New Support Center Opens in Dresden

A new undertaking in Dresden called The Freedom Center is designed to provide support, build strength and hope, and help people who are struggling to become independent, according to Jan Burns, the center’s executive director.

Those people might just need emotional support and someone to talk to, or could be going through a divorce, or coming from an addiction situation or jail, Burns said.

“We want to be family to them; we want them to feel like they belong,” she said.

The main goal of the center is to help people – with the assistance of outside agencies – get out of emotional crises to the point where they can avoid getting back into them, Burns said.

The center will not provide any professional services itself, Burns said, but she is continuing to develop connections which will allow her to put people in touch with any resources they may need.

Burns, a landlord for over 20 years, said she has experience with her tenants needing to overcome the challenges of such situations, which helped guide her to take on this project. She has found many people do not have family, friends, or others to lean on during difficult times.

“They need that. They need companionship, they need people to talk to, to have fun,” she said.

As a part of its offerings, The Freedom Center has space to house 10 to 15 residents who are working toward independence, all of whom must sign off on and live by the center’s rules, including a ban on drugs or alcohol, Burns said.

Burns also selects who is allowed to stay at the center because they have to be people the center has the ability to accommodate, she said. Certain people may need to use other services, such as rehab, before they would be allowed to stay there, she said.

Stephanie Schwab, one of the center’s first residents, said she spent six months in incarceration followed by rehab in Kennebec County before coming to The Freedom Center.

Schwab needed a stepping stone when she got out, and found the center was a safe place to stay with access to both the resources she may need and people she can talk with, she said.

Over the roughly six weeks Schwab has spent at the center, she said she found just being together with others there has provided a framework of responsibility and accountability to help keep her on track.

“It’s giving me the support I need to be stronger before I go out on my own again,” she said.

The center will be open to more than just its residents, however.

“We’ll always be planning activities that are healthy, fun, and obviously free of any drugs or alcohol,” such as chem-free dances and karaoke nights, Burns said.

Burns also hopes the center will host support groups for things like alcohol and drug dependencies, grieving for lost loved ones, and simply emotional support.

One of the center’s volunteers, Steve Gracie, of Newcastle, aims to be someone people could talk to on a non-professional basis.

Gracie, who has stage 4 cancer, said a positive attitude and a positive environment are needed to make the center work.

“I’d love to do something good for someone before I pass away,” Gracie said.

“If you’ve got something you want to do tomorrow, you’d better get up and do it because you don’t know how many tomorrows you have left,” he said.

Though a church owns the building where the center is located, the center is not church-related, Burns said. Still, the center will offer Bible study for those who are interested, as well as faith-based inspirational speakers, she said.

Certain churches are also sponsoring rooms for residents, which will allow those residents to work on themselves and work toward independence without having to worry about paying for shelter, Burns said.

Work on the building is ongoing and funding dependent, Burns said, and the center’s offerings are still under development.

The Freedom Center’s nonprofit status is pending, Burns said.

The Freedom Center is located at 633 Gardiner Rd. in Dresden. For more information or to donate, visit www.freedomcenter7.com or call 313-2842.