WINTHROP — Five years ago on Father’s Day, Deb L’Etoile lost her son Cory to a fentanyl overdose. Since then she has been involved with An Angel’s Wing Inc., a Lewiston-based nonprofit that has helped hundreds seek recovery.

On Saturday, the organization will host a grand opening for two recovery residences in Winthrop, one of which is named after Cory.

Cory’s Place will be focused on women while Kristopher’s Home will focus on men.

“These homes will not just be a recovery home,” L’Etoile said. “The homes will include rules, drug testing, mandatory treatment, holistic healing, farm-to-table therapeutic activities and our primary focus will be on reunification of children in foster care.”

Both homes are currently accepting applications from people who are at least 18 years old and meet a number of other requirements. L’Etoile said the organization will develop a unique plan for each resident after they undergo an intake assessment.

“By addressing a person’s mind, body and spirit, we will address mental, physical and spiritual needs,” she said.

The nonprofit is seeking to have the two homes certified by the Maine Association of Recovery Residences, which manages ethical and safety standards for recovery homes in the state.

“The residence will offer members the opportunity to build their own unique individual, social and community support network, to help prevent relapse and promote long-term recovery from addiction,” said L’Etoile, adding that the homes will be peer and volunteer-run.

L’Etoile said the death of her son motivated her to get involved with the recovery community and that Cory, born in 1970, did well in school and sports and captained his high school hockey team. After attending the University of Maine, he moved to Topsham where he worked as a lobsterman.

He sustained multiple back injuries during work and had two surgeries, after which he was prescribed oxycontin.

L’Etoile said this caused a significant change in her son.

“We began to notice mood swings, missed time at work, a change of friends, relationship problems and not following through with the things he had said he was going to do,” she said. “His girlfriend and her daughter moved out, giving addiction to oxycontin as a reason.”

She said they tried helping her son multiple times, but to no avail.

Knowing that substance use was upsetting his parents, he committed to being in recovery for 18 months. L’Etoile said he was back to work, had a new girlfriend and his mood had drastically improved.

It was during this period that Cory’s father received a call on Father’s Day.

“He thought it was Cory calling to wish him happy Father’s Day,” she said. “Instead, it was the Yarmouth Police Department calling to tell us Cory had died of an overdose. He was our beloved son, our beautiful boy, until he became addicted to opioids.”

L’Etoile said this opened her eyes to how many others were suffering similar fates as her son, and after finding an article about An Angel’s Wing and its director, Debra York, she was soon motivated to join the organization.

An Angel’s Wing was founded in 2017 with the goal of helping community members in need find recovery, with a business model York said was similar to that of Goodwill.

“We opened a thrift store in order to fund peoples’ rehabilitation,” she said.

The group’s first store opened in 2018 on Lisbon Street in Lewiston, and in 2022 it opened a second location at the Auburn Mall.

York said the organization will host a combined grand opening and open house for Cory’s Place and Kristopher’s Home on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 272 Turkey Lane in Winthrop.

L’Etoile said a sign that reads “Cory’s Place” will be visible over garage doors at the location.

Applications to the recovery homes are available online at anangelswing.org.

« Previous

University of Maine System lifts COVID vaccine mandate

Next »

Justice Wayne Douglas sworn in to Maine’s highest court