Community groups hold fundraiser run to help survivors of domestic abuse in Hillsboro

HILLSBORO Ore. (KPTV) - Sunday morning was the second annual Run for Hope at Hare Field in Hillsboro in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Four hundred people participated in the 5k run hosted by the Family Justice Center of Washington County and their partners like the Sexual Assault Resource Center.

“The hardest part about domestic violence is how isolating it is and how silencing it is, and we want to make sure that people can use their voices to talk about domestic violence. They can talk about it happening to them,” said Rachel Schutz with the Family Justice Center of Washington County.

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Schutz said they raised $6,000 this year, with a goal of $10,000. She said the funds will go to their partners to ensure there are resources available to everyone.

“If you need safety plans, if you need a restraining order, if you need housing, if you need counseling, if you need support groups, that can all be found with our partners,” Schutz said.

Yvette Zavala, a survivor of domestic violence, said the healing process is not an easy one.

“I have my days, up and down when I think about the things that I’ve experienced or I’ve heard stories and in that it has taught me resilience and moving on for the things that have happened to me,” Zavala said.

For the 5k run, Zavala wore a cape made out of purple ribbons with names written on them. She said the ribbons she wears are to give a voice to survivors.

“I wanted to honor and bring names and stories to survivors because I know firsthand what it’s like to experience. Being a survivor and having to participate in the community for the longest time, I myself didn’t participate in my own community because of that guilt and that shame.”