Heart of Hospitality is a collaboration between several local violence prevention nonprofits and passionate service industry professionals hoping to create safer, more inclusive spaces. We hope to empower service industry staff to make a change in their community and for customers to be able to enjoy their spaces more by first feeling safer in them, regardless of identity. We achieve this through dynamic, interactive conversations and by tailoring lessons learned to each individual space.
ABOUT US
WHO WE ARE
Speak About It empowers students to foster healthier relationships and build healthier communities by directly addressing issues of consent, sexual assault prevention, and bystander intervention. Our performance-based programs provide young people with the tools to speak openly and honestly about sex and sexuality.
Through These Doors (TTD), formerly Family Crisis Services, was founded in 1977 and is the domestic violence resource center that serves victims and survivors in Cumberland County, Maine. We provide safe and accessible services to all people affected by domestic violence regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender, age, primary language spoken, or immigration status.
Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine (SARSSM) has been providing free and confidential services to victims of sexual assault since 1973. This 40 year history has provided SARSSM with unique insight into the communities and the people whom we serve. Through this lens, we have developed advocacy, support, education and prevention services to meet the needs of the Southern Maine region.
The Amy St. Laurent Foundations was established as the legacy of Amy St. Laurent who lost her life in 2001, a homicide victim during a sexual assault. It is the mission of the Foundation to help educate women and children of all ages in awareness, prevention and in the event it becomes necessary, techniques to protect themselves in dangerous or life threatening situations.
Prevention.Action.Change. works to counter harassment, assault, and abuse through safety strategies, verbal and physical skills, increased confidence and awareness, and the promotion of healing and growth.
The mission of the Portland Police Department is to maintain a safe city by working in partnership with the community to prevent and reduce crime, protect life and property, help resolve neighborhood problems and protect the rights of all.
WHAT WE DO
The training is about 2 hours (with a break in the middle) and opens with some introduction to this topic and some clarification on language before moving into talks about how one can begin addressing identity-based harassment both before a customer walks in and after it has occurred. Each HoH session is led by a member of the service industry and a professional from the violence prevention field. After the training, we will add the venue to a website and promote the business as being one of our trained partners in the community. The total cost is $250. Generally we try to cap the lesson at 25 people but can reevaluate pricing for larger groups.
Clara Porter, director of Prevention.Action.Change.; Karen Wentworth, director of community education and prevention at Family Crisis Services; Sheila Gibbons of Maine Spirits; Oronde Cruger, program director at Speak About It; Andrew Volk, owner of the Portland Hunt & Alpine Club; and Tracy Willette of Maine Spirits.
OUR TEAM
ORONDE
Oronde Cruger is the Program Manager of Speak About It. He's been in the service industry for 10 years, most recently at Liquid Riot Bottling Company. When he isn't working in social justice or at a restaurant, he's werking it on a local dance floor.
MEG
Meg Lynch is an educator with Speak About It. They have worked in front of house and back of house in restaurants in Southern Maine. In addition to working in consent education, Meg can be found biking, acting, and teaching kids circus arts.
CLARA
Clara Porter is the Director of Prevention. Action. Change. and teaches empowerment self defense, bystander intervention, and workplace safety throughout Maine. She’s all about creating community and building safety for everyone in our beautiful city.
DEVON
Devon Mulligan is the Education Program Manager of Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine (SARSSM). Prior to working in sexual violence prevention she worked in a slew of hospitality positions for 5 years. While she loved working both in front and in back of the house, being a Segway tour guide might have been her favorite. She lives with her two cats Jasper and Grasshopper.
