October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and Windham resident Brittany (for confidentiality purposes the newspaper is not using her last name) is using her own experiences as a domestic violence survivor to help others escape their own situation and to advocate for better resources for survivors.
“My family has been great support, but not everyone has that,” she said, noting her gratitude that her father was able to help her financially, allowing her to remove herself from the area once she had left the person she said abused her.
Domestic violence has been increasing in Maine over the past several years. According to Maine’s 15th Biennial Report of the Domestic Abuse Homicide Review Panel, released in 2025, more than half of the state’s 18 homicides between January and November 2025 were tied to domestic abuse. In 2023, just a quarter of the homicides across the state were tied to domestic violence, while in 2024, that percentage climbed to nearly half of the 34 homicides that year. According to publicly reported statistics, the Windham Police Department has responded to six incidents of assault, including domestic violence, in the past three months.
The main resource center for victims of domestic violence or abuse in the Windham area is Through These Doors, an organization that provides advocacy, residential services, a 24-hour hotline, and support groups.
“Through These Doors is where my advocates are,” Brittany said. “They helped me file the PFA (Protection from Abuse order) and are another voice to call police officers” to help support victims as they work their way through the complicated legal process.
The center also operates a 16-bed shelter in Portland (the location is kept private to prevent abusers from finding those who are seeking safety) that provides housing, basic necessities such as food and clothing, safety planning, and referrals to other resources. When full, survivors are pointed to other shelters in the community, including locations in Portland and Bridgton.
Originally named the Family Crisis Shelter, the shelter opened in 1977 to serve victims and survivors of domestic abuse, dating violence, and stalking in Cumberland County. The group’s 24-hour helpline, 1-800-537-6066, provides resources and guidance to survivors or other members of the community who are seeking support or to find ways to support a friend, family member or co-worker who may be experiencing domestic violence.
The organization also offers support groups to help people who have or are experiencing abuse which provides a safe place to talk about their situation, connect with other survivors, and to get encouragement.
Another organization that provides support to survivors, is Finding Our Voices, a nonprofit donor-funded organization founded in 2021 that works to complement existing resources for women survivors of intimate partner abuse in the state. Their programs include an online support group, in-person retreats, donated dental care, and financial assistance through their “Get Out Stay Out” program. The group provides funding to help low-income women afford to escape through paying for expenses, including shelter, car rentals, legal support, and cell phones. Caseworkers refer survivors to the program to receive assistance.
“Finding Our Voices provided me with $1,500 worth of anything we needed. I did an Amazon wish list and got my kids a couple of dressers, some clothes, some of their sensory support needs,” Brittany said. “They helped with some gas and grocery gift cards. They have a good support group, and this organization is very loud, which is great. We need advocates that don’t take ‘no’ for an answer, because these are people’s lives at stake. If they were more aggressive on policy, then maybe it would stop a lot of abusers getting to their victims, so they don’t keep violating” the protections that exist currently.
One change that Brittany thinks would help the legal system connect more effectively with victims is through ongoing training that involves survivors to help better understand how abuse can look different from what’s shown in courses.
“I strongly believe that law enforcement, judges, and others working within the judicial system should receive ongoing comprehensive domestic violence training,” she said, adding that survivors’ involvement is integral for that training. “Learning from advocacy organizations and textbooks is important but hearing directly from those who have lived through coercive control, abuse, and the legal system provides a perspective that cannot be taught from a textbook. Survivors can help professionals better understand the realities of abuse, why victims respond the way they do, and how the system can unintentionally revictimize those it is supposed to protect.”
Brittany also says that ensuring that victims have support to protect their animals when fleeing an abusive situation is essential.
“I was able to put a PFA on my chickens and my dogs,” she said, explaining that she has two German Shepherd dogs who are currently housed with family. “Some people stay because they don’t want to leave or rehome their animals. I was that person, but I got to a point where we had to go.”
As Brittany has grown more confident in telling parts of her story to others, she has found that her story has helped others realize their own situations are unsafe. That realization has helped inspire her to start helping grow a community of support.
“I recently shared a video on Facebook, but it was the first time I have stated my truth,” she said. “The video talks about sharing a story with another survivor, but at the end, it says, ‘now what if I told you this was my story.’ That changed the perspective for a lot of people. So far, I have helped five other women in similar situations connect with resources, advocates, given them advice as to what I would do differently. After that video, I had 28 people, men and women, telling me their stories that they haven’t told a single soul before.
“Being on the outside, I feel like my voice is coming back and I’m feeling like I own my body again, which is huge,” Brittany said. “But victims shouldn’t have to be this loud to be heard. At the end of the day, your safety and your children’s safety is the most important thing.”
More information about Through These Doors can be found on its website, https://throughthesedoors.org/. Details on Finding Our Voices is at https://findingourvoices.net/. Resources related to RedRover for survivors and pets can be found at https://redrover.org/.
For those outside of Cumberland County, the website for the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, https://www.mcedv.org/ can be used to find resources in other areas of the state. <
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