AUBURN — Safe Voices will host the Community Partner Awards and Fall Mixer and Silent Auction at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 27, at the Martindale Country Club.

Safe Voices Board of Directors and staff will be honoring incredible members of the community. The awardees are tireless advocates for the victims of domestic violence and each awardee is being honored for their continued commitment and partnership in the work to end all domestic violence in Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties.

The awardees are:

• Andrew Robinson, District Attorney for Maine’s Prosecutorial District Three, which encompasses Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford Counties. The Honorable Andrew Robinson was elected to the D.A. position in 2014. Prior to running for the district attorney’s position, Robinson was a prosecutor in the district, serving as the Assistant District Attorney and then the Deputy District Attorney for 15 years. Honorable Robinson is a stalwart supporter of the work to end domestic violence as he tirelessly works to hold offenders accountable and keep communities safer.

• Chief Jack Peck, Farmington, Police Department. Jack serves on several local boards as well as the Maine Justice Assistance Council, the MCJA Policy Committee and the Maine Chiefs of Police Association police review team. Peck started his career in 1984 at the age of twenty for the Cape Elizabeth Police Department. He worked there for approx. four years and moved back to Farmington. He was hired and has been serving the citizens of Farmington since 1989. Chief Peck is well respected by his peers. He is a tremendous resource in the community and is committed to the work to end domestic violence.

• Georgia Vallee and Caroline Bochtler, teachers from Leavitt High School. Both Vallee and Bochtler are being awarded for being wonderful allies in this work by their inclusion of domestic violence prevention education in the classroom by consistently inviting Safe Voices Community Educators to speak with students.

In addition to awarding some incredible community partners, Safe Voices is also awarding staff member Rebecca Austin with the Shining Star award for her commitment to excellence and to the mission of the agency. Austin had been the Franklin County Advocate when she first became employed at Safe Voices in 2009 where she helped to grow and strengthen the community relationships and increase services to victims of domestic violence across rural Franklin County. In September 2015, Austin became the Director of Outreach and Advocacy services, and has continued her passion for working to end domestic violence across the Tri-County area. Austin is always looking at the work to see where we have gaps and creatively come up with ways Safe Voices and the greater community can work to fill these gaps in order to best serve victims of domestic violence.

In addition to honoring the awardees, there will be much time for networking and bidding on the many silent auction items, including Celtics tickets, ski passes, a giant whoopee pie, jewelry and more, and socializing at the event with other people committed to the work of ending domestic violence.

Tickets to attend are $20 and include heavy appetizers and dessert bar. There will be a cash bar.

For those in a domestic violence situation, the Safe Voices’ 24-hour helpline can be reached by calling 1-800-559-2927.

FMI, tickets: kwasson@safevoices.org, 207-795-6744.

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