Partners for Peace Joins Thrive Penobscot

By Merrily Fales

Rural Outreach Advocate, Partners for Peace

Our mission at Partners for Peace is to engage individuals and the community to end domestic violence in Penobscot and Piscataquis Counties.  We provide support, advocacy, and safety planning to anyone affected by domestic abuse.  We foster safe and healthy relationships through prevention, education, and training.  Together with our community we recognize the nature of abuse, respond to it, and change the conditions which lead to it.

According to our website “Domestic violence or abuse isn’t an occasional fight or even just a nasty argument. It is a pattern of physical, verbal, or sexual threats or aggression used by one person in a relationship to control the other.”

We believe that every person deserves to live in peace and equality and that just and respectful relationships can change the world.

We know that it takes whole communities working together to accomplish these goals.  That’s why throughout the year, and throughout our communities, we participate in activities designed to raise awareness about domestic and dating abuse. Some are part of national or statewide campaigns, some are organized by Partners for Peace, and some grow out of ideas suggested by creative, caring community members who want to make a difference.

It is hard to speak to the day to day operations of what Partners for Peace advocates do, as it is an ever-changing dynamic, like the variety of people we serve. Some days we are on the phone all day, some days we accompany victim/survivors to court. What we can say, is that at the end of the day we know that we have made a difference in how we serve those that need our help. This would not be made possible without the never-ending support that we receive from our communities!

Our services are accessed through our 24-Hour Hotline. The hotline is free and confidential—and you can call us anonymously at: 1-800-863-9909. If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.

In addition, community partners and individuals seeking information about Partners for Peace can find it at our website: www.partnersforpeaceme.org.

Partners for Peace works with multiple organizations, and our sister resource centers throughout Maine. Our participation and partnership with Thrive Penobscot is a great benefit to our staff and those we serve because we are learning more about the many resources available to our community, as well as promoting referrals to our organization from surrounding community members. Not only does Partners for Peace gain knowledge and resources by attending Thrive Penobscot meetings, we get to share our knowledge of domestic violence within the communities to the other Thrive community partners.  Our partnership with Thrive has helped us to become more effective and will help us reach our goal of helping families form safer relationships.