Newsletter: March 2026
A Note from Our Executive Directors
Dear Supporters and Community Members,
We are excited to share that 2026 marks New Hope Midcoast’s 45th anniversary! In honor of our time serving the Midcoast, we are planning two events to celebrate our work and to thank the community that has supported us along the way. These celebrations will be on August 20 at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath and on August 27 at the Center for Maine Contemporary Arts in Rockland. Both events will be open to the public, and we hope you will save the date and join us at either event! Watch for exhibits throughout our four-county service area in June and July. Information will be posted here as we get closer.
Our Board of Directors is currently engaged in a search for the agency’s next Executive Director with a commitment to finding a strong leader who will advance our mission and move our critical work forward. During this transition, trauma-informed service, a commitment to the people we serve, and transparency continue to be hallmarks of our work each day. This year promises fresh and engaging ideas as our dedicated staff support survivors, provide community-based education, and collaborate with local agencies to strengthen our community's response to domestic violence.
Please read on for more updates about our programs and services, as well as information and dates for our annual clothing and accessory sale, Shop for Hope.
We are so fortunate to have a strong team of staff and a dedicated Board of Directors working together to support victims and survivors. We hope you will continue to stand alongside us as we celebrate 45 years serving Midcoast Maine!
With gratitude,
Hannah Harter-Ives and Erin Young, Acting Co-Executive Directors
Save the Dates!
Shop for Hope 2026:
July 16-18 at the Flanagan Community Center in Rockland
See Shop for Hope below for further information.
45th Anniversary Celebrations:
Thurs, August 20 at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Thurs, August 27 at the Center for Maine Contemporary Arts in Rockland, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Development
April Matching Challenge
Survivors often need to start over. Finding safe housing, rebuilding finances, and healing are part of the process. In honor of our 45th anniversary, local businesses and individuals have generously pledged to match up to $22,500 in April donations.
That’s a total of $45,000 to help survivors!
Everyone deserves a life free of fear and oppression and now, your April donation will go twice as far! Click here to donate online, call (207) 691.5969 or mail your check to New Hope Midcoast, PO Box A, Rockland, ME 04841. Thank you!
Shop for Hope 2026
Shop for Hope: Clothing and Accessory Collection is Happening Now!
This year’s Shop for Hope clothing and accessory sale is July 16-18 at the Flanagan Center in Rockland. It's our biggest fundraiser and a super fun event. Net proceeds support victims of domestic abuse.
To make this event a success, we would appreciate having your quality new and gently used clothing for the entire family, for all seasons, and for all ages (free of stains and tears, please, and new only if for children). We also welcome accessories like jewelry, footwear, scarves, hats, mittens, gloves, belts, and bags.
Click here to learn more about donating items and volunteering at Shop for Hope.
Residential
The housing support from New Hope Midcoast is the difference between me starting out already very behind vs me stepping out and surviving….maybe even thriving. I can’t describe how impactful this is for my children and me. I’m forever grateful. – Domestic Abuse Survivor and New Hope Midcoast Client
New Hope's residential team has been busy this winter! We enrolled 11 new families in our housing program since January and provided 13 adults and 7 children with emergency shelter. Case management support is available to all families to help them apply for benefits, find education and employment opportunities, and support them in identifying and achieving their goals. Most families in our residential program receive one year of rental support from us.
Support Groups
This support group has been more healing for me than anything else I've tried. It's not just a place to talk, it's a space where we laugh, cry, and learn together. I've discovered that healing doesn't happen alone - it happens when people come together and hold space for each other's stories.
– New Hope Midcoast Support Group Participant
We’ve expanded our support groups!
Basic Support Group provides emotional and practical support as members begin to address domestic abuse. Advocates use a closed group model that limits entry once the group starts to ensure development of trust, cohesion, and safety. New attendees can join at the start of each 6-8-week session.
Families involved with Child Protective Services as a result of domestic abuse often struggle with co-parenting. Our Parenting Through Abuse group helps victims understand and respond to manipulative abuse tactics like threats to harm shared children. Survivors discuss strategies for parenting and nurturing children while co-parenting, identify ways to set boundaries with their partner, and learn the dynamics of abuse and healthy relationships.
Two sessions of Healing Through Art are coming up. Participants who choose this group format create weekly art projects that fuel discussion about abuse, reduce stress, improve well-being, and boost self-esteem.
To learn more about support groups, call our helpline at 1-800-522.3304.
Legal Advocacy
The Stalking Prevention, Awareness, and Resource Center, a national organization providing education and resources for professionals who work with survivors, presented a training at the recent quarterly Midcoast Coordinated Community Response/Sexual Assault Response Team gathering. Over 30 members of law enforcement, advocates, and representatives from the District Attorney’s Office attended.
For the third time, New Hope Midcoast participated in a joint program between the National Network to End Domestic Violence and Ring Home Security. The program allows qualifying nonprofits to receive up to 48 doorbell or outdoor security cameras during the 2025-2026 program year. We recently received 24 devices which will be given to high-risk clients as part of their safety plan.
Our Law Enforcement Advocate enrolled in the Maine Victim Assistance Academy (MVAA), a 40-hour, foundational training designed to improve the capacity of victim/survivor advocates and allied professionals in serving Maine residents who are crime victims and survivors. The Maine Office of the Attorney General and the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence plan and facilitate this training. Several stakeholders like the Maine Prosecutors Association and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maine participate.
Education
In February, our youth education team observed Teen Dating Violence Action Month to bring teens and those who support them together in a national effort to raise awareness about teen dating violence. In addition to ongoing classroom presentations, our team collaborated with Skidompha and Rockport Public Libraries to create book displays featuring reading guides crafted by our youth educators and free books and to prompt deeper thought about dating violence, safety, and respect in relationships.
Community of Hope: March and February Articles
Crossing Borders: Immigrants and Domestic Violence by Joan LeMole, Development Director
Domestic violence among immigrants in the US is a serious, underrecognized, and complex problem. The Alliance for Immigrant Survivors suggests fear of deportation, lack of financial resources, language barriers, education level, and cultural practices impact victim access to – and likelihood of engaging with – resources. The National Network to End Domestic Violence finds... (click here to continue reading).
Abuse and Control During Pregnancy by Lori Rodriguez, Education and Outreach Director
Abusers often seek to control the health choices of their partners, even when they are pregnant. Reproductive coercion, when an abuser tries to control reproductive health choices, is particularly important to understand in the context of pregnancy. Abusers may restrict victim-survivors' access to birth control or they may tamper with their partners' birth control. Reproductive coercion also includes the limitation of choice around pregnancy… (click here to continue reading).
Rock City is Featuring Our Coffee in March!
Buy Yours Today!
Stop by Rock City Cafe in March to pick up your bag or cup of There's Grounds for Hope coffee. 10% of March sales assist survivors of domestic abuse.
Thank you!