“A light in the darkness” was the theme for The Hiding Place’s candlelight vigil, held the evening of Thursday, October 2, 2025 outside the Pickens County Courthouse to begin Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Speakers included The Hiding Place’s Co-Executive Director and Founder Breann Griffin, The Hiding Place’s Board President Donna Martin, Pickens Chief of Police Randal Beach, Victims’ Advocate for Pickens Police Department Brittany Roper, and The Hiding Place’s Co-Executive Director Jennifer Pace. The Hiding Place’s Board Treasurer Shawn Martin opened the event with prayer.  The event included the lighting of candles during a remembrance song, “Rescue” by Lauren Daigle, and a Say Their Name ceremony, as attendees spoke the names of domestic violence survivors as well as names of those who lost their lives to domestic violence.

Please note: The audio from the entire ceremony, with speeches by all speakers, can be heard by pressing the play button below.

Also, view 35 photos from the event below.

The event was hosted and presented by The Hiding Place, which assists victims of domestic violence. For more information about The Hiding Place, visit their website at https://www.thehidingplacepickens.org/.

The Pickens County Advocacy Center assisted with the event. For more information on this organization, visit their website at https://www.pcadvocacy.org/.