Newsletter: September 2026
A Note from Our Executive Director
Settling In with Gratitude and Hope
By Peg Drisko, Ph.D. Executive Director
Stepping into my new role at New Hope Midcoast over the past few weeks has been a wonderful experience. Summer in Midcoast Maine is always special, but the overwhelming warmth of this community has made my transition even better.
Shop for Hope, our biggest annual fundraiser, was an incredible way to start getting to know the agency and the region. Seeing volunteers, local businesses, and neighbors come together with so much energy and support showed me right away just how dedicated this community is to our mission.
Every day since, I’ve been moved by the quiet, essential nature of the work we do here. Our staff brings so much intelligence and compassion to every phone call, shelter guest, and advocacy meeting. Above all, I am deeply humbled by the bravery of the survivors we serve. Taking those first steps toward safety and healing takes immense courage, and it is a true privilege to support them on that journey.
Thank you all so much for the warm welcome during my first few weeks. I hope to meet even more of you out in the community soon, and I’m looking forward to a fantastic fall season ahead.
If you’d like to join us in making a direct impact, there are many ways to get involved. Whether you choose to give your time as a volunteer or make a financial contribution, your support ensures that survivors in our community always have a safe place to turn. Click here(opens in new tab) to sign up for our quarterly newsletter, and here (opens in new tab)to become a volunteer.
Development
Shop for Hope 2026
- Community members and visitors showed up in droves for this year’s Shop for Hope sale. VIP tickets for first and best selection sold out, and both Community Shopping Days were very well attended. Thanks to our community shoppers, we generated just over $90,000.00 to support comprehensive services for victims of domestic abuse!We love watching everyone have fun finding great deals! Thank you to our volunteers, clothing and accessory donors, VIP bag item donors, hors d’oeuvres and volunteer lunch chefs, event sponsors, staff, board, and shoppers for making this event possible. Thanks also to the City of Rockland and the Flanagan Center staff for their hospitality. We look forward to next year!
Yard Sale Coming in October!
We will hold a yard sale from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Saturday, October 3 in our parking lot at 5 Beech Street in Rockland. The sale features clothing and accessories from our recent Shop for Hope event as well as items not seen before. Click here(opens in new tab) for more information and be sure to check our Facebook posts and watch your local papers!
45th Anniversary Events
We recently honored 45 years of serving Midcoast Maine victims of domestic abuse, dating violence, and stalking at Maine Maritime Museum in Bath and the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockland. These events were a great opportunity to connect with our supporters, talk about our services, enjoy light bites, toast to our work, leave messages of strength and courage on our Tree of Hope, and enjoy the museums. Thank you, our supporters, for the opportunity to serve Midcoast Maine residents. We are grateful for the thousands who have placed their trust in us.
United Midcoast Charities' Rising Tide Party
We enjoyed attending United Midcoast Charities' Rising Tide Party at Riverside Farm & Learning Center in Searsmont. Colleagues, a beautiful venue, and the company of so many amazingly generous community members made for a lovely evening. Thank you, United Midcoast Charities!
Agency Statistics
From April – June, 2026, New Hope Midcoast advocates:
- served 512 clients
- responded to 1,796 telephone, online, and in-person contacts
- provided court advocacy for 228 clients
- assisted clients with 29 Protection from Abuse Orders (PFAs)
- benefitted from 551 hours of volunteer assistance (349 direct service and 202 non-direct)
Residential Services
New Hope's residential team is partnering with New Ventures Maine to host a series of classes for people in our housing and shelter programs. In these classes, participates gain skills and confidence in making financial decision to help them stretch their money, reduce debt, and create a personalized budget. Many survivors in our residential program have been victims of financial abuse. Some have been deprived of opportunities to work or pursue education which has limited their ability to have a job that pays a living wage. Some have been coerced into taking on extreme amounts of debt in their name, a burden that prevents them from being able to save money. Whatever the circumstance, the program encourages people to work with our staff and New Ventures Maine to boost their financial skills so they will be in a position to sustain their housing and work to build their savings after they leave our program. We are grateful to have a longstanding partnership with New Ventures Maine.
Success Story
When I first spoke to Sarah (name changed to protect confidentiality), she was living with her abusive partner and their young child on property owned by her partner’s family. Her partner tracked her whereabouts, threw items to threaten her, and belittled Sarah in public and private. Living in fear, and with no property of her own, Sarah was dependent on her abuser. She was anxious, overwhelmed, confused, and knew that her family’s safety was at risk.
Despite being discouraged and scared, Sarah’s motivation and determination shone. With our help, she completed legal paperwork and applied for a Protection from Abuse Order. As her Housing Navigator at New Hope, I accessed funds to pay for one year of housing and stabilization expenses like food and moving costs for Sarah and her child. Slowly, Sarah began to move from fear and living moment-to-moment, to envisioning new possibilities. She now has safe housing and steady employment, and continues to work with us to secure permanent housing. Sarah’s involvement with New Hope gave her “the confidence (she) need(ed) to leave an unsafe situation.”
Legal Advocacy
Coordinated Community Response: Four New Hope staff, along with six community partners including law enforcement and domestic abuse intervention program staff, attended a two-day virtual training on building a Coordinated Community Response to domestic abuse presented by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Program (creators of the Duluth Model, on which much of our work is based) in Duluth, MN. We learned about best practices, relationship building, and how to identify and address gaps in our area's response to domestic abuse. We're excited to bring what we learned back to our active Domestic Violence Task Forces across our four counties.
Alarms for Survivors: We are very pleased to have purchased eight mobile panic alarms that can be given to survivors who are in particularly high-risk situations. While we currently have stationary alarms that can be used in a client's home, these GPS alarms run on wifi or cellular data and can go anywhere the survivor goes. The alarms were purchased thanks to the generosity of all who supported our Giving Tuesday campaign in 2025!
Education
Participants frequently share that they walk away from this experience with tangible skills and tools. One participant said: “I am leaving this training with valuable, concrete resources, screenings, and strategies for supporting survivors and working with families. I am grateful for more input and resources for community connection.”
If you are interested in attending a future training, please register at https://dll.umaine.edu/intimate-partner-violence/(opens in new tab). Thank you to the University of Maine Division of Lifelong Learning for collaborating with us and making this training possible.
Community of Hope Articles
Lori Rodriguez, our Education and Outreach Director, wrote our July and August Community of Hope articles.
To read “Building Strong Partnership to Protect Children” cl(opens in new tab)ick here.
To read “Giving Domestic Abuse Survivors Hope for 45 Years” cl(opens in new tab)ick here.