What is your truth? SARSSM listens to victim/survivors of sexual violence.
1.800.313.9900 24-Hour Crisis & Support Line
The 24-Hour Crisis & Support Line is available to victim/survivors of sexual violence and their family members, partners and friends who directly support them. Regardless of age, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, gender identity, ethnicity or cultural views our services are free and available to all people.
SARSSM Headlines ...
Beginner Tai Chi Class: Another Step in Your Healing Journey In association with Full Circle Synergy, SARSSM offers this class to female survivors of sexual violence. The intent of the class is to contribute to further healing through Tai Chi and Qigong methods. Each class will have a SARSSM staff advocate on-site to offer encouragement and support. This is a closed support group that is offered to a maximum of 15 female survivors of sexual violence.
Focus:
The class will focus on stress and shock release/detoxification, finding balance metaphorical and physical, movements to re-energize and open the body, to define comfortable ranges of motion and boundaries, and perhaps to explore detoxifying and healing the etheric space around each of us with gentle collaborative two person exercises.
Tai Chi Ch'uan For Self-healing and Wellness (from fullcirclesynergy.com)
"T'ai Chi Ch'uan is based on certain principles and qualities of movement and attention, to cultivate a sense of rootedness, balance, calm, softness, release, and focus. The mind, body and spirit are joined as one combines movement with attention and breath to cultivate relaxation, the release of stress and tension from the body and mind, to develop a greater sense of overall well-being, and to foster mindfulness. The movements are designed to help balance the flow of qi or energy in the body. All of these benefits can lead a practitioner to experience quiet meditative joy within movement."
Dates & Times:
September 16th - November 18th 2010
Thursday evenings 6:50 - 8:00 pm
Location:
Full Circle Synergy
500 Forest Avenue
Portland, Maine 04101
207-780-9581
FMI: Please contact SARSSM at or (207)828-1035.
TRAINING DATES ARE SET! BECOME A VOLUNTEER ADVOCATE! Being an advocate is easier than you think, and you can volunteer from your home! Volunteers are needed to train as Advocates for Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine's (SARSSM) 24-hour Crisis & Support Line.
We are very excited to announce our modernized, more convenient volunteer advocate training program. Partnering with RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network) we will now be able to offer a combined online and classroom training format. We hope this will enable people who need more flexibility in the training schedule to participate in our volunteer advocate program.
As an advocate you will be providing support and information to survivors and concerned others on the Crisis & Support Line. You will also have the opportunity to provide in-person support to survivors at local hospitals. There are flexible shifts to fit your schedule. Go to the volunteer section of our website for a downloadable schedule, application and frequently asked questions.
The next training session will begin Sept. 29, 2010. Applications are currently being accepted for the fall session.
Click Here to download a Crisis and Support Line Advocate Application (PDF)
Click Here to view our Crisis & Support Line Advocate Training Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page.
Requirements:
Volunteers choose their own shifts, we only ask that they take one shift per week, with at least one shift per month being a weekend shift. Shifts range from 4.5 - 9 hours, depending on the one chosen. Volunteer advocates have access to pagers if needed.
Volunteers must complete our agency's comprehensive advocate training in Portland, must make a one-year commitment, and the minimum age is 18. Background checks are completed on all Advocates.
24th Annual Chocolate Lovers' Fling The 24th Annual Chocolate Lovers' Fling was another enormous success! We filled the ballroom at the Holiday Inn By the Bay with over 600 guests and 20 incredibly talented Chocolatiers, raising nearly $23,000 to support our programs and services. Click here to read more about this year's event!
6 Who Care Award Winner! One of our advocates, Elaine Riesenberg, was recently awarded a 6 Who Care Award. Since 2000, United Way of Greater Portland has partnered with WCSH 6 and TD Bank for the prestigious 6 Who Care Awards. 6 Who Care is a truly unique event that celebrates the power of volunteerism and recognizes people who exemplify it in our community.
Are you worried about someone finding out you visited this web site? Click here for more information about how to protect your internet privacy.
Please note: while we are happy to answer general questions & inquiries about our services and available community resources, at this time we are unable to provide advocacy via the internet. Thank you for your understanding.
