The Church of Safe Injection opened the state’s first peer-led addiction recovery center in Lewiston Thursday.

The Sanctuary on Main Street looks to be a hub for services in the Lewiston and Auburn area while providing access to harm reduction services for those who need it.

The center will have a person-centered approach that will provide help based on a person’s need, in addition to providing the drug Narcan, used to treat opioid overdoses, and providing clean needles.

“As harm reductionists, we are firm in our beliefs that people are not disposable, and we are here to meet them on whatever phase of their journey they’re in,” said Rosie Boyce, Community Engagement and Outreach Coordinator for the Church of Safe Injection.

According to co-director Zoe Brokos, the Church of Safe Injection serves roughly 450 individuals monthly. Last year, the organization saw just over 1,200 individuals.

The space opened on the same day the organization celebrates National Save a Life Day.

The organization also debuted a new naloxone vending box that allows people to access the medicine at any time of the day.

Boyce said she hopes spaces like this will help those struggling with drug addiction stay on the right path.

“We recognize that there are a lot of steps that take place prior to someone being ready to enter a new phase of recovery,” said Boyce. “Harm reduction is a pathway to recovery and it’s something not recognized or talked about.”

The opening of The Sanctuary comes as the state is starting to see a decline in drug deaths.

The most recent report from the Maine Drug Data Hub found the total number of confirmed and suspected fatal overdoses between January and July 2024 at 302, a 17.3% decrease from the same time in 2023.

Boyce said she wants to help people not go down the same path she once did. Prior, she was once someone who actively used drugs and had been incarcerated. She says harm reduction has come a long way since she started what she calls her wellness journey.

Boyce says it’s important for someone, whether it’s herself or a staff member with related stories, to make sure an individual dealing with drug addiction doesn’t go down the wrong path and take their own life.

“It’s important to have people who lived the experience, those who talk the talk and walk the walk. Trust is something that’s not really gained amongst those who are actively using drugs. It’s something we end up gaining and it always works out well in the end.”

Despite the hours of operation still being worked out, Church of Safe Injection officials say they believe the center could potentially be open from noon to 8 p.m., Monday through Friday.