Dozens of advocates gathered at the Hartford Healthcare Ampitheater in Bridgeport Wednesday night to honor lives lost from domestic violence and to raise awareness for the silent epidemic.

“It needs to stop being silent," says Debra Greenwood, CEO of the Center for Family Justice. "That’s why we have this vigil because we need your help."

Wednesday night's vigil came on the heels of a brutal domestic violence attack in Bridgeport.

“We want to expose our police cadets to as much as we can while they’re in training," Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter says.

Decreased funding for domestic violence centers remains a huge issue.

“This is not an issue that affects either party," State Rep. Antonio Felipe says. "This is an issue that affects everybody, so we need to get people together and talk about how important this really is."

People are encouraged to dial the Domestic Violence hotline at 203-384-9559.