Record high service calls at Safe Voices as budget cuts threaten staff
May 3, 2025
Reporting by Vivien Leigh | See full story at News Center Maine
LEWISTON, Maine — Federal grant cancellations are forcing a domestic violence nonprofit based in Lewiston to consider laying off staff and cutting programs.
Safe Voices, which provides services to people fleeing violence in Androscoggin, Oxford, and Franklin counties, will lose nearly half of its budget by October 1st.
After five years of planning and construction, Safe Voices unveiled a new $1.5 million Resource Center for Survivors at their offices in downtown Lewiston on Thursday. The center features a meeting space, a community kitchen, and a dedicated office area where survivors can access court paperwork and apply for jobs.
The center also includes a training facility for law enforcement, social workers, staff, and advocates, and a free boutique offering a variety of donated items, including dry goods, clothing, diapers, toys, and furniture, all aimed at helping survivors fleeing violence rebuild their lives.
“The safety net outside our doors is much weaker than it used to be, so we are filling more of the need,” Grace Kendall, Safe Voices’ Director of Development and Engagement, explained.
However, this much-needed expansion comes with a bittersweet edge. A million and a half dollars in HUD and Department of Justice grants the nonprofit has relied on, particularly under the Trump administration, are no longer available or will expire this fall.
To address this budget shortfall, 40 percent of the workforce—16 employees—and other vital programs are at risk of being cut, including a shelter for people who survived being trafficked.
“We operate the only dedicated safe house for survivors of trafficking and exploitation in Maine, and we are likely to close our only office in Oxford County,” Rebecca Austin, the Executive Director of Safe Voices, said.
The office in Rumford is home to two domestic violence advocates, a sexual assault advocate, and a domestic violence prosecutor—life-saving resources in a rural county where 911 response times can exceed one hour.
“Our services are focused on homicide prevention because our advocates sit with survivors and create safety plans, ” Austin added.
Cuts loom even as calls for help have surged more than 50 percent over the past five years; over 2,700 people in the tri-county area received support and services in 2024—a record high. Safe Voices remains hopeful that pending bills in the state legislature, which aim to increase funding for Maine’s domestic violence centers, might provide some financial relief.
If you or someone you care about is in a violent relationship, the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence has a 24-hour helpline. That number is 1-866-834-HELP (4357).
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