The organization unveiled its new name and logo at a virtual event on Tuesday. New Hope Midcoast

New Hope for Women, a private nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals affected by domestic abuse, dating violence and stalking, has a new name and logo.

The 40-year-old organization will now be called New Hope Midcoast. The organization changed its name to reflect better a coordinated approach that offers services to women and everyone irrespective of their gender and age. The new name and logo were unveiled Tuesday.

Vera Robertson, the president of the board of directors of New Hope Midcoast, said the board members and the staff were thinking of changing the organization’s name for a long time now, but they started working on it only 18 months ago.

“When the organization was established 40 years ago, the founders gave it a name ‘New Hope for Women’ that I believe at that time fit, but today the domestic abuse happens to everyone — men, children, friends and grandparents,” said Robertson.

Robertson added that they had put a lot of effort into coming up with something that they felt was powerful and fit the purpose they were seeking.

“We wanted the name to be inclusive. This means not to be representative of just one gender or one sex,” said Robertson. “We felt that we needed to be more open to the people in the community who needed us and not have a name that implied just to women.”

The organization that supports people in Sagadahoc, Lincoln, Knox and Waldo counties serves close to 1,500 people annually.

Rebekah Paredes, the organization’s executive director, said the pandemic brought widespread isolation, unemployment, and uncertainty, placing more and more stress on families, amplifying domestic abuse issues.

The number of domestic violence incidents in the U.S. increased by 8.1% after the lockdown was imposed, according to National Commission on COVID-19 and the Criminal Justice report.

The domestic violence incidents accounted for about 43% of all homicides in Maine in 2019.

According to a report released in 2020 by the Maine Attorney General’s Office detailing data on domestic violence in Maine, the panel identified 18 cases between 2018-19 where a person was killed by their romantic partner or a family member.

“Our door has always been open to all regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or age, but our name with its focus on women doesn’t tell the whole story,” said Paredes. “As events unfolded in early 2020, the need to evaluate our impact on our communities and make certain that we were providing support as equitably as possible became critical.”

The organization’s helpline received 2,232 calls, 1,353 other calls and 1,155 face-to-face contacts between October 2020 and September 2021.

Today, the organization staffs a 24/7 helpline, provides legal and residential advocacy and offers education and training to students, businesses, community organizations, law enforcement partners and medical providers.

New Hope Midcoast receives funds from various funding sources, including federal, state, local resources, local municipalities, private foundations, and donations from individuals.