UPCOMING EVENTS

A Survivor-Speaks panel discussion, outdoor and indoor exhibits, and public educational rally are just some of the ways Cape Elizabeth is boldly breaking the silence of domestic abuse in July through a partnership with Finding Our Voices.

On Tuesday, July 15, at 6:30 p.m., seven domestic abuse survivors aged 21 to 85 will share their stories at the panel discussion in the Thomas Memorial Public Library. This event is free and open to the public.  

Signs with photo portraits of Maine survivors along with quotes referencing the abuse they transcended will be visible throughout the town. The photos, along with posters created by high school students from a Finding Our Voices “This is Not Love” project, will also be displayed in the library’s Stier Family Gallery. Rachel Davis, director of the Thomas Memorial Public Library, made the request to the Town Council at their June meeting that resulted in a unanimous vote for the proclamation of July being declared, “Cape Elizabeth Breaks the Silence of Domestic Abuse Month.” 

According to Davis, “there is a stigma associated with seeking help with domestic violence,  especially in communities like Cape Elizabeth. By raising awareness and providing educational resources, our hope is that the stigma will be removed and our local domestic abuse victims will get the support they need.” 

Davis, who is herself a survivor of childhood domestic abuse, has positioned the library as a safe place for victims of domestic violence to take the first steps toward finding help. The library’s initiatives around this issue include shelves in the library’s public bathrooms offering a selection of free books about domestic abuse, along with a note that says, “Take what you need.” 

Two authors, Rebekah Lowell and Deb Gould, will be part of the July 15 panel discussion. Lowell, who has previously offered presentations and workshops at the library based on her children’s books, will talk about how she and her daughters were held captive by her husband for 10 years. Gould’s book, Household, is based on her own experience of emotional abuse by a girlfriend.  

Scott Denman will talk about his abusive father, and Mary Lou Smith will discuss how "no one knew" of the four decades of terrorizing by her college professor-ex husband. Lilly DesRoberts is a UNE pre-dental student interning this summer at Two Lights Dental. Lilly will talk about being stalked and almost killed by a boyfriend. Dr. Jacobsen at Two Lights is one of 37 Maine dentists donating dental care to women and child survivors of domestic abuse through the Finding Our Voices program Finding Our Smiles. Library Director Rachel Davis will share her experience of growing up in a professional, affluent family and how witnessing domestic abuse as a child has had an ongoing impact on her life.

Members of the Cape Elizabeth police department also will be on hand to share an overview of domestic abuse in the town, and what victims can expect if they reach out for help.

Even sponsors include Spinnaker Trust. 

For more information about July’s domestic abuse awareness events in Cape Elizabeth visit https://www.thomasmemoriallibrary.org/