LEWISTON — Women who are dealing with trauma and other life struggles, or who simply want someone who will listen, will likely find others like them at the day center at Sophia’s House.

The women’s day center, formerly run by the Center of Wisdom’s Women but put on hold last summer, reopened in December under Community Concepts.

Monday afternoon, it celebrated reopening the day program during an open house with a small gathering of staff, supporters, volunteers, donors and clients.

“For the most part, it’s more about empowerment than doing,” Sonia Turgeon, administrator of the day center, said. “We aren’t caseworkers, we’re just compassionate women who listen very well to people’s stories and we also encourage women to speak up, tell us what’s going on, but every day’s optional, they don’t need to.”

Turgeon, who worked on the staff at Wisdom’s Women, was brought on to operate the day program, which offers a chance for women to connect and get resources, she said.

The center serves many women who were recently incarcerated, unhoused, struggling with substance use or victims of sex trafficking, she said. However, any person identifying as a woman is welcome at the day center, now operating out of Sophia’s House on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 143 Blake St.

“The unique part about this day center is it’s predominately women,” she said. “Meaning it’s a safe space for all women. If somebody has left a (domestic violence) situation or is not comfortable being in a co-ed setting, this is the place for them.”

Above and beyond connecting women with resources to help them with their current struggles, the day center’s bread-and-butter is offering guided discussions and activities that help women navigate past trauma and connect them with other women, she said.

Bingo is offered on Wednesdays and the Art Van comes on Thursdays, she said. Female musicians, such as Maine’s Got Talent winner Amy Curtis, also come in a couple times a month to play.

Along with the day center, Sophia’s House provides transitional housing for women, rents subsidized and market-rate apartments, and provides some other services and opportunities for women to come together, such as through holiday meals.

Community Concepts took over stewardship of Sophia’s House last summer from Wisdom’s Women after it closed last spring, also closing the day center for a transitional period.

Community Concepts CEO Jim Martin said he felt it was important to bring back the day center, where women can get services they would otherwise not be able to access.

“A lot of services in our community and the social services field require some type of diagnosis, they require some type of insurance, there’s a waitlist, there are high barriers to accessing services,” he said. “The day center program here is extremely low barrier, the doors are open, it’s free, there are no questions about ‘what’s your diagnosis? How do you qualify?’ It’s meant to be a place of safety and connection and support for vulnerable women.”

Sarah Verrill is staying in Sophia’s House transitional housing on the third floor of the building after being homeless for more than half of last year, she said.

Living out of her car, dealing with trauma from past sexual and physical abuse, and without a job, Verrill was in and out of the hospital because of her mental health, she said.

She first heard about Sophia’s House through others close to her. She has anxiety around men as a result of her past trauma, so she likes the “women empowering women” aspect, she said. She was able to apply to the house while she was in the hospital last year and moved there in January.

With housing sorted out, Verrill said she is in a better place mentally now, and the day center helps her connect with people, easing those feelings of isolation. She is also working in therapy on her mental health so she can get back into the workforce and become more independent.

“I really enjoy coming down to the day center, it’s great fellowship and friendship, and just great art therapy outlets or just listening to the music,” she said. “ It’s a wonderful experience to make new friends and make new connections and be supported by other women and support other women.”

The center sees between six and eight women on the days it is open, Turgeon said. The attendance is not as high as when the center was at the old Wisdom’s Women office at 90 Blake St., which Turgeon attributes to the move and the winter.

It will likely pick up as the weather warms and people find out about the new location, she said.

With the apartments, transitional housing and day center, Sophia’s House is run through a “community-based model,” encouraging interaction among the women in each program, Turgeon said. This helps facilitate friendships and provides a supportive community.

Turgeon hopes to expand the center’s days and hours in the future, along with adding more opportunities for weekly cooking classes and shared meals, she said.

“The goal is really to entice women to see what we’re all about,” she said. “It’s free, they can come in for free. They can check it out, they can ask questions, they can sit and watch, listen or join us, participate. So the goal is to increase our numbers and reach more women in the community.”

For inquiries about transitional housing call 207-513-3922. To learn more about the day program visit Sophia’s House on Community Concept’s website.