As October marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month, The Lighthouse is leading efforts to engage the community in preventing domestic violence, supporting survivors and raising awareness about available resources.

The organization is joining other advocates, survivors and supporters to highlight domestic violence’s prevalence and impact, The Lighthouse said in a news release.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four women and one in seven men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Per the release, experts emphasize that domestic violence affects people of all ages, genders and socioeconomic backgrounds. The National Network to End Domestic Violence campaign, #Every1KnowsSome1, underscores the widespread nature of domestic violence and emphasizes that it includes more than physical harm.

This month, The Lighthouse is encouraging communities to illuminate signs, bridges, fountains and buildings in purple, the color symbolizing domestic violence awareness. Eight city councils and the Baldwin County Commission will issue proclamations, with additional towns and cities expected to join throughout October.

The Lighthouse will hold its seventh annual Candlelight Vigil on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 6:30 p.m. at May Day Park in Daphne. Community members are invited to attend to honor victims who have died due to domestic violence.

"It is extremely important to remember victims of domestic violence and bring awareness to this crime and its impact on individuals, families, and the community," Executive Director of The Lighthouse Rhyon Ervin said in the release. "It is equally important to continue to offer hope to those who have experienced domestic violence and to celebrate those who have moved beyond it. These are our sentiments not only during Domestic Violence Awareness Month but throughout the year."

Founded in 1994, The Lighthouse is a nonprofit organization that works to eliminate domestic violence and sexual assault through education, intervention, services and community collaboration. The agency provides domestic violence services in Baldwin, Monroe, Conecuh and Escambia counties in Alabama, and sexual assault services in Baldwin and Escambia counties. For more information, visit www.thelighthouseabeacon.org.