ABOUT US

Survivor Support Practices

Finding Our Voices is a grassroots nonprofit organization and sisterhood that provides financial assistance, peer support, and community connection for women survivors of domestic abuse across Maine. Our role is to complement — not replace — the critical work of shelters, advocates, legal professionals, and state agencies.

To ensure survivor safety, autonomy, and professionalism in our work,
we operate under the following clear boundaries and practices:

We do not provide legal advice

We do not offer legal guidance or interpretation. Survivors seeking legal assistance are referred to qualified attorneys, legal advocates, and domestic violence resource centers. 

Participation in storytelling or public events is always voluntary

Survivors are never asked or expected to share their story publicly, and certainly not as a criteria for receiving  support. Participation in panels, marches, or our educational efforts comes from the initiative of the survivor, letting us know this is something they want to do.

Financial assistance is provided with no expectation of publicity

Emergency funds and material assistance are offered privately and confidentially. There is no requirement to participate in any of our organizational activities.

We respect survivor autonomy and confidentiality

Survivors choose how and when they engage with our organization. Personal information is kept confidential and is never shared without explicit permission from the survivor.

We do not duplicate shelter or advocacy services

Finding Our Voices does not find or provide shelter and we do not do case management. We cannot put a credit card down for a motel/hotel stay or a U-Haul or car rental, but we can reimburse a social service agency for this. We do not operate a hotline, or do crisis intervention. We do not have a publicly available phone number. Survivors can reach us by email. 

We refer survivors to local agencies for what we can’t do, and also to supplement what we can do. We view our work as complementary to existing systems of support.

We follow trauma-informed, survivor-centered practices

All interactions prioritize safety, choice, respect, and empowerment. Survivors determine what support looks like for them.

Our support groups, get-togethers and gatherings are survivor-led spaces designed to reduce isolation and foster community, and healing.

We are 100 percent donor funded, neither seeking nor receiving government funding

Relying on creative community fundraisers, and donations from individuals, businesses and foundations allows us to be flexible with our support services and provide a quick turnaround for funding where a quick response is of the essence (e.g. women and moms needing to flee the state, safeguard their homes, selves, and children, access shelter NOW). 

Finding Our Voices exists to fill gaps, including those that arise after immediate safety has been addressed and particularly around financial stability, community, and long-term healing. We supplement  resources provided by regional domestic violence resource centers and other social service agencies.

Finding Our Voices is all about collaboration, and working with mutual respect with other providers of services to domestic abuse survivors in Maine. Open-hearted collaboration is what ensures that survivors have access to the widest possible range of supportive resources, and at a time of epic nonprofit funding cuts this is more important than ever.