PRCC Newsletter September 2021

Portland Recovery Community Center Newsletter: September 2021

September is National Recovery Month, and we are celebrating! This year's theme is "Recovery is for Everyone: Every Person, Every Family, Every Community." We have a jam packed calendar of events with opportunities to connect, learn, and celebrate recovery, including the 8th annual Rally 4 Recovery. Keep reading to learn more.

Bishop Street Updates

PRCC's current guidelines for center guests and staff:

PRCC is currently open Monday-Friday 8am-8pm, Saturday 11am-7pm, and Sunday 8am-12pm.

All guests, members and staff may gather outside without wearing a mask.

Inside the building, masks are required regardless of vaccination status.

You do not need to call ahead to attend a meeting.

If you are not feeling well (even if you don't think it's Covid), please stay home!

Please continue to wash and sanitize hands.

Come visit us at 102 Bishop Street!

Old and new groups are on the schedule - and it's changing rapidly as we renovate the new center. If you are interested in starting a new group, reviving an old group, or hosting a recovery event, contact Nancy by email or call 207-553-2575.

A few things to remember:

102 Bishop Street is currently being renovated. We're super excited for what's to come (more space!), and we are remaining open during the renovation. Please be mindful of any closed off areas.
Don't forget to check in at our new Recovery Link Kiosk when you visit!
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with latest happenings at PRCC.

Recovery Month Events in Portland and All Over Maine

Recovery Month in Maine

Did you know that recovery community centers all over Maine are celebrating National Recovery Month? Here are a few events we're excited about:

All events are free & open to all!

Recovery Month at PRCC

Celebrate Recovery Month at PRCC! In addition to our daily meeting offerings, we have several fun events in honor of Recovery Month including:

Weiner Wednesdays (Wednesdays, 1pm)
Recovery Movie Nights (Wednesdays, 6pm)
Rally 4 Recovery (9/18)
"Clearing Away the Things That Block Us" Workshop (9/25, 3-5pm)

All events are free & open to all!

8th Annual Rally4Recovery

It's our favorite event of the year! The Rally 4 Recovery is a celebratory event with food trucks, music, games, speakers, resources, a raffle, and more.

This year's National Recovery Month theme is "Recovery is for Everyone: Every Person, Every Family, Every Community."

This is a family friendly event with free admission. Masks are encouraged.

Sept. 18, 2021, 12-4pm at PRCC

Recovery Movie Nights: Every Wednesday in September

In celebration of National Recovery Month, PRCC is showing a recovery movie every Wednesday night in September, 6-8pm at 102 Bishop Street.

No matter who you are, these movies offer recovery wisdom for all of us to learn from and celebrate. Come check it out:

Anonymous People (2013) is a documentary about the 23.5 million Americans living in long-term recovery from alcohol and other drug addiction.
Recovery Boys (2018) is a documentary about four young men in a farming-based rehab forge a bond as they try to reinvent their lives after years of addiction.
Lost in Woonsocket (2007) is a documentary about two men battling homelessness and addiction and their roads to recovery.
Generation Found (2016) is a documentary about one community coming together to ignite a youth addiction recovery revolution in their hometown.
Brené Brown: The Call to Courage (2019) is an inspiring talk by Brené Brown about choosing courage over comfort in a culture defined by fear and uncertainty.

Recovery Coach Spotlight and Upcoming Trainings

This month, we're spotlighting Danielle Megalaitis, Peer Recovery Support Specialist at PRCC.

Danielle is a trained CCAR recovery coach who provides peer recovery coaching to adolescents in Day One, a teen substance use treatment program. Prior to joining PRCC as a recovery coach, she served as a volunteer. As a person in long-term recovery, and someone who has experienced loss due to substance use, Danielle is passionate about the work happening at PRCC. When asked what she likes best about her role, Danielle said, "Recovery coaching allows me to help people find their own unique pathway in recovery."

Are you interested in becoming a recovery coach, or learning more about recovery as a community member or ally? PRCC offers 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. Learn about recovery coaching here.

Recovery Coaching Basics: For community members and allies.

November 8, 9:30am-4pm

Recovery Coach Academies: For those wanting to become a Recovery Coach.

October 18-22, 10am-2pm daily
November 15-19, 10am-2pm daily

Ethical Consideration for Recovery Coaches: For community members and allies.

December 8-10, Day 1 & 2: 9am-4pm, Day 3: 9am-1pm

Registration opens September 1. Register here.

New Meetings Online and In-Person

Eating Disorders Anonymous

EDA is a 12-step support group for individuals with eating disorders. Members share their experience, strength, and hope with one another that they may solve their common problems and help others to recover from their eating disorders.

Sunday, 12:30 Online via Zoom

Women's Recovery Dharma

Recovery Dharma is a peer-led, grass-roots, democratically-structured organization. Our mission is to support individuals on their path of recovery from addiction using Buddhist practices and principles.

Sunday, 12pm at PRCC

Narcotics Anonymous

NA is a fellowship of people who have come together to solve their common problem of addiction using a 12-step program. We apply a program of recovery with a single and profound promise: freedom from active addiction.

Monday/Friday, 12pm at PRCC

Wellness Spotlight: Financial Wellness

Overcoming the Checking Account Challenge

Advice from Town & Country FCU

People in recovery often have a difficult time getting a new checking account with a bank or other financial institution.

Managing money prior to recovery is often a challenge for many individuals dealing with substance abuse disorder. Overdrawn checking accounts, overdraft charges and delinquent loans are often the consequences of poor money management.

A goal of most people in recovery is to get back on track financially and to start managing their money responsibly. One of the first steps to financial recovery is to open a new checking account. But this can be easier said than done.

Before opening a new account for someone, many banks will assess a person’s risk by running their name and social security number through a data base known as “The Check System” to see if a person owes money to another financial institution. Often, if a person does owe money to another financial institution, they will be denied the new account. This makes it hard for someone to get a fresh start to rebuild their financial lives.

At Town & Country Federal Credit Union we feel everyone deserves a second chance. If you have a valid form of identification, meet membership eligibility, and join the credit union, you will be able to open a new checking account, under most circumstances.

If you would like to talk with someone at Town & Country FCU about checking accounts or other financial questions, contact us at info@tcfcu.com.

Volunteer of the Month

Meet Torie: A person in long-term recovery, Torie Smith has been serving the recovery community for a number of years, especially through her involvement as a recovery coach. She has been conducting Recovery Coach Academy Trainings since 2019, and serving as a recovery coach at PRCC since June 2021.

Torie helped plant the flowers in PRCC's new building and is always right at the front door to greet and welcome a newcomer and offer support in finding resources.

Torie says: "What I love about volunteering at PRCC is the tremendous amount of love and support you receive the moment you walk in the door..( I truly mean that!)."

Join us in thanking Torie for her dedication and commitment to the recovery community.

You are our family

This newsletter allows us to share our progress and connect with you - our recovery family. Published on a regular basis and sent via email, it provides news and updates for the greater Portland area. It gives you an opportunity to help support recovery and spread the message of hope throughout the state of Maine! Please send any feedback or information you'd like us to include to newsletter@portlandrecovery.org.