Our Teen Council speaks about connections at SAL
- Ashley Mitchell
- Mar 19
- 5 min read
Our Teen Council speaks about connections at SAL
By Ashley Mitchell
This week was very busy for Save A Life and many other recovery resource centers across the state. During that busy week, we reached out to our teens and youth who have spent time at our center and asked if they would write a letter supporting Save A Life. Luckily, they came through for us, and we are incredibly grateful. I wanted to share their letter with the community to help people see a different side of Save A Life Recovery Resource Center.
To Whom It May Concern,
Save A Life Recovery Resource Center is more than a resource center, it is a safe place where youth can connect, express themselves, and feel supported. Our center offers a welcoming environment where kids and teens can build friendships, explore creativity, access resources, and simply have a place to belong.
My fellow young people who spend time at Save A Life share how meaningful this space is to them. Stanley, age 13, shared, “I love the music program.” Programs like music, art, and open hangout time allow us to explore our interests and express ourselves in positive ways.
Many of my peers say our center gives them a place to spend time safely with friends. Noah, age 10, said simply, “I like to hang out there.” Mia, age 16, said, “I like Save A Life because I get to have a nice break at teen group and just chill with friends.”
For some of my fellow teens, Save A Life provides something deeper, a place where they feel accepted for whom they are. Bella, age 16, shared, “I like being able to be myself there.” Lily, also age 16, added, “I like being around people and helping out.”
Our younger friends are just as important. They also find joy and purpose at our center. Camry, age 8, said, “I like helping people,” and Cason, age 9, shared, “I think it is a lot of fun.”
For others, simply having a place to go makes a meaningful difference. George, age 15, shared, “I liked my three visits here. It has been great. I like having somewhere to go, and I plan to keep coming”
Carrick, 19 shared a time where he felt he could repay the center,“Save A Life was there for me when I first needed it. I didn’t have a place where I felt like I fit in or where people understood what I was going through. After spending time at Save A Life, I came out of my shell, became a better student, and even started a band. When my friend and I made a movie for school, I decided to film it at Save A Life. I wanted to give back to the center and show people a different side. I included the center in my SkillsUSA video to highlight it differently. I hope it helps people see that places such as this one truly do give teens somewhere to go, somewhere to belong, and that they are so much more than they might appear."
Our voices show exactly why programs at Save A Life matter. Our center provides us teens and younger kids with a safe, supportive environment where we can relax, be ourselves, build relationships, and learn how to support others and each other. This is our place of connection, creativity, and belonging.
Supporting Save A Life means supporting youth who need safe, positive spaces, caring adults, and opportunities to grow. We would rather be here than out somewhere else. We are grateful to have our center here, in a community where our opportunities can feel limited.
Sincerely,
The Teen Council of Save a Life Recovery Resource Center
The pillars of recovery are Home, Health, Purpose, and Community. The Four Pillars of the Maine Opioid Response Strategic Plan are Prevention, Harm Reduction, Treatment, and Recovery (legislature.maine.gov/doc/9012).
Read their letter again. Read what these young people wrote. They wrote about belonging, community, and finding purpose at the center. Many of these youth are the children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews of family members who have struggled with substance use. These are young people who are ready to break the generational cycle. Regardless of whether they are directly affected by a loved one’s substance use, they are choosing to spend their time at Save A Life instead of somewhere else, and that choice itself is Prevention.
Recovery Resource Centers are often viewed through only one lens. In reality, community recovery resource centers are much more than what meets the eye. Some of the teens who come through our doors are on their own recovery journey. They found the center early and are building the resources and support they need for recovery. We are grateful that the center was available so they could begin that journey now rather than later in life.
Other teens come because they are children or grandchildren of people with substance use issues, and their journeys are just as important. Despite their different experiences, these young people share something in common: they are looking for a place to belong. They want a place where they can do more, learn more, and become more. Teenagers have a voice, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to listen to them.
At Save A Life, we are fortunate to be one of the few recovery resource centers that has a teen peer recovery coach. A recovery coach is not a therapist, counselor, sponsor, or clinical provider. Recovery coaching is also separate from anonymous mutual aid groups, which are not affiliated with other organizations or institutions.
Our team participates in the CCAR Recovery Coaching training programs. According to CCAR, "recovery coaches advocate for recovery and help individuals identify and overcome barriers to their recovery journey. They assist people in accessing community resources, treatment options, and support groups so they have the tools needed for successful recovery."
Save A Life also offers a teen program called Teen Hive, held on Wednesdays from 2:00–5:00 PM. Teens are welcome to participate in many of our programs, and those who are seeking or in recovery are also welcome to attend recovery-related support groups.
Teen Hive is a place where teens can discover what the center has to offer, meet other teens, get homework help, access Wi-Fi, search for jobs, play music, do crafts, access resources, and simply use the time in whatever way best supports them.
When people think about community recovery resource centers, they often think about only recovery services for adults. The truth is that places like Save A Life also play an important role in prevention, connection, and hope for the next generation. By giving young people a safe place to gather, meet supportive mentors, and offer them opportunities to grow, we are helping them build the foundations for healthy futures. Sometimes the most powerful prevention tool is simply a place where young people feel they belong. For many teens and children in our community, Save A Life is that place.
Save A Life Recovery Resource Center
Location:19 VFW Road, Lincoln, ME
Phone: 207-403-9100
Open Hours:
Monday: 10:00 – 6:00 PM Tuesday: 10:00 - 6:00 PM Wednesday: 12:00 – 6:00 PM
Thursday: 12:00 – 6:00 PM Friday: 2:00 – 6:00 PM
Upcoming Events:
Come Together Community Dinner: 3/27 5:00-6:00pm.
New Beginnings Brunch: March 28th, April 11th, April 25th, 10:00-12pm.
Earth Day Greenhouse Clean Up: April 22nd 1:00pm
Maine Speaks: Wendy Allen April 25th 12:00pm
World No Tobacco Day Concert: May 31st, 6:00pm
Battle of the Bands: June 27th 3:00pm
Loon Festival Vendor: July 17th, 18th, 19th
Recovery Block Party: September 4th, 5:00pm
Schedule Updates:Please check our Facebook page for the most up-to-date schedule information. While we strive for consistency, occasional cancellations may occur. Facebook is the fastest way to see changes: facebook.com/SaveALifeRecoveryNetwork
Ways to DonateSupport our work in the following ways:
PayPal: director@salrecovery.org Venmo: @thecenter207 Checks:Save A Life Recovery Resource Center, P.O. Box 12, Lincoln, ME 04457
Secondary Prevention Services (Free & Open to All)Available during all open hours:-Free Narcan -Wound care and hygiene kits -Locked medication storage containers -Medication disposal kits -Harm Reduction
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