Community Voices:

Envisioning An October 25th Memorial

What could a permanent memorial connected to the October 25, 2023 mass shooting represent, hold, or make possible for our community?

This fall, the Maine Resiliency Center will bring Community Voices: Envisioning an October 25 Memorial to events and gathering places throughout the community.

Through simple, creative activities, you will be invited to share what a memorial could represent, what it should help us remember, and what you hope it might offer our community in the years ahead. Can’t make a pop up? Take the survey!


MRC is not planning, designing, or developing a memorial, and there is no predetermined proposal or outcome. What community members share will be documented and preserved so it can inform any future memorial effort.

Pop Up Events

FAQs

Is the Maine Resiliency Center planning or developing a memorial?

No. MRC is leading an independent community visioning process. It is not selecting a site, creating a design, choosing a developer, or overseeing budget, fundraising, or construction. There is no predetermined memorial proposal or outcome connected to this engagement.

Is this a City of Lewiston project?

No. This community visioning process is being led independently by the Maine Resiliency Center. MRC is not conducting the engagement on behalf of the City, a developer, or an established memorial committee. The findings can be made available to the City and to others who may participate in future memorial efforts.


Why is MRC doing this if it is not planning the memorial?

MRC regularly hears from impacted people, community members, and professional partners about the importance of remembering October 25, 2023. We believe people should have an opportunity to share what remembrance could look like before a specific plan or proposal is developed.

The visioning process also has value on its own. It creates space for reflection, listening, and shared meaning while preserving community perspectives that can inform future memorial efforts.


Has a memorial already been approved or planned?

No specific memorial, site, design, or development process has been established through this project. This engagement begins with community voice rather than a predetermined proposal.



What will happen to the information people share?

MRC will gather the ideas and perspectives shared through the community visioning process and develop a summary of what was heard. The information will be preserved and made available to help inform any future public or community-led memorial effort.

Participating does not mean endorsing a particular memorial, site, design, organization, or process.


Why is this just starting now? 

Remembrance and commemoration began in the days after October 25, 2023, through spontaneous memorials, community gatherings, annual commemorations, and work led by the City of Lewiston and the OneLewiston Resilience Fund Committee. This visioning process builds on, rather than replaces, those efforts.

A permanent memorial requires thoughtful, inclusive engagement, and people may be ready to participate at different points in their healing. As recovery continues, MRC is creating a broad, accessible opportunity for people to share what meaningful, lasting remembrance could look like.