MCEDV Releases First Annual Impact Report at Statehouse Event, Shows Progress in Maine’s Work to End Domestic Abuse

This week, MCEDV released our first annual Impact Report, which details and celebrates our accomplishments in areas related to housing for survivors, financial empowerment, firearms relinquishment, and more.  

The report was released as part of Domestic Violence Day at the Statehouse, where we were joined by partners in the movement to end domestic abuse, supporters of our work, and advocates from Maine’s regional Domestic Violence Resource Centers. 

Governor Janet Mills wrote, “For more than forty years, the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence has worked tirelessly to prevent domestic abuse, keep survivors safe, and hold abusers accountable. Most importantly, they’ve provided life-changing support to countless people impacted by abuse, helping them to know that they are not alone, that resources are available, and that a life free from abuse and violence is possible. While more work remains, Maine is fortunate to have such caring and committed partners working to end abuse once and for all.”  

We thank our partners across the state who represent the many different sectors that are part of the systemic response to domestic violence in Maine, and who play a critical role in improving safety for survivors and holding offenders accountable. Lastly, the success of our work would not be possible without the statewide network of advocates who provide critical and lifesaving services to thousands of Mainers every year and who play a key part in carrying our collective mission forward.  

“This report clearly shows that we are making a difference,” says MCEDV Executive Director Francine Garland Stark. “Sometimes progress is slow, and there is certainly much still to do. But when we look at the deliberate, collaborative work being done by MCEDV and our member programs, we see that we are demonstrating positive impact on issues that matter for survivors in Maine.”  

The statehouse event featured tabling displays from each of MCEDV’s member programs and from the Penobscot Nation Domestic and Sexual Violence Advocacy Center.  MCEDV’s display included stories and pictures from advocates who are themselves survivors, highlighting how many people working within Maine’s domestic violence movement have lived experience of abuse and violence. “Survivors have always led this movement,” says Garland Stark. “We are grateful for the chance to lift up just some of these many voices.”