Survivors speak at the Waterville stop of the Finding Our Voices Talking Tour. Courtney Billings and Christine Buckley on the left are two of the 45 Maine survivors on the Finding Our Voices posters that are on business windows and in changing rooms and restaurant bathrooms across the state. Buckley will be joining the July 18 discussion at Waterman’s Community Center on North Haven. (Courtesy of Patrisha McLean)

NORTH HAVEN — Finding Our Voices is breaking the silence of domestic abuse on North Haven on Tuesday, July 18 with a survivor-led film and discussion program. 

The 6:30 to 8 p.m. event at Waterman’s Community Center is free and open to the public. 

The program features two short films on coercive control (AKA emotional abuse) and the impact on children. This will be followed by a community conversation led by Maine survivors including Finding Our Voices founder/President Patrisha McLean of Camden.

In one film, Camden business owner Christine Buckley reflects on growing up in domestic abuse and vowing to provide a stable home for her children only to find herself trapped in the same dynamic as a mother. Buckley will be a panel participant.  

The other film “Timekeeper” was created expressly for educators to be able to identify and help children in their classrooms who are being terrorized at home. Teachers are encouraged to attend the event and provide their insights in the post-screening conversation.

McLean said “Waterman’s Community Center with its catchphrase ‘Community, Creativity, Connection’ is the perfect partner for Finding Our Voices, and I am grateful to their director and staff for collaborating with us to bring light on North Haven to an issue that hides in plain sight all around us.” 

The event is part of the Finding Our Voices Maine Talking Tour that launched last October at the Scarborough Public Library. 

The 2023 Tour started in Waterville and Freeport and is making stops in September and October on Mount Desert Island and in Damariscotta, Millinocket, and York. 

Domestic abuse survivors wanting to join the panel discussion on North Haven or any of the other towns on the tour please contact McLean at hello@findingourvoices.net 

Finding Our Voices is grassroots and survivor-powered, boldly breaking the silence of domestic abuse across Maine. The group provides sister support including financial assistance and galvanizes action toward more safety, rights, services, and justice for victims.

For more information about Finding Our Voices visit https://findingourvoices.net . Learn more about Waterman’s Community Center at https://www.watermans.org.