Finding Our Voices, the grassroots nonprofit dedicated to advocating for and providing support to Maine women survivors of domestic abuse, has announced events from Bar Harbor to Portland to commemorate October’s national Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

“Our governor having just issued a proclamation pointing out that almost half of all homicides in Maine are related to domestic violence signals that bold action and attention must be paid to this issue'" said Patrisha McLean, CEO and founder of Finding Our Voices, "and that is what our nonprofit will continue to do throughout October."  

Governor Janet T. Mills is one of 48 Maine women survivors aged 18 to 85 starring on the Finding Our Voices posters that are in the business windows of 100 Maine towns, according to McLean.

Monday, Oct. 6, in Bar Harbor, the nonprofit will lead a 2 p.m. sign-making workshop at Hidden Barn Books, then there's a 3:30 - 5 p.m. public rally on the Village Green, and then be back to the bookstore for a 6 - 7:30 p.m. discussion about domestic abuse. 

The next stops of the group’s ongoing “Let’s Talk About It Tour” are Deer Isle and Brooklin, with October 15 and 16 early-evening panel discussions at Chase Emerson Memorial Library and Friend Memorial Public Library. 

Topics of the survivor-led panel discussions include emotional and financial abuse, and advice on how to best help anyone in an unhealthy or dangerous intimate-partner relationship. A revolving group of panelists include 85-year-old Mary Lou Smith of Scarborough, a retired second-grade teacher who is celebrating her 20-year anniversary of freedom; Sarah Doucette of Lewiston and author of “Stronger than that: A Domestic Abuse Survivor Uncovers the Truth of Her Abuser;" and Courtney Davis who grew up in Stonington with an abusive father and then found herself trapped in psychologically terroriism by her intimate partner. 

The events are free and open to the public, and include yellow refreshments to tie into the color of Finding Our Voices.

The Finding Our Voices Book Club is hosting an online discussion with Nicola Hanney on October 14, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., around her memoir Stronger: What Didn’t Kill Me, Made Me. The #1 bestseller in Ireland recounts criminal coercive control by her policeman-ex while she was battling cancer. The Blue Hill and Scarborough public libraries are live-streaming the event to their patrons, and the public can join the discussion on their own by visiting  https://bookclubs.com/finding-our-voices/join/

Finding Our Voices will close out Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Portland, Saturday, Oct. 25, at 6 p.m., Maine Mariners hockey game at the Cross Insurance Arena. Discounted tickets for a special Finding Our Voices seating section are available at https://www.gofevo.com/event/Findingour2

For a complete list of upcoming Finding Our Voices events visit https://findingourvoices.net/events-1. 

Finding Our Voices is the grassroots survivor-led nonprofit boldly breaking the silence of domestic abuse in Maine and providing meaningful support to its sisters including an online support group, Get Out Stay Out funding, and donated dental care. For more information visit https://findingourvoices.net/ or email Patrisha, the group's CEO and Founder,  at hello@findingourvoices.net