The Safe Voices Survivor Storytellers project is open to any and all survivors of domestic abuse or sex trafficking who are interested in building storytelling skills alongside other survivors. People who take part in Survivor Storytellers are poets, fiction writers, memoirists, dancers, public speakers, visual artists, and more. At monthly meetings, we share writing tips and ideas, workshop writing (always voluntary), share resources or examples we’ve seen, and talk about storytelling opportunities we’ve seen and how to evaluate if it’s something you want to do.

Some participants in Survivor Storytellers know for sure that they want to tell their story publicly in some way. Some need to think about it more. And some know they are only working on their stories as a way to process their experiences and take back their narrative. All of those options and intentions are welcome, and those options are also welcome to shift with time. What sounded impossible today might not feel impossible three months from now, and vice versa. You will never be pressured to share your story outside these meetings, but we can help you prepare if you choose to.

Each meeting is staffed by Safe Voices facilitators who are fully trained in survivor advocacy and have expertise in storytelling, as well as one or two Safe Voices advocates who are there to support a storyteller who, at any point, needs to step out of the room to process any feelings that came up. We aim to make these meetings trauma informed, low-barrier*, and casual.

• *At this time, these meetings happen in person at our office in Lewiston. We recognize that this may present a travel barrier, and we have gas cards to help with those costs. At this time, our staff can only facilitate one session, though we would love to expand to other areas or online options in the future if we have the capacity.

Meetings are the fourth Thursday of each month (except November and December, when we move to the third Thursday), from 5pm to 6:30pm. Safe Voices provides snacks, drinks, journals, and a lending library of books. We can also provide gas cards if the travel cost to our office is a hardship, and we have a fund available to help pay submission fees if any participant submits their work to a journal or magazine for consideration. Want to be on the info list to hear about our next meeting? Sign up below: