Maine Survivors of Domestic Violence Share Their Strength in a Unique Way

Survivors of domestic violence in Maine have found a voice and a pretty amazing resource.

Imagine if your abusive husband is a celebrity and world-renowned. Imagine not being believed because of that but fighting to be heard anyway. In 2016, the domestic violence arrest of Patrisha's celebrity husband, Don McLean, made worldwide headlines. Women all around Patrisha in her hometown of Camden, Maine, confided that they, too, had been through domestic abuse. This was the spark for Finding Our Voices.

Have you seen the Women in Windows posters throughout Maine?

The 'Women in Windows' campaign of Finding Our Voices includes posters hung in downtown business windows, libraries, town offices, hospitals, social service agencies, and schools throughout Maine. The posters can also be downloaded free from the website if people want to hang them in their place of business. See the posters and download them here.

READ MORE: Maine’s 10 Largest Women-Owned Businesses

What is Maine's 'Finding Our Voices'?

Finding Our Voices is a grassroots nonprofit connecting women survivors of domestic abuse to resources, including financial assistance, access to free dental care, and an online support group throughout Maine. Finding Our Voices breaks the silence and stigma of domestic abuse across Maine, one conversation at a time. Did you know that our governor, Janet Mills, is a domestic abuse survivor?

How did the poster campaign start in Maine for Finding Our Voices?

The poster campaign evolved from a multimedia exhibit of Patrisha McLean's photo portraits and audio recordings of survivors of domestic abuse, launching at the Camden Public Library on Valentine’s Day 2019. The exhibit traveled around the state before COVID turned it into a poster campaign. Patrisha McLean, CEO and founder of Finding Our Voices, said,

The posters crystallize how our grassroots nonprofit is breaking the silence of domestic abuse one conversation and community at a time.

These posters can be seen in more than 100 towns across Maine, featuring 50 domestic abuse survivors. If you find yourself in an abusive situation, you are not alone, and there is help and hope.