We are building a strong

Recovery. Reentry. Community. Together.

The ARRC is a grassroots project to co-create a community space that is inclusive, sustainable, and celebrates and supports all people impacted by addiction and mass incarceration. The ARRC believes that everyone should have access to the recovery and reentry support services they choose including community support meetings, community events, recovery and reentry coaching, and recovery and reentry housing, and is working in collaboration with the Greater Kennebec County Community to make that dream a reality.

Find a Meeting Volunteer

We rely on the community to support this space

So we built a mural

Local artist, Deidrah Lee Stanchfield, has helped us create a beautiful mural in our reception area which we are asking our community to participate in. See how you can be part of the ARRC community mural and help us keep our doors open for the community throughout 2022. You can donate a brick ($100), a cornerstone ($1000), a pillar ($2,500), or name a room ($10,000) and designate it to your family, friends, or business!

Donate a Brick or More! Send a Housewarming Gift!

Our Story

is one of a kind!

The ARRC all began with an idea to have Senator Chloe Maxmin sponsor a bill in the 130th Maine Legislative Session to expand recovery community centers across Maine. We won that campaign together by writing LTEs, showing up at public hearings, and banding together to say what we wanted as a community. And when that bill didn't get the funding that we hoped for, we didn't give up. We took matters into our own hands - created a team and got to work. We found allies, hosted grassroots fundraisers, secured a location, and then asked our friends to help paint, rip up carpets, and co-create this space with us. And over the course of a year, this idea has become a reality because of the people who have spent countless hours creating it. Our hearts are so full.

Our History! Our Founding Partners!
The ARRC was built by and for

Our Community

The ARRC community has built our space together from the ground up by leaning deeply into relational organizing and building strong partnerships with other community organizations and people. Through those relationships, we get to offer the following things in our space.

Support Groups

Multiple support groups are held every day at the ARRC including but not limited to AA, All Recovery, Smart Recovery, NA, Al-Anon, Nar-Aron, Thursday Thunder, Dual Recovery Anonymous, Bible Study, Roses Room, Recovery From Incarceration, and more!

Peer Recovery Coaching

ARRC provides one on one peer support and recovery coaching to citizens in recovery and/or reentry who are interested. Peer Recovery Coaches are Healthy Acadia Recovery core Interns and Certified Intentional Peer Support Specialists. Our Peer Recovery Coaches are persons with lived experience of incarceration and/or recovery. Peer Recovery Coaches provide resources, referrals, and support to recoverees.

Volunteer Network

ARRC’s volunteer network was developed from the abundance of driven volunteers all willing to help during ARRC’s initial renovation stage. Our volunteer program focuses on the volunteer's personal, recovery and career-long and short-term goals. We are ALWAYS welcoming new volunteers! Come get involved!

Movement Building

Our space is built on the blocks of a successful legislative campaign to expand recovery community centers in Maine. The ARRC is continuing to help to build the recovery and reentry movement through direct action and community organizing.

Case Management

Maine Department of Health and Human Services Corrections Caseworker is available on-site once per week to help apply for Food Stamps, MaineCare, and TANF. Please call ahead to set up an appointment. Additionally, an Eastern Maine Workforce Development Specialist is on-site once a week to help with their participants in the Connecting to Opportunities Program.

Re-entry Support

Through partnerships with the Maine Prisoner Reentry Network, the ARRC can pair people with Re-Entry Coaches before they are released from incarceration. R4R mentors work together with Re-Entry Maine navigators to provide wrap-around services and ongoing consultation.

2898

Volunteer Hours and counting

42

Active Volunteers

28

Weekly Support Groups

12

Community Partners

All of our team members identify as being impacted by addiction, mass incarceration, reentry, or recovery.

Our Team TeamTeam

The ARRC is the first community center of its kind to open in Maine.

Kelli Johnson
Kelli Johnson
ARRC Director of Admin

As the Director of Admin, Kelli oversees administrative duties such as event and meeting scheduling, accounting, donations, data tracking, and center oversight.

Marshall Mercer
Marshall Mercer
ARRC Ambassador

As the Ambassador of the ARRC, Marshall often steps up and down from many different roles. Currently, Marshall supports the ARRC by facilitating groups, helping to staff the floor, and supporting the team in the daily activities of the ARRC.

Brandon Tobey
Brandon Tobey
ARRC Director of Operations

As the Director of Operations, Brandon oversees the daily operations of the ARRC, manages the volunteer program, and supports the staff.

Bruce Noddin
Bruce Noddin
MPRN Executive Director

Bruce is the founder and Executive Director of the Maine Prisoner Reentry Network. MPRN is a founding partner at the ARRC. Bruce serves as a member of the ARRC Advisory Board.

ARRC Volunteers/Facilitators
ARRC Volunteers/Facilitators

The network of ARRC volunteers and facilitators are the glue to everything that we do at the ARRC! They help run groups, fundraise, run the front desk, make the coffee, clean the ARRC, and so much more! We could not do this with out them!

We rely on grassroots donations to make this dream a reality!

Everything we do at the ARRC is free to our community. That is made possible through grassroots donations! Please consider supporting our work today!

Donate!