Newsletter: November, 2025
A Note from Our Executive Director
Dear Supporters and Community Members,
It is with pride and gratitude that I let you know New Hope Midcoast received the MaineHealth Waldo Hospital-sponsored Healthcare Partner Award award at the 2025 Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Gala. This honor underscores the power of community partnership to support health and safety for individuals and families affected by domestic abuse. It also reflects our ongoing commitment to building lasting change for survivors through collaborations with our many community partners. Our closely-coordinated work with healthcare providers, advocates, and local organizations spans more than four decades and ensures that survivors receive compassionate, coordinated care, and access to resources they need to heal and rebuild. All of us are deeply grateful for these relationships and for the trust our communities place in us. A coordinated community response creates safer, more hopeful futures for all.
We invite you to continue reading to explore the many activities, and areas of focus shaping our work across the Midcoast. Each section reflects strength and a shared commitment to supporting survivors with dignity, compassion, and choice. Thank you for staying connected and engaged in this important work.
Warmly,
Rebekah
Development
Our 2026 Annual Appeal is underway. This year’s appeal message focuses on listening, a key component of our work. It is only through hearing, believing, and providing non-judgmental, trauma-informed support that our trained advocates provide a safe space where victims can speak confidentially about their fears, needs, and hopes.
Please consider giving a generous donation in one of three ways: Click here to make your donation online; Mail your donation to New Hope Midcoast, PO Box A, Rockland, ME 04841 or; Call Joan at (207) 691.5969
Thank you for your support!
Safe housing for victims of domestic abuse is critical. This GivingTuesday, December 2, 2025, we kindly request donations to make victim homes safe are secure. Your GivingTuesday donation will buy security cameras, window locks, bars, security film, motion-activated lights, door locks, cell phones, video doorbells, and remote garage door openers.
Our goal this year is $2,500.
You can donate in one of the following ways:
Visit newhopemidcoast.org on December 2 to donate online;
Mail your check to: New Hope Midcoast, PO Box A, Rockland, ME 04841 with "GivingTuesday" in the memo line or;
Call Joan at (207) 691.5969.
With safety assured, victims can begin to plan for their future. Thank you!!
A coordinated community response to domestic abuse includes support from all of the towns and cities we serve in Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox, and Waldo counties. Election day petitioning allows us to meet community members, talk about our work, and obtain signatures needed to request municipal funding.
We are grateful for our partnerships.
Collaboration with our communities means that our work is more effective and impactful.
Residential
We frequently host master's and bachelor level interns from Maine colleges and universities. Rebecca "Becca" Babb-Brott is a Masters of Social Work student at the University of Maine. Becca has been with us since April of this year. She helps staff our round-the-clock helpline, co-facilitates our support group, collaborates with our residential team to develop a foster safe home program for pets to serve clients in our shelter and housing programs, and assists with several office functions. We are so grateful to Becca for her commitment and enthusiastic participation in our work!
New Hope Midcoast continues to offer shelter and housing for local survivors with the support from four grants. In fiscal year 2025, we provided:
65 adults and 34 children with sheltering services
27 families (including 41 children) with ongoing rental assistance
37 individuals with housing navigation and case management
We do not own our own housing. Instead, we rely on support from – and collaboration with – local landlords who want to positively impact the lives of survivors and their children. For every survivor in our housing, we work behind the scenes to build and sustain trust with our partnering landlords.
Local landlords are essential to helping survivors. If you are a landlord interested in this program, please contact Hannah at .
Thank you!
Legal Advocacy
Three of our advocates, along with members of the judiciary, prosecutors, and probation officers from around the state, participated in a day-long training to learn about best-practices in Domestic Violence (DV) Court. DV court takes place monthly at the West Bath and Rockland courthouses and adds a layer of accountability for people in our service area who are convicted of domestic violence-related crimes.
Our quarterly Coordinated Community Response/Sexual Assault Response Team meeting featured guest speaker Lieutenant Michael Johnston, Northern Field Troop Commander with the Maine State Police. Lieutenant Johnston spoke about the firearms relinquishment process in situations involving Protection from Abuse (PFA) and yellow flag laws, and how the process might look given the now approved red flag law in Maine.
Our DV-CPS Advocate has joined the board of Healthy Kids, a non-profit dedicated to preventing child abuse through support and services for parents, caregivers, and educators in Lincoln and Knox Counties as well as the advisory committee at Families CAN!, a program offering the same services in Sagadahoc County.
Education
“The Evolution of the Federal Response to Domestic Violence and Firearms”
Our annual speaker series, held in both Rockland and Boothbay, featured Margaret Groban, former National Domestic Violence Coordinator for the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys at the Department of Justice. Ms. Groban presented on the evolution of the federal response to domestic violence, explained the federal laws that guide state responses to domestic abuse and firearm restrictions, and discussed the impact this legislation has had on survivors. A brief presentation on the now voter-approved red flag referendum followed.
Pecha Kucha on October 17 at the Rockland Theatre featured a wide variety of presentations including ours. This form of visual storytelling highlights the passion and commitment of area agencies, businesses, and individuals through a 20 slide, 20 seconds-per-slide format. From our grassroots start to our 45-year progression from New Hope for Women to New Hope Midcoast, our Pecha Kucha demonstrated how our advocates work with victims as they face barriers and challenges to leading a life of their own choosing. Click here to see our presentation.
Community of Hope Article:
Domestic Abuse and Faith Communities
Trauma from domestic abuse affects survivors in every aspect of their human existence—body, mind and spirit. While physical injuries and wounds can be diagnosed and treated by medical professionals, the cruelty and oppression that even non-violent abusers inflict can only be ameliorated through community support, understanding and a collective commitment to supporting victims and holding abusers accountable.
Although church membership and involvement have been declining in the US for a number of years, according to a study by the Pew Research Center, nearly 40% of people do belong to a faith community and embrace some level of religious practice. Click here to continue reading.