Portland businesses put up banners to raise domestic abuse awareness

PORTLAND (WGME) – Banners were put up in the windows of businesses all across downtown Portland Wednesday, showing the face of a Mainer who has survived domestic abuse.

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The banners are being placed by Finding Our Voices, a survivor-powered, grass-roots organization aiming to break the silence surrounding domestic abuse.

In total, the faces of 40 Maine survivors, aged 18 to 80, are on display as a reminder that domestic abuse is present all around us.

“Domestic abuse awareness month is October, but we're not here because of that,” Finding our Voices Founder and President Patrisha McLean said. “For a year and a half since COVID, we've but up 1,800 of these, in 40-plus towns. And domestic abuse is happening in homes all around you, every second, every minute, every day, every week, every month. So people have got to know about it, understand it, all through the year.”

Organizers say there's a lot of shame associated with domestic abuse, but that shame is often misplaced on the victims.

They say their message is to put domestic abuse in the spotlight and show that it can happen to anyone.