Finding Our Voices, grassroots, survivor-powered nonprofit, has been awarded a $10,000 grant by the Maine Community Foundation.

The money, according to Patrisha McLean, founder/president of Finding Our Voices, is “to help bridge the gaps in support for Maine’s women domestic violence survivors,” according to a news release from McLean.

Maegan Graslie, an artist and an University of Maine at Augusta student in Ellsworth, shows her poster and a thank you card she created for the Maine Community Foundation. She also is one of 45 Maine survivors on the Finding Our Voices domestic abuse-awareness posters and bookmarks that have been posted and distributed all across Maine. Patrisha McLean photo

“This very generous grant from such a distinguished entity as the Maine Community Foundation affirms our ground-breaking efforts and will bring light to the far too many women in our state who are struggling to keep themselves and their children safe,” continues McLean.

McLean said the money will help move forward such programs as Finding Our Smiles, which provides pro-bono dental procedures for survivors and educational posters and bookmarks featuring the photo portraits of 45 Maine survivors of domestic abuse that are provided for free to any school, group, or business requesting them.

The grant will also benefit peer-to-peer empowerment of incarcerated women at the Windham Corrections Center and the Get Out Stay Out fund that pays for shelter, car, legal and food costs.

“With Finding Our Voices breaking the silence of domestic abuse one conversation and Maine community at a time, it is especially meaningful to be allied with a foundation that is all about strengthening Maine communities,” said McLean.

For more information, visit findingourvoices.net.

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