LEWISTON — The city of Lewiston opened the doors to the new Community Resiliency Center on Main Street on Monday, where it will continue to support those directly and indirectly affected by the Oct. 25 mass shootings for at least the next two years.
Family and friends of those who died, people who witnessed the shootings, first responders, medical professionals and those in the larger community are encouraged to use the Resiliency Center if they need help with issues caused by the shootings.
It will offer victims legal rights information and emotional support, along with assistance with forms and documents, and help with understanding the state’s social services system. Case managers will be available through the Resiliency Center. People will be able to access mental and behavioral health services at the site.
Community Concepts Inc., which will operate the Resiliency Center, worked with the city, state and several other partners to open the space in just about two weeks of planning, Center Director Danielle Parent said.
People’s experiences with the shootings are different, which means that the Resiliency Center will have many services available outside walk-in hours, including support groups and wellness activities, along with other programs, she said.
The space was a former L.L. Bean call center with a large room that has several seating areas, cubicles, an area with tables and chairs for trainings, and other spaces. There are lounge areas specifically designed to give deaf people privacy while they communicate.
There is a room set up for children, stocked with toys, a table and chairs, along with a bean bag and stuffed animals. There is a cafeteria with tables and chairs where people can eat next to a kitchen area stocked with food.
The city had previously made resources available to people at the Lewiston Armory on Central Avenue and the Ramada by Wyndham Lewiston Hotel and Conference Center on Pleasant Street after the shooting but those were closed almost two weeks ago.
Community Concepts CEO Jim Martin and certified deaf interpreter Regan Thibodeau participate in a moment of silence Monday for those killed in a mass shooting Oct. 25 in Lewiston. The tribute was held during the opening of the Community Resiliency Center at 184 Main St. in Lewiston. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal
All spaces and staff at the new center are designed to help people where they are, Parent said. Depending on the person’s individual needs, staff will work to provide them assistance, including mental health help, while others could need help with heating fuel over the winter.
There will be a couple of victim advocates available, along with two Community Concepts employees, according to Community Concepts CEO Jim Martin. The city and state have funded the Resiliency Center so far but Martin expects to receive a non-competitive Department of Justice grant to cover its operating expenses for the next 27 months.
The Resiliency Center is still in development and there will be more services added when it is clearer where the most needs are, Martin said. Communities that experience mass shooting events typically have help from a Resiliency Center for up to two years after.
“The individuals impacted by the events deserve an abundance of time, help, respect and partnership as we experience the grief and loss process, and start, at some point, to develop an understanding of how to move forward,” he said.
“There will never be a day in which any of us forget the victims of this situation and those that have been impacted,” Martin said. “It’s in this spirit that the Maine Resiliency Center has been developed to serve as an easy access point for you to seek help. We are here for you. You are not alone.”
Those in need of extra help or resources dealing with grief, trauma or any other struggle can reach out during walk-in hours from noon to 5 p.m. The Community Resiliency Center is accessible from the third-floor parking garage at 26 Chapel St.; the catwalk leads directly into the office.
People are encouraged to contact the Community Resiliency Center at 207-515-3930 for more information or for interpreting services. People are also encouraged to contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 if they need immediate help.
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