Fri, 10/31/2014 - 11:00am

SUSAN JOHNS, Assistant Editor

Jean Huber, Vickie Hersom, Julia Hatfield

Wiscasset residents Jean Huber, left, and Vickie Hersom, both members of local charitable sorority Beta Sigma Phi, pass New Hope for Women’s Wiscasset community-based advocate Julia Hatfield a basket of family toiletries at New Hope’s open house at 41 Water Street in Wiscasset on Oct. 30. The basket was a donation by Beta Sigma Phi’s business chapter, Xi Alpha Zeta. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper

Rand Maker, Todd Brackett, Stevie Colburn

Lincoln County Sheriff’s Lt. Rand Maker, left, Sheriff Todd Bracket and New Hope for Women services director Stevie Colburn chat at an Oct. 30 open house at New Hope’s new office at 41 Water Street in Wiscasset. SUSAN JOHNS/Wiscasset Newspaper

New Hope for Women’s new Wiscasset office is getting more walk-ins than a Damariscotta site did, representatives for the nonprofit said. The new location that opened in July at 41 Water Street, next to Sarah’s Cafe, is also providing a bigger, better-suited setting to meet with clients.

Children now have more space to move around when their mothers are receiving services, New Hope’s youth prevention educator for Lincoln and Sagadahoc counties, Bonnie Johnson, said at an open house Oct. 30. The organization works to end domestic violence, dating violence and stalking in Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Knox and Waldo counties. Its other offices are in Bath, Rockland and Belfast.

Now that the Lincoln County office is also in a county seat town, New Hope staff are closer to where clients obtain court orders.

“Now we can do the paperwork then go to the courthouse with them, or if we get a call from the courthouse, we can zip right up there to meet them,” New Hope services director Stevie Colburn said.

Lincoln County Sheriff Todd Brackett said the site was bigger than he had pictured it would be. Thursday’s event was Brackett’s first chance to see it, and he liked what he saw.

“This is very nice,” he said. “It’s a great location and it looks like a good environment for the work that they do.”

Among Thursday’s other attendees was New Hope hotline volunteer Lisa McSwain of Edgecomb.

“I think it’s just a really great, important service they provide,” McSwain said about the organization. She began volunteering a year ago. “It’s very rewarding work,” she said.

Beta Sigma Phi members Jean Huber and Vickie Hersom, both of Wiscasset, stopped by the event with a basket of children’s toothbrushes and other family toiletries donated by the local charitable sorority’s business chapter, Xi Alpha Zeta.

The donation at the celebration of the office’s opening serves as a positive message from the community to clients, New Hope community education director Meg Klingelhofer said.

“It’s making the statement to victims coming into the office that their community cares and stands behind them and supports them, and that we’re together as a community to end the culture that allows people to use power and control against people.”

The office is open for walk-ins on Thursdays and Fridays from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. At all other times, contact New Hope at its hotline, 1-800-522-3304. That’s also the number to call if interested in volunteering. Free training is provided.