look for the good – when you find it, say something and amplify it!
we shine a light on the great things being done to support recovery from addiction
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We shine a bright light on communities and organizations working together to support and nurture a growing recovery community!
This is my Bill W. plant.
by Tania Margate I was a client in the last group in Crossroads Backcove halfway house for women before the program was discontinued. The program was slated for closure and so the plants were up for grabs. When I saw this one I had to have it. I didn’t know when I...
People in recovery and plants
With proper care, they both flourish and grow At times, they get rootbound, a consequence of not having enough room to grow and change is necessary or they will wither and potentially die. One really powerful thing that plants and people in recovery have in common is...
Sober living comes full circle
Biddeford couple invests in the lives of people newly in recovery For someone right out of rehab, getting their finances in order enough to rent and furnish an apartment and set up utilities—all while keeping focus on their ongoing recovery—can be too much. “What I...
Maine’s first co-ed recovery residence
El Rancho de la Vida ‘steers’ the way to wellness In the ranch-like atmosphere of Sunrise Ranch in Riverside, Calif., Jamie Lebish was able to drop his façade and focus on his early recovery from opioid addiction in the late 1990s. Twenty-two years into long-term...
Recovery residences
Homes full of hope and encouragement Most people enter recovery at home, and family members learn alongside their loved ones how to live a new life in wellness and hope. But when living at home isn’t possible, going to a recovery residence – also known as a sober...
Students Empowered to End Dependency
A local teen-based initiative is on a mission to elevate community messaging about the dangers of chemical dependency In one way or another, chemical dependency can and does affect us all. Visible recovery stories help us understand that this disease does not...
Medication Assistance
Providing a foundation for solid steps into a recovery journey Sarah Siegel grew up on Cliff Island, and today she has a great life. She has a family, and she is a recovery coach and a spiritual leader. She loves to meditate, read about different religious paths, play...
The Nature of Family
Choose the perspective that supports you Family is an interesting concept. For some, our childhood experience of family is remembered in large part with fondness and love. For others, many of the memories are traumatic. Then there are the cultural expectations that...
Parents Dealing with their Kids Addiction and Alcoholism
Karen and Eddie’s story “Who do we turn to? Who do we go to?” These are some of the questions Karen and Eddie asked themselves when their oldest daughter showed signs of addiction. They went through shock, anger and loneliness, constantly wondering where they had...
Agape “ah-gah-pay”
Ancient greek word meaning “the highest form of love” Frustrated by the lack of accessible counseling services in 1998, Portland therapist Stephen Andrew founded Agape, a parent organization for three separate nonprofits: Inner Edge, The Men’s Resource Center of...
Family Support Groups : help, hope and support for loved ones
A ripple effect is felt far and wide by active addiction and often those closest are the most affected. One out of four of us is affected by someone else’s addiction, and there is help, hope and support for us too. Some programs are anonymous. Some specific to...
The Farm – Maine’s oldest co-ed treatment center
Licensed alcohol and drug counselor (LADC) Michael Yerema is celebrating his 25th year at Aroostook Mental Health Center’s co-ed Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) in Limestone, commonly called “The Farm.” “I’ve seen hope,” Michael says. “There’s a need for this...