Safe Voices, previously known as the Abused Women's Advocacy Project, was incorporated as a not-for-profit organization in 1977. The project began as a response to a critical need for emergency shelter: abused women and their children needed a safe place to stay. In 1977, our community struggled with addressing the needs of battered women and children who were not safe. There was no place for them to go, no low-income housing, and no federal or state monies for domestic violence. Four women from Androscoggin County went to Massachusetts to learn about the state's efforts to help battered women. From there, Safe Voices was born with two families accepting women into their homes. In 1979, Safe Voices opened the emergency shelter with a total of four staff, due in part to an act to appropriate funds for emergency shelters and services for victims of domestic violence. Over the years, the shelter moved many times, and once it was burned down and much was lost. Currently, Safe Voices operates the only shelter and support services for battered women in Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties. Since 1977, Safe Voices's four-fold mission--providing emergency and support services to victims of domestic violence, promoting ways to foster healthy relationships, educating the community about the seriousness and prevalence of this crime, and working toward social change so that communities no longer tolerate this abuse--has developed into a strong safety net for victims of domestic abuse seeking support, assistance, and a life free from the threat of further abuse. In addition to providing emergency shelter, Safe Voices has a network of local community-based offices in Farmington, Lewiston, Norway/South Paris and Rumford. These local offices provide one-on-one support, support groups, children's services, advocacy, information and referral, court advocacy, transporting and accommodation for shelter, community education and professional trainings.
