MOSES LAKE - It was an emotional night during New Hope's Domestic Violence Action Month event as advocates and community members remembered those lost and urged all to take action.

Royal City Police Officer Ray Rodriguez shared Thursday a story of a woman involved in an abusive relationship for more than a year who took action and contacted New Hope to get help, likely saving her life, he said.

"Unfortunately, cops see the worst of domestic violence," Rodriguez said. "New Hope is there to help. Act on it. Everyone knows about it now. Don't just know about it. Act on it."

The message of the night was "action." This year, Domestic Violence Awareness Month has changed to action month. Those who shared stories of personal experience with domestic violence took action to get help.

One of the victims was Donna Bottineau, founder of the Hope Agency, another resource in Grant County for victims of domestic violence.

Bottineau said she grew up with stepfathers who abused her mother. She herself then became the victim in her first marriage, when her then husband threw her down a flight of stairs when she was pregnant.

"I believed I would continue to go back over and over had I not been thrown down the stairs six months pregnant and my daughter came flying down after me," she said. "It was then I said I would never let this happen to me again."

She began living in her car with her daughter when someone reached out to help her.

Two years ago, she opened the Hope Agency to help with supervised visitations, but realized she needed to do more, now supporting healthy relationships and mentoring families.

Following the event inside of Frontier Middle School, the crowd of about 50 people headed outside for a candlelight vigil, reading the names of the 53 victims who died from domestic violence in the state last year.

For more information on New Hope Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services, call 509-764-8402, or call the 24-hour victim hotline at 1-888-560-6027.

The Hope Agency in Moses Lake can be reached at 509-766-6687