The mission of Beacon House is to recognize the power, strength, and resilience of each woman, and provide them with a safe home to recover

” We have a rock solid belief in the possibility of recovery, and we put that belief into action every day.

Peer Support and Recovery Center

A safe and welcoming community for adults who struggle with mental illness and other life challenges. Open since 1982, we have grown into Maine’s largest peer community. The Peer Center is a low-barrier, recovery-focused place that is truly a community within a community. We offer a range of groups, activities, and supports. We also provide a hot, delicious lunch served five days a week at our Driscoll’s Diner. We serve over a thousand meals to area residents each month, and that number is steadily growing.

Just come in.

A volunteer member of our welcoming committee will meet with you and give you a tour. Enjoy a free breakfast or lunch. Folks can join on a first name basis if they wish. Amistad is a lively, welcoming and fun community.

Our Services

We believe that when people are given a fair chance to get back on their feet, they can make incredible progress. We provide supports vital to getting people back on their feet.

Mailing Address
The center offers you an anonymous mailing address.
Restaurant
Amistad’s Driscoll’s Diner is open for a free continental breakfast from 9 am -10 am, and for a free hot lunch from 11:30 am -1 pm, Monday through Friday. All are welcome. We also always welcome volunteers, donations and any support to help us run this vital resource for a community that struggles with food insecurity.
Amenities
We offer computer access, lockers, a shower, laundry, and phone.
Peer Support Specialists
Our staff of peer support specialists are trained as peer navigators, eager to help members of our Peer Center connect to needed resources and employment.
Transportation Our 13-passenger van is a regular visitor to free and low-cost opportunities in the greater Portland area.
Friendship
People make meaningful friendships at Amistad. The Peer Support and Recovery Center has a welcoming community feel.

We are located in Portland’s West End.

66 State Street

Portland, ME

Welcome to the Club

The Peer Support and Recovery Center is many things to many people. To many of our longer-term friends, the place is still referred to as “the Club,” due to its roots as a Social Club model. This is also why those who join our community are referred to as Members. A member of the Peer Support and Recovery Center not only has access to all of the perks above, but can also choose to contribute their energy and skill to one or more of the many volunteer opportunities that the Peer Center presents. We have a clerical committee, a welcoming committee, an outreach committee, a fundraising committee, and a personnel committee—all comprised of volunteer members. Our program is truly run by those it serves.

Do you use volunteers? Absolutely! Many of our members are eager to give back to the community. They help staff the kitchen, answer phones and help with maintenance.
Contact us Mindy Harrison Director of Peer Services PO Box 992
Portland, Maine 04104 (207) 773-1956 mindysh@amistadinc.com

Recovery Residences Program

In partnership with Community Housing of Maine (CHOM) and the other members of the Greater Portland Addiction Collaborative (GPAC), Amistad launched our first recovery residence, for women, in 2017. In response to the dire lack of safe, supported housing for individuals battling with opiate abuse disorders, we've opened our first home which provides support and a safe place for women to re-establish productive lives. The women currently living in the home are coming from especially vulnerable environments, including sexual trafficking and domestic violence. The home is modeled on the precepts of Intentional Peer Support and has been affectionately named "Beacon House" by its residents. We are seeing women who were at high risk of overdose and victimization seizing control of their lives, reuniting with children and families, and finding inner strengths and resources that had been hidden away for years.

“I’ve been thrown out literally my whole life.

I finally feel like I belong somewhere.”

– a current resident

Mission

Beacon House's missions statement was co-written by its current residents:

“The mission of Beacon House is to recognize the power, strength, and resilience of each woman, and provide them with a safe home to recover, in community with kindred spirits. Our community values all pathways to recovery and the lived experience of each woman, amplifies her voice in a peer-led environment, and offers support from a small team of non-judgmental, compassionate providers.”

What can I expect from Peer Support?

Peer Supporters work with women along every step of the way to recovery, providing mentoring, guidance, and support. They’re committed to ensuring that residents’ needs are met and committed to recovery and positive growth.

How can I get involved?

Anyone interested in learning what they can do to support this effort, or seeking help for themselves or someone they care about who is struggling with opiate use, can contact program manager Meredith Pesce.

Contact us

Erica Lowe
Director of Housing Services
(207) 408-8428
erical@amistadmaine.org

” We have a rock solid belief in the possibility of recovery, and we put that belief into action every day.

Peer Support and Recovery Center

A safe and welcoming community for adults who struggle with mental illness and other life challenges. Open since 1982, we have grown into Maine’s largest peer community. The Peer Center is a low-barrier, recovery-focused place that is truly a community within a community. We offer a range of groups, activities, and supports. We also provide a hot, delicious lunch served five days a week at our Driscoll’s Diner. We serve over a thousand meals to area residents each month, and that number is steadily growing.

Just come in.

A volunteer member of our welcoming committee will meet with you and give you a tour. Enjoy a free breakfast or lunch. Folks can join on a first name basis if they wish. Amistad is a lively, welcoming and fun community.

Our Services

We believe that when people are given a fair chance to get back on their feet, they can make incredible progress. We provide supports vital to getting people back on their feet.

Mailing Address
The center offers you an anonymous mailing address.
Restaurant
Amistad’s Driscoll’s Diner is open for a free continental breakfast from 9 am -10 am, and for a free hot lunch from 11:30 am -1 pm, Monday through Friday. All are welcome. We also always welcome volunteers, donations and any support to help us run this vital resource for a community that struggles with food insecurity.
Amenities
We offer computer access, lockers, a shower, laundry, and phone.
Peer Support Specialists
Our staff of peer support specialists are trained as peer navigators, eager to help members of our Peer Center connect to needed resources and employment.
Transportation Our 13-passenger van is a regular visitor to free and low-cost opportunities in the greater Portland area.
Friendship
People make meaningful friendships at Amistad. The Peer Support and Recovery Center has a welcoming community feel.

We are located in Portland’s West End.

66 State Street

Portland, ME

Welcome to the Club

The Peer Support and Recovery Center is many things to many people. To many of our longer-term friends, the place is still referred to as “the Club,” due to its roots as a Social Club model. This is also why those who join our community are referred to as Members. A member of the Peer Support and Recovery Center not only has access to all of the perks above, but can also choose to contribute their energy and skill to one or more of the many volunteer opportunities that the Peer Center presents. We have a clerical committee, a welcoming committee, an outreach committee, a fundraising committee, and a personnel committee—all comprised of volunteer members. Our program is truly run by those it serves.

Do you use volunteers? Absolutely! Many of our members are eager to give back to the community. They help staff the kitchen, answer phones and help with maintenance.
Contact us Mindy Harrison Director of Peer Services PO Box 992
Portland, Maine 04104 (207) 773-1956 mindysh@amistadinc.com