Forty-two restaurants, bakeries, ice cream parlors and food trucks are offering yellow food and drink items in July and donating proceeds to Finding Our Voices.  Diners can order "Into the Light" menu items in Searsport, Belfast, Lincolnville, Islesboro, Camden, Rockport, Rockland,  Thomaston, Spruce Head, Monroe, and Bath.

 

Finding Our Voices is the survivor-powered grassroots nonprofit boldly breaking the silence of domestic abuse across Maine. All money raised through "Into the Light!" will pay for shelter, car, legal and food to get and keep women and children safe, offsetting the financial abuse that is a main factor in keeping them trapped in dangerous home situations. 

 

Why yellow? The group’s founder/president Patrisha McLean said that yellow is the color of Finding Our Voices “because we have managed to escape domestic abuse and are empowering our sisters to cross over to the bright side of safety and freedom.” McLean added,  “We also shine a light to alert the general public as to how pervasive, complicated, and insidious it is, and that way more money, consideration and resources need to be funneled to victims." 

 

The yellow menu items for July’s “Into the Light!” include the Saucy Lobster Roll from Must Be Nice Lobster in Belfast, Yellow Velvet corn and squash soup at Primo and Loud Lemon Lady dessert at The Landings both in Rockland, Lemon Tiramisu from Dot’s in Lincolnville, Creme Brulee at Fresh & Co. in Camden, Sunny Coast Martini from In Good Company in Rockland, Mango Bango dessert cup at StreetFood330 in Rockport, and lemon ice cream from Stone Fox Farm Creamery in Searsport. 

 

Artist Julie Crane created the logo. Event sponsors are Wander Women Tours, Mathews Brothers, Viking Lumber, McLean Hospital and Borden Cottage, Dirigo Law Group,  Stanley Chevrolet Buick, Cold Mountain Builders, RAYR wine & cheese shop, Lucinda Watson, Sue Michlovitz, Skip Klein, Judy Sanders, and Cig Harvey. 

 

Finding Our Voices’ Patrisha McLean said “To be in domestic abuse is to be unseen and unheard. You feel small and insignificant and alone. So to have so many of the community’s star chefs, businesses, and artists stepping up for survivors is powerful and beautiful indeed." 

 

Midcoast places where you can order "Into the Light!” in July to empower survivors include Ada’s Kitchen, Aster & Rose, Atlantic Baking, La Bella Vita, Bleecker & Greer, Blue Barren, Brazen Baking, Causeway at the Craignair Inn, Darby’s, Dark Harbor Shop, Delvino’s, Dot’s, Fatroll, Fresh & Co., Freya’s, Front Street Pub, Harborwalk, Hartstone Inn, Hey Sailor!, Homeport Tavern, In Good Company, The Landings, Laugh Loud Smile Big, Long Grain, Mae’s Cafe, Main St. Markets, Mosaic, Must Be Nice Lobster, Nautilus, Nina June, North Beacon Oyster, The Only Doughnut, Primo, Rio’s, Rose Cottage Bakery, Sea Dog Brewing, Station 118, Stone Fox Farm Creamery, StreetFood330, Toddy Pond Farm and wolfpeach.