July + August So Far: Buckle Up, It’s Been a Wild One!
A Note from COurtney
Dear Friends, Neighbors, and Organizers,
Thirty days ago, we turned the key, opened the doors, and welcomed our community into the Access Center for the very first time.
In that short month, our little corner of downtown Augusta has become a space where people can take a deep breath—sometimes for the first time in years. A space where recovery, harm reduction, and safety live side by side. Where it’s normal to see someone grabbing a snack, someone else getting connected to housing and supplies, and a group gathered for a recovery meeting all at the same time.
✨ We’ve always known that recovery & harm reduction are one—but seeing it come to life here, day after day, has been profoundly gratifying.
That’s why we built the Access Center. For dignity. For safety. For connection. For the belief that recovery is for everyone—not just those who can navigate the system or check every box, but for everyone.
And we didn’t get here alone. This first month has been powered by volunteers showing up for shifts, participants shaping the space with their ideas, neighbors dropping off supplies, and donors making sure the coffee pot never runs dry. Every single person who’s contributed—whether by showing up, speaking up, or sharing our work—has made the Center what it is today.
We’ve got big plans for the months ahead: more programming, more harm reduction supplies, more community meals, more moments where someone walks in not knowing what to expect and leaves feeling seen. Thank you for helping us turn a dream into a yellow door that opens for everyone.
💛 Come see where you fit in. 👉 Get involved with ME-RAP
In relentless solidarity,
Courtney Gary-Allen
Our First 30 Days: The Highlights
Our Grand Opening: Est. July 9th, 2025
Our team and over 186 of our closest friends celebrated the grand opening of the Access Center—Augusta’s new grassroots recovery community hub—built by and for our community.
What was once a long-vacant downtown building is now a vibrant space offering recovery meetings, harm reduction services, basic needs support, housing & employment help, youth prevention programs, and more.
This moment was made possible by a $500,000 investment from the Maine Recovery Council and incredible support from partners like The Home Depot Foundation, Sherwin-Williams, Got Vinyl? Ink & Printing, Capital Builders LLC, Janusz, Alex, and Danny at CKW LLC, and YOU—our volunteers, neighbors, and local businesses.
Governor Mills 7th Annual Opioid Summit: THE HUG
This is one of those if you know, you know moments—you really just had to be there. Or, you can watch the video… which CGA tried to turn into a TikTok. She spent three hours on it, only for it to delete itself, so she gave up and went on vacation instead.
TikTok or no TikTok... what you don’t see in that clip are the behind-the-scenes spirals, the late-night strategy texts, and the early-morning “we’re doing this” emails between Gordon and CGA. They are total opposites — water and fire — but when they align? Watch out, world. And when we don’t?
Also watch out.
He says slow down, she say burn it down. He says be nice, she say stop being complacent. They push each other, learn from each other, and somehow still like each other at the end of the day. Also, please note for the record that Gordon called CGA annoying first. TikTok coming someday.
A Thousand Visits, Countless Stories, One Safe Place
This Is What 1,114 Visits Feels Like
And together, we’ve already done a lot: 1,114+ visits to the Center, 213 participants registered, 73 showers offered, 120+ hygiene kits distributed, 201 storage nights provided, 10 transports to critical services, 13 people linked to treatment or housing, 54 recovery coaching sessions, 31 recovery groups hosted, 554+ boxes of naloxone into community hands, 21 special events/trainings, and — SO. MANY. SNACKS. But numbers are just the outline—the real story is what fills them in.
Like the person who walked in one afternoon just looking for a cup of coffee and a quiet place to sit. Before they left, they’d taken a hot shower, changed into clean clothes, signed up for storage, and sat down with a recovery coach to talk about next steps. At one point, they looked over from the couch, smiled, and said:
“I didn’t know a place like this existed. I feel like I can actually relax—for the first time in what feels like forever.”
Our Calendar of Events, Meetings, Trainings, and more!
While some of these events are still on the horizon, some have already happened—and they were amazing. From weekly meetings like Mothers in Recovery, NA, Youth Caucus, and TNT, to hotdog Sundays, splash bashes, and listening sessions, there’s something here for everyone. Whether you’ve already been part of the magic or you haven’t stopped by yet—come join us for what’s next.
Youth Updates: Community, Community and Community!
Volunteer of the Month: Christine, Josh, and Angel (our pup!)
Christine, Josh, and Angel (our beloved pup, not pictured): From day one, you’ve been there—showing up day in and day out during renovations, sometimes staying past midnight with the team to push us over the finish line. And you haven’t stopped since. Whether it’s tabling at events, helping with set-up, or lending a hand wherever it’s needed, your presence keeps the Access Center running strong. And of course, Angel has become an essential part of the crew, making sure we all get our daily dose of doggie snuggles.
We are beyond grateful for all you bring to this space—you are truly appreciated.
What We Are Reading
- Recovery Center in Augusta sees hundreds of visits in first two weeks (News Center Maine)
- New recovery center opens to support community healing (Beacon)
- New recovery center opens to support critical need (Mainebiz)
- New recovery center provides hope (Kennebec Journal)
- Penobscot County Opioid Settlement Committee is meeting in secret (Bangor Daily News)