately, since last year’s ceremony, 25 additional names have been added to the list of nearly 300 — including 31 law enforcement officials — memorialized by the nonprofit victims’ advocacy group over the past three decades.
The vigil included remarks by Upper Merion Police Chief Thomas Nolan and inspirational songs of remembrance.
From the opening presentation of Colors by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard to the closing roll call of the victim’s memorial commemoration, the vigil gave family and friends of the fallen an opportunity to come together and remember, with the assurance that the community remembers as well.
“As you can see it’s a very moving ceremony,” said Victim Services Center Executive Director Mary Onama.
“It means a lot because when somebody’s killed there’s so much pain and there’s so much devastation.”
Onama said Victim Services Center reaches out to the victims’ families or gets connected to them through law enforcement.
The organization helps the families navigate through the criminal justice system and provides counseling and advocacy services.
“We also help them to apply for crime victims’ compensation, and for those who have difficulty with funeral arrangements, we work with them to get some funds,” Onama added.
“Many people don’t know about that so we try to get that taken care of.”
Each year, the location of the vigil changes to be closer to a community affected by homicide. Last year, it was held in Montgomery Township where Robert Braxton III was shot and killed while attending Sunday services at Keystone Fellowship Church in April 2016.
Upper Merion was chosen this year to be near the family and friends of Alyssa Kenny and her young daughter Anastasia who were killed in March 2016 in Galax, Va. but hailed from Norristown.
“That’s why we do it,” Onama said of the annual memorial. “Because it gives the opportunity to be together, to share but to also give hope.”
“We have to remember that the victims’ life needs to be remembered too, not just their death.”
Victims Services Center will be holding their 7th annual 5K run and walk for Sexual Assault Awareness Month this Saturday, April 14 at the Norristown Farm Park, where an unsolved rape occurred last summer.
The organization will also be hosting the Matty Muir Leadership Awards, which honors people who work to improve conditions for victims, May 6, at the William Penn Inn in Gwynned.
For more information, visit the Victims Services Center of Montgomery County Inc. web page at www.victimsercicescenter.org.