March Ways to Give to Sweetser

Posted by Jessica Tornatore

This March, help Sweetser in raising critical funds for mental health by participating in these month-long fundraisers!

The Milk Bottle Lime-Aid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Milk Bottle creates delicious mixers, which are great on their own or mixed with anything you like. When you enjoy a refreshing, fan-favorite Lime-Aid at The Milk Bottle, you’re supporting mental health in Maine. Throughout March, $1 from every Lime-Aid sold will be donated to Sweetser, helping us continue providing vital mental health services to our community. Click here to check out their schedule of local markets throughout the month.

 

Sanford Hannaford Community Bag

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweetser has been selected again as a nonprofit partner in the Hannaford Community Bag Program. We will receive $1 from the sale of every $2.50 reusable Community Bag sold during the month of March at the 800 Main Street, Sandford location.

TV Segment: Coping With Winter Triggers

Posted by Jessica Tornatore

For many people in Maine, winter brings more than just cold temperatures and shorter days—it can also heighten challenges for those living with substance use disorder or working hard to maintain recovery. In the latest Mental Health Moment, WMTW’s Scott McDonnell sits down with Ali Zubrod, Clinical Supervisor at Sweetser’s Hope & Healing Center in Brunswick, to discuss why this season can be especially difficult and what support is available.

If you’re wondering whether this program could support your recovery journey, reach out anytime:

📧 info@sweetser.org

📞 PromiseLine: 1‑800‑434‑3000

New Signage Throughout Sweetser

Posted by Jessica Tornatore

Sweetser has new signage throughout our many locations to help visitors, clients, and staff find entrances and access services. This speaks to our organizational vision of reducing barriers to accessing services.

SANFORD

We have a new large sign attached to our Hope & Healing Center on Main Street in Sanford. This sign replaced the aging sign that had our outdated logo on it. This will help increase our visibility in a busy part of the city.

SACO CAMPUS

 

As you enter our Saco Campus on Moody Street, you are now greeted by a full-size campus map. The map details numbered buildings and general building names, both of which help visitors find where they are going and continue to protect confidentiality/safety.

FARMINGTON & RUMFORD

We have installed new signage to highlight two vital hubs for our Mobile Crisis Team that serve all of Franklin and Oxford Counties. Sweetser’s offices are located at 144 High Street in Farmington and 60 Lowell Street in Rumford.

TV Segment: Checking in on the Health of Your Relationship

Posted by Jessica Tornatore

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, many of us are thinking about chocolates and flowers—but it’s also a perfect moment to check in on the health of our relationships.

Sweetser’s Senior Director of Adult Crisis & Residential Services, Mike Andrick, joins WMTW’s Scott McDonnell to break down the five love languages and explain how better understanding them can strengthen our connections.

Watch full segment below:

If you’d like to find a therapist available in your area, click here.

Saco School Featured on WGME Segment

Posted by Jessica Tornatore

For many parents and educators, ensuring students’ emotional and academic well‑being is essential—but some children need more support than traditional public schools can provide. Sweetser’s Director of Education, Kimberly Holmes, joins WGME’s Adrienne Stein to share how the special purpose school in Saco offers a highly therapeutic, individualized environment for students with complex social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs.

Learn how this transformative program is changing lives and how families and districts can get connected.

School officials and families can learn more by visiting Sweetser.org/SacoSchool.

Sweetser Named Nonprofit of the Year by the Biddeford Saco Chamber of Commerce

Posted by Jessica Tornatore

Sweetser has been awarded Nonprofit of the Year!

For an organization that has been around since the early 1800s, this award is meaningful to us. For nearly two hundred years, we’ve been adapting to meet the ever-changing behavioral health needs of Maine children and families. Our work creating walk-in care clinics called Hope & Healing Centers, launching the state’s only Child ACT team, opening a free peer center, and soon to be constructing Maine’s first psychiatric residential treatment facility, demonstrates our collective ability to innovate and meet the moment to increase access and reduce stigma.

Thank you to the Biddeford Saco Chamber of Commerce + Industry for this honor and recognition!

Sweetser’s Chief Communications & HR Officers Justin Chenette and Holly Hall accepted the award from Chamber board members & Executive Director Alex MacPhail.

TV Segment: Big Game, Big Feelings

Posted by Jessica Tornatore

Did you catch the Big Game?

Whether your team took home the trophy or you’re already looking toward next year, it’s a great time to check in on your mental “postgame” recovery.

Sweetser’s CFO, John McAnuff, sat down with WMTW to discuss why high-stakes events like the Super Bowl can impact our mental health. Between intense emotions, social pressure, and a total lack of control over the final score, the day can quickly become overwhelming.

WATCH the full segment here below…

Halftime for Hope Scored a Touchdown

Posted by Jessica Tornatore

12 hours of broadcasting hope!

Our friends at Q97.9 and 92 Moose hosted our first-ever Halftime for Hope Radiothon.

Radio hosts, Matt James and Allyssa Marson, were fabulous in amplifying our impact and interviewing our various leadership team members regarding available mental health resources and treatment programs.

Ice Skate for Sweetser Warms Community Spirit

Posted by Jessica Tornatore

What a day on the ice! Sweetser appreciates the Kennebunk community for embracing our Ice Skate for Sweetser event this year at their Waterhouse Center.

Thank you to the following sponsors for making this possible:

  • Kennebunk Savings
  • Martin’s Point Health Care
  • Canvasworks, Inc.
  • Norway Savings Bank
  • Cole Harrison Insurance

Thanks to all who stopped by, we hope you enjoyed it! ⛸️

WMTW Channel 8 was there to feature the event:

TV Segment: Physical Depression Symptoms

Posted by Jessica Tornatore

When most people think of depression, they picture sadness, hopelessness, or a loss of interest in daily life. But depression doesn’t always look the way we expect it to. In fact, many symptoms show up physically—long before someone recognizes the emotional signs.

In the latest Mental Health Moment, Sweetser’s Medical Director, Dr. Marc Kaplan, sits down with WMTW’s Meghan Torjussen to shed light on the lesser‑known ways depression can affect the body and mind.

If you or someone you know may be struggling:

  • Urgent Support: Call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.
  • Peer Support in Maine: Reach the Maine Intentional Peer Support Warmline at 1‑866‑771‑9276.
  • Connecting With Sweetser: Email info@sweetser.org to explore local treatment options and learn how screening tools can help you begin your path toward wellness.