April 26 outreach is in advance of “Freeport Breaks the Silence of Domestic Abuse Month” in May
FREEPORT — On Wednesday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Freeport, Patrisha McLean, founder and president of Finding Our Voices, along with volunteers, domestic abuse survivors, and Freeport businesses, community leaders and residents, will participate in local outreach efforts to break the silence on domestic abuse. Wednesday’s efforts are in advance of May’s month-long spotlight on domestic abuse in Freeport. Earlier this month, the Freeport Town Council unanimously voted to designate May as “Freeport Breaks the Silence of Domestic Abuse Month.”
On Wednesday McLean and volunteers wearing yellow, the color of Finding Our Voices, will put up posters featuring photos of Maine domestic abuse survivors in downtown businesses for display in store windows. Each poster features one of 45 named Maine domestic abuse survivors aged 18 to 82 (survivor posters can be viewed online here). Bookmarks featuring photos of survivors will also be distributed at the local businesses. Later that day, students will join the group to get the full set of 45 posters on display in the Freeport Community Library.
The April 26 outreach efforts also will help promote a free May 10 Finding Our Voices community event at the Freeport Community Library. The Wednesday, May 10 event is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and includes a survivor-led community conversation and powerful short films.
McLean said, “Since the onset of COVID in 2020, Finding Our Voices has brought survivor faces and voices through more than 5,000 posters and 40,000 bookmarks to businesses in every Maine county and in virtually every high school in the state – all to raise awareness of domestic abuse and remove the stigma for victims that comes with it as we pave the way for systemic change.”
Finding Our Voices is a grassroots, survivor-powered nonprofit boldly and creatively breaking the silence of domestic abuse across Maine. Finding Our Voices provides sister support to those experiencing domestic abuse, including financial assistance to empower women to get and stay safe, and keep their children safe. It was founded in 2020 by Camden, Maine resident and photojournalist Patrisha McLean, who escaped a 29-year abusive marriage to a celebrity musician in 2016.
For more information, please contact Patrisha McLean, Finding Our Voices president/founder, at 207-322-6460 or [email protected].
