St. Andrews Auxiliary will hold its annual spring brunch on March 15 at St. Andrews Village. The Auxiliary is pleased to host Mary Hanley, community advocate for New Hope for Women (NHFW), as its guest speaker. The organization's name is a slight misnomer; NHFW offers support to people in Lincoln, Knox, Waldo and Sagadahoc counties affected by domestic violence whether they are male or female, young or old. Their services address violence in the home, elder abuse, dating violence and stalking, and extends to pet abuse. The primary objective of the outreach Hanley specializes in is to increase community awareness of family violence and offer a road map to assistance and coordination of consistent and helpful responses, should abuse come to the attention of organization members, community service personnel, medical professionals, volunteers, educators, neighbors, family or friends.

According to NHFW’s website, "domestic violence is a devastating and costly epidemic in our society" and this 501 (c) (3) nonprofit provides not only direct services to individual clients/victims but also invests a great deal in providing educational resources to help local communities combat this crisis in order to promote a safer and healthier future for all. As per their stated philosophy, “New Hope for Women believes that the misuse of power to demean or control others fosters oppression and violence. This manifests itself as racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, religious bigotry, domestic abuse and other forms of violence.”

The four-county agency covers 1,805 square miles and 147,591 residents. Hanley is responsible for Lincoln and Sagadahoc counties and she spends her time reaching out to and collaborating with businesses, service organizations, healthcare workers, faith communities and the criminal justice system.

On Wednesday, March 15,  Auxiliary members will be introduced to some of the characteristics of abuser/victim relationships and will learn how to support someone in an abusive situation in three key ways: Recognize, Respond and Refer.

Hanley will also shed light on the red flags of elder abuse, a topic of interest and concern in our aging community.

Hanley is available to address your group, large or small, and can tailor her presentation to meet specific concerns. To schedule a talk or small group exercise for your organization, call or email Hanley at 207-443-8897; mhanley@newhopeforwomen.org.