FARMINGTON – Several community members, who were involved in the founding of the Sexual Assault Victims Emergency Services in 1983, met to discuss with Kristen Jacques, the University of Maine at Farmington summer intern, the agency’s early years.

Jacques interviewed Susan Wales, Karyl Condit, Shirley Waddell, Eileen Liddy and Janine Winn, executive director. She also interviewed Lani Welch, Stan Davis and Ellen Grunblatt via telephone.

“There was so much privacy and shame in the early 1980s. People didn’t think to stand against the pervasive attitude of blaming the victim. We got to be a part of a revolution in awareness,” said Grunblatt, regarding the founding of the agency.

The information will be integrated into a “Narrative History of SAVES,” a project that Jaques worked on during her summer internship.

Jacques also mined old meeting minutes, records, scrapbooks and newsletters. Upon its completion, the history study will paint a picture of the founding of an agency, breakthroughs regarding sexual violence and other memorable moments over the past 23 years.

The completed project will be available to the public in the SAVES office. There will also be installments in upcoming issues of SAVES’ newsletter, the Networker, and it will eventually be posted on the Web site at www.savesrapecrisis.org.

Jacques said, “I am glad to have had the opportunity to learn about SAVES, the hard work that goes into the hotline and educating the community and schools. I really admire the work that everybody does here and the progress that SAVES has made throughout the years.”

SAVES is one of 10 rape crisis centers in Maine and provides services for Franklin County. It is a nonprofit organization that receives funding from the United Way of the Tri-Valley Area, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Franklin County Commissioner’s Office and donations from the community. Services are available to the community free.

The toll-free, 24-hour hotline number is 1-800-871-7741. Local cell phone users can access the hotline by calling 778-0110. For more information on sexual assault, SAVES’ services and volunteer or internship opportunities, call 778-9522, or e-mail [email protected].