Despite chilly weather and poor lighting, participants in the Annual Domestic Violence Vigil walked around the block in honor of domestic violence survivors and victims and huddled together while using candlelight to see the way.

Safe Passage’s 11th annual vigil started off with a warm welcome from Rebecca Parfitt, a counselor with the agency.

“At Safe Passage, we are about stopping domestic violence, stopping it,” Parfitt said. “And we are about clarifying what it is and about opening the door and letting the light in so that this ugly fact can no longer be in existence.”

She said the vigil helps recognize the existence of domestic violence and that it hurts. Four million women are affected by domestic violence in the United States.

This figure does not include men who suffer from abuse. Although victims are overwhelmingly women, men are also victims, hurt either by other men or women.

The welcome was followed by an invocation by the Rev. Rita Root of the Federated Church in Sycamore, in which she prayed for the survivors, victims and abusers.

Abusers were included in the prayer because they need help gaining the strength to overcome cyclical behavior, she said.

Root, a survivor of domestic violence, said, “Just because you see a strong woman standing in front of you at the moment, it’s not always been the case.”

The program featured a speech by a survivor, Pam, who asked her last name be withheld.

She spoke of a 16-year relationship with a man who fathered her four children. The relationship turned sour after eight years.

As Pam began speaking of the first time her boyfriend beat her, tears came down and she took a moment to regain her composure. The abuse incident left her with two black eyes and bruises over her body.

Her boyfriend was arrested and jailed on a number of counts, including domestic violence.

Despite her traumatic experience, Pam returned to her boyfriend because she believed he loved her and the children.

At 34 years old, Pam had an epiphany. After years of physical, emotional and verbal abuse, Pam said she asked herself, “What the hell am I doing here?”

She left her abusive boyfriend after he smacked her and went to Safe Passage for help and support.

“There is a way out; it takes a lot of courage, love for yourself to get out,” Pam said.

The event included an awards ceremony.

Jennifer Welch, women’s policy advisor for Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, was honored for her work in getting DeKalb County a U.S. Department of Justice grant to increase and improve domestic violence prosecution.

For the last year, DeKalb County has employed a legal advocate, prosecutor and investigator dealing with domestic violence cases.

This helps police do better follow-ups of domestic violence cases with improved resources, Welch said.

Ron Matekaitis, DeKalb County state’s attorney, said with the added resources the state attorney’s office is able to communicate early and frequently with victims of domestic violence.