LEWISTON —October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and Safe Voices will host its annual memorial vigils throughout Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties. The goal of these vigils is to honor those who have lost their lives to domestic violence, offer hope to those still facing abuse and support those who have survived domestic violence.

The vigils will be happening at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, rain or shine. The Androscoggin County vigil will begin at Festival Plaza in Auburn and will include a short candlelit procession across the bridge to Veterans Park in Lewiston.

Vigils will be held at the same time at the Rumford Information Booth in Rumford, Moore Park in South Paris, and Meetinghouse Park in Farmington, with a procession to the Olsen Student Center at University of Maine Farmington. Guest speakers from the community will share their thoughts on the issue of domestic violence in our community.

The vigils are open to the public, and community members are encouraged to attend and show their support. This year Safe Voices’ theme for Domestic Violence Awareness Month is intersectionality, with a focus on the idea that social categorizations, like race, class and gender, are interconnected and cannot be examined separately from one another. In the case of domestic violence, it is vital to consider a victim/survivor’s entire personal history and experiences. The vigils are an opportunity for the community to come together to show that regardless of these social categorizations, domestic violence is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.

In addition to the vigils, Safe Voices will be conducting other awareness events throughout the month of October.

Helpline: 1-800-559-2927.

FMI: safevoices.org, [email protected], 207-795-6744.