WHEN WE HELP PEOPLE IN RECOVERY, WE HELP OURSELVES.

FACTS:

• With thoughtful and effective approaches, both men and women in recovery from drugs and alcohol make excellent employees particularly in this lean labor market where local employers have difficulty in filling job vacancies.
• Gainful employment and support with good housing is hugely successful for people coming out of prison. These individuals gain pride, security and spread their successes by helping their families succeed.  Overall, this also means a lower tax burden for the community.
• Government programs “bond” employees to protect employers from risk and significant tax benefits can be very helpful for business success.
• People in recovery are prominent members of our community who seek opportunities to “give back” by helping others. The more we all support people in recovery, the more we all benefit.

The Mid-Coast Recovery Coalition (MCRC) fulfills needs of people in recovery which otherwise would fall through the cracks.

In the State of Maine, many needed services do not exist or are not available to people in recovery.  This applies in particular to safe, sober and supportive housing which is needed as a foundation for recovery. 

MCRC currently owns two recovery homes in Knox County for men, women and their children to give them the best chance at successful recovery.  MCRC needs continued community support since huge gaps remain for government funding.

In particular, your financial support in the form of a business sponsorship is needed to:

• Expand the men’s recovery house from 4 to 16 beds, helping nearly 100 men rejoin our community in the next 4 years in a healthy and productive way
• Support opening of a recovery house in Camden for up to 10 women and their children

The Story of Ryan Gamage 

If you have not heard of Ryan Gamage, speak with your friends, neighbors or co-workers.  Ryan was a wonderful, loving, lovable and generous man who couldn’t do enough to help others, particularly those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.

Ryan helped MCRC open The Friends House, the men’s recovery house, in the spring of 2018 with repairs, donated furniture and supplies.  He wanted to rebuild the staircase needed to meet fire code that would allow expansion from only 4 men approved to reside at the house to 16. That would allow 100 more men make major progress in their recovery over the next 4 years.

Unfortunately, Ryan died of a drug overdose on January 4, 2019 from the very disease he was trying to help others with.  To honor his memory and to inspire everyone to come together to help others in their recovery, MCRC will name the new stairs “The Ryan Gamage Stairway to Recovery”. MCRC needs to raise $50,000 for this renovation and needs your support.

Let’s all come together to join this initiative and launch a new era in Knox County where recovery is embraced and supported to help restore the health and vitality of our entire community.

TOGETHER, OUR COMMUNITY IS STRONGER THAN ANY DRUG.