Sandra, a woman in her early 50s, was newly released from Maine State Prison and living at a local shelter. She recalls feeling lost, lonely, and scared. She was sober for the first time in over 30 years, with no sense of self, in unfamiliar surroundings, and was referred to LINC by her co-occurring drug court case-manager.
During the first couple weeks of visiting LINC, she was very anxious, constantly seeking reassurance, following staff around, requesting support to do everyday tasks — like making phone calls, or even making a snack. She slowly gained a comfortable routine and then the pandemic hit — again — and Motivational Services had to make the difficult decision to close — again. Sandra was at her breaking point. She attributes what happened next to a relationship with a LINC peer recovery coach.
They began meeting via Zoom twice a week. She attended a few LINC online groups as well. Sandra started to gain momentum and strength. She found a church and learned how to use the Kennebec Explorer to get around with guidance of LINC peer support.
LINC Center reopened in March 2022. Right away everyone noticed the remarkable changes in Sandra. Participants were coming to her for support and encouragement now. During the summer of 2022, Sandra successfully commenced from the co-occurring Drug Court with no infractions.
Sandra states, “Immersing yourself in a recovery community, letting go and trusting the process is a beautiful gift and watching so many amazing people ‘doing it’ gave me courage.”
Sandra is happy to say she loves her new apartment and her new community. The creative writing group helped her find the passion she put away years ago for writing poetry. She is currently looking into what’s next — “maybe even college,” Sandra says. “No matter what, for now, visiting LINC and being with my peeps is where I want to be.”
