September is National Recovery Month. This year’s theme, “Recovery is REAL (Restoring Every Aspect of Life),” highlights the importance of whole-person well-being. Recovery touches every aspect of life, including physical and mental health, access to safe and stable housing, a sense of purpose, and meaningful connections within a supportive community. The theme reminds us that recovery is not just possible, but transformative!
It’s also the ten-year anniversary of two organizations we’ve supported for many years through our Spotlight Fund (which also turns ten this year!): Hope on Haven Hill and SOS Recovery Community Organization.
Hope on Haven Hill (HHH) is a nonprofit providing support for pregnant and parenting women in recovery from substance use disorder, along with their children. In recent years, Kennebunk Savings has sponsored their annual “Hope Springs Eternal” gala fundraiser. In 2020, the bank also donated funds for the purchase of a van to help clients get to medical appointments, and in 2021 gave $50,000 toward the construction of their Center for Hope and Wellness in Rochester, NH.
SOS Recovery Community Organization, led by Director John Burns, is a collaborative of peers in recovery from substance use disorder and their allies working together to create safe spaces and peer-based recovery supports throughout Strafford and Rockingham Counties, NH. Their diverse harm reduction efforts include running a social venture restaurant in Somersworth called Fold’d, which provides workforce training to individuals in recovery and people who have previously been incarcerated. Kennebunk Savings supported the launch of Fold’d and also sponsors SOS’s annual events — a Recovery Rally held in Dover, NH each fall, and their annual R.I.C.H. (Recovery, Inclusion, Community, and Harm Reduction) conference each spring.
Created in 2016 to shine a light on critical issues affecting our community, the Kennebunk Savings Spotlight Fund dedicates a portion of their earnings to proactively support organizations and programs working to alleviate key community issues. The Spotlight Fund focuses efforts on early childhood education, substance use disorder prevention and recovery, and addressing food insecurity. The Fund has donated more than $1,000,000 to over 50 unique local organizations.
Kennebunk Savings is a Recovery Friendly Workplace, certified in both Maine and New Hampshire. The initiative is intended to encourage employees, employers and communities to create positive change, recognize recovery as a strength, and eliminate barriers for those impacted by substance use disorder (SUD)–meaning barriers to meaningful employment, needed healthcare, and quite simply, respect and compassion. “As a mutual institution, we exist to serve and improve our community,” said Lex Meagher, President and CEO of Kennebunk Savings. “To do that justice, we should also reflect the community. If SUD impacts a person working here, I want that person to work in an environment of inclusivity and belonging. And, if by chance, SUD doesn’t currently have a direct impact on your life, being educated and aware of this issue will better equip you to navigate your relationships in this community.”
