Safe Voices holds ribbon cutting at new office

SOUTH PARIS — Safe Voices and representatives from the Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce celebrated the opening of Safe Voices’ new South Paris office with a reception and ribbon cutting April 19.
The space is part of Safe Voices’ expanded and enhanced services to the southern Oxford County area.

The services expansion has been made possible with grant funding from the federal Office on Violence Against Women, as well as support from the Maine Department of Health & Human Services, United Way, private foundations, corporate partners and individual donors.
Founded in 1977, Safe Voices is the domestic violence resource center serving Oxford, Androscoggin and Franklin counties. Each year, Safe Voices provides advocacy and support to more than 300 individuals throughout Oxford County, and provides prevention education programming to more than local 3,000 youth and adults.
Services include criminal and civil court advocacy, emergency shelter and housing services, support groups, community education and prevention programs, volunteer opportunities, and a Batterer’s Intervention Program for perpetrators of violence.
The Mission of Safe Voices is to support and empower those affected by domestic violence and to engage the community in creating social change in Androscoggin, Oxford and Franklin counties. For more information, call 207-795-6744.

PHOTO: Safe Voices staff members, from left, elley Glidden, director of community education; Elise Johansen, executive director; Rebecca Austin, director of advocacy services; Maggy Ackerman, rural grant coordinator; Oxford Hills Chamber of Commerce board member Peter Laverdiere; and Diane Gallagher and Grace Hooke, community educators and youth advocates for Safe Voices. (Submitted photo)