Northwest Ohio communities raise awareness, show support with events to empower domestic violence survivors

TOLEDO, Ohio — Communities in northwest Ohio marked the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month on Wednesday with events in Toledo and Bowling Green aimed at raising awareness and supporting survivors.

Dozens gathered at Imagination Station in downtown Toledo for the first annual Breaking the Cycles of Violence Summit, hosted by the city of Toledo. The event focused on educating professionals, youth and community members about recognizing signs of abuse and learning about resources available to survivors.

"We've got professionals who are getting the tools they need to better serve survivors here in our community, and we've got youth learning the red flags in relationships and the tools they need to identify abuse in relationships and respond when they see it happening," said Rebec