Ryan Paige grew up in Biddeford, and he has now taken the worst part of his life and turned it into a resource that has helped hundreds of people achieve sobriety all across Maine.

Paige, 43, has been sober and drug-free since 2019. Flash forward six years, and he is now running a statewide non-profit organization dedicated to helping others achieve sobriety.

“I would not be able to do this if I hadn’t gone through all the pain and my own poor decision making,” he said. “My own past, including incarcerations and all sorts of other stuff, has allowed me to build a reserve of empathy for others who are struggling.”

As part of his own recovery process, Paige started an informal support network to help those who want to pursue recovery.

At first, it was just him and his cell phone, interacting with people he met on the street. People he knew. People his friends knew.

Over time, the calls increased . . . dramatically.

“It was just word of mouth,” he said during a recent interview. “I was just staying busy, focusing on helping others, which is a big part of the recovery process.”

Before he knew it, Paige was helping people by driving them to recovery facilities between Kittery and Caribou.

“In the beginning, I was getting maybe 20 calls a month from people seeking help in their own recovery journey,” he said. “Before too long, that turned into a hundred calls a month.”

Today, Paige’s non-profit organization fields between 800 and 1,000 calls per month.

The AccessDirect Recovery Network partners with several other non-profit service providers across the state, including Opportunity Alliance, Spurwink and the Seeds of Hope Neighborhood Resource Center. Paige said.

“Our phones are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he said.

“I would not be able to do this
if I hadn’t gone through
all the pain and my own
poor decision making,”

— Ryan Paige

Paige said he would not be able to do what he is now doing without the help of his wife, Cynthia.

“She’s the business part of it,” he explained. “She does all the office stuff and so much more.”

Ryan and Cynthia were able to transform AccessDirect into a stand-alone non-profit organization. From there, Cynthia was able to apply for grant money to help keep the network running.

“I was doing everything out of my own pocket,” Ryan explained.” The expenses can add up quickly.”

Just two months ago, AccessDirect was able to secure a $500,000 grant from the Maine Recovery Council, the agency that was charged with dispersing Maine’s share of the federal opiate settlement funds provided by several pharmaceutical companies.

Ryan and Cynthia are using that money to add staff for their inbound call center, which is based in Biddeford. They are now also able to reimburse mileage expenses for their volunteer drivers.

AccessDirect has worked closely with the Biddeford Police Department and the city of Biddeford.

Paige says he has been asked to help train police officers about dealing with addicts and those struggling to achieve sobriety.

He also credits former Mayor Alan Casavant and current Mayor Marty Grohman for helping his organization grow and provide services.

In fact, Paige says City Council President Liam LaFountain was proactive in reaching out to learn how the city could support the recovery network.

Paige feels a strong connection to his hometown of Biddeford, which is why his organization is headquartered in the city.

“This is where I grew up,” he said. “These are the same streets where I was using.”

“None of this would be possible if I hadn’t lived through the darkest time of my life,” Paige said. “I was sick, desperate and hopeless. Today, I can leverage that part of my life to help others who are struggling.

“That’s the whole point,” he said.

To learn more about AccessDirect, please visit their website at accessdirectrecovery.org

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Randy Seaver is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette. He may be contacted by email: randy@randyseaver.com

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