Dear friends,
National Recovery Month is almost here! PRCC along with recovery community centers all over Maine are gearing up for celebrating recovery in local gatherings, festivals, walks, and symposiums.
The recovery movement has taken hold over the past decade as more and more people “recover out loud” to make recovery visible. The reason we share our stories is to spread hope and let our communities know that recovery is possible.
Recovery for one person positively impacts families, workplaces, and entire communities. The benefits are immeasurable when lives are restored, relationships are mended, and the next generation is protected from a recurring cycle. In addition, when we are open and share about our own recovery, we change hearts and minds. This leads to changes in public policy, ends stigma, and increases resources for individuals and families desperately seeking help.
PRCC and other recovery community centers in Maine are local safe havens providing a space for people in recovery to help other people in recovery. It’s that simple. We also work in collaboration with other organizations to educate the community and end stigma. PRCC presents at businesses, jails, health care facilities, and rotary clubs – helping groups learn more about addiction and what it takes to recover.
If you are looking for support and resources or would like to learn more about how to help your community spread the hope, please let us know.
Kindly,
Leslie Clark, Executive Director
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Rally 4 Recovery Save-the-Date |
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The Annual Rally 4 Recovery is right around the corner! Mark your calendars for September 10, 12-4pm.
This year, in addition to our usual festivities of music, speakers, food trucks, family activities, recovery resources and more, we will be celebrating PRCC's 10 year anniversary as well as doing an official ribbon cutting ceremony of our new home on Bishop Street.
This is a great event organized by people in recovery, allies, friends, and families. If you're interested in becoming a sponsor of the rally, there's still time! Learn more about sponsorship here.
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Together we can heal. Together we can offer hope. Together we can save lives.
The Portland Maine Police Department released last month that Portland surpassed the total number fatal overdoses in 2021 – and we’re only half way through the year. Our hearts are heavy and broken from all of the losses.
It also inspires us to fight harder, recover louder, and spread as much hope as possible. PRCC is open every day and can connect you to the resources you need for your recovery. We can also help connect anyone throughout the state of Maine with their local recovery community center.
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Every year we are inspired by Governor Mills' 4th Annual Opioid Response Summit – and this year was no different! On July 11 the Summit gathered hundreds of people from across Maine in Bangor. After the last couple years of virtual events, seeing familiar and new faces to learn from and network with was very impactful on our collective work.
Here were some key takeaways for those who couldn't be there:
- Maine has a strong SUD community/network and allies working together on prevention, treatment, and recovery.
- The power storytelling can have in changing people's hearts and minds about addiction and recovery inspires effective change. Each session was opened with a personal story from someone with lived experience.
- Governor Mills has taken an all-hands-on deck approach to creating solutions in the opioid crisis adopting the many pathways of recovery including recovery coaches, recovery residences, the incarerated population, harm reduction services including naloxone, treatment courts, etc.
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Most of all, we saw hope for our future. Support and funding is here beyond the state of Maine, including from the federal government.
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Coaching Corner — New Training Registration Opportunities
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We offer CCAR (Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery) certified Recovery Coach Academy classes throughout the state of Maine for Maine residents. PRCC Recovery Coaches honor multiple pathways, meet and support each individual on their recovery journey.
The final quarter of 2022 coach training schedule was just released! Below are the dates and registration links.
December 2
October 17-21
October 27-28
September 29-30
December 7-9
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Dealing with Outstanding Debt |
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People in recovery often face many financial challenges including dealing with outstanding debt. Owing money to family and friends, businesses, the government, or for medical or legal expenses, can be stressful and feel overwhelming. Plus, unresolved debt can impact your credit score and make it harder to access credit later. Creating a debt pay-off plan will help you feel in control today and hopeful for your financial future. Remember, your debt did not appear overnight and paying it off won’t happen overnight either. Take a breath and make a plan.
Know Where You Stand
Knowing what you owe is the first step forward. Open bills and statements and make a list of all your outstanding debts and the people and organizations you owe money to including credit cards, auto loans, personal loans, student loans, treatment, legal bills, etc. List out who you owe, how much you owe, interest rates, if applicable, and how much you are currently paying, if anything. Once you know where you stand, you can create a debt repayment plan.
Stop Accumulating Debt
Reduce your temptation to create more debt by taking a break from your credit cards or taking out any new loans. Even if money is tight, try to avoid payday lenders who often charge extremely high interest rates making it very difficult to get out of that debt cycle.
Assess Current Financial Situation
Create a simple budget. Look at all your income sources – paycheck, money from side jobs, etc. List your current expenses – rent/mortgage, food, transportation, cell phone, etc. See where you can reduce spending to free up money to put towards debts. Streaming services, take-out, secondary vehicles may all be places you can find savings. You may need to consider getting a second job or selling assets to have more money to put towards debts.
Paying Down Debt
There are a couple of debt repayment methods to consider. Choose the one that works for you.
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Roll Up – Commit a specific amount of money to paying debt. The amount does not change as debt is repaid. Instead, the same amount is reallocated among remaining debts.
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Snowball – Pay off the smallest debts first and gradually take on larger debt amounts. This can be motivating to pay off entire debts sooner.
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Avalanche – Focus on paying high-interest debts before lower interest debts. This method will likely save more money in interest charges over time.
Depending on your situation, you may be able to consolidate high interest debts into one loan with a lower interest rate and better term. Contact your financial institution to see if this is an option for you.
Reaching Out to Creditors
Once you know how much money you have to put toward your debts, prioritize the people and organizations you owe and determine what you can pay each month. If you are behind on any debts, be proactive and reach out for help. Most creditors, including collections agencies, are open to creating workable payment arrangements.
At Town & Country Federal Credit Union we believe everyone deserves a second chance. If you would like to talk with someone about creating a debt repayment plan or have other financial questions, contact us at info@tcfcu.com, or call 800.649.3495.
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International Overdose Awareness Day is recognized on August 31. This global campaign began in 2001 in Melbourne, Australia and has spread across the world shining a light to honor those we've lost to overdose, and to spread hope and resources to those seeking recovery.
Recovery community centers across Maine will be recognizing the day, many with candlelight vigils. Events will be held at:
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Building Recovery Community Throughout Maine
This newsletter allows us to connect with you, our Maine recovery community. Whether you're a person in recovery, family member, or ally, you are part of the solution to addiction. Published on a regular basis and sent via email, this newsletter provides updates and gives you an opportunity to help support recovery and spread the message of hope throughout the state of Maine. To learn more about PRCC, whose programs are funded in part by the Maine Department of Health & Human Services, visit our website. Please send any feedback or information you'd like us to include to newsletter@portlandrecovery.org.
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PORTLAND RECOVERY COMMUNITY CENTER portlandrecovery.org |
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