AccessDirect – BIDDEFORD GAZETTE

By RANDY SEAVER, Editor

Ryan Paige of Biddeford sits behind a desk in his Main Street office and carefully considers his words while talking about the upcoming “Black Balloon Day” event that will be held on Saturday, March 7.

Black Balloon Day is an annual event to remember people who have been lost to drug addiction and substance use disorder – and to raise awareness and offer hope to those who may be struggling, their families and other members of the community.

This will be the sixth year that the event has been held in Maine, and this year the event will take place for the first time in Biddeford, at the New Life Church on the Alfred Road.

Paige, 44, is the co-founder of the Access Direct Recovery Network, a statewide non-profit organization that provides “direction and connection to individuals suffering with substance use disorder through fast access into a network of treatment facilities and recovery resources” throughout Maine.

Ryan Paige of Biddeford runs the Access Direct Recovery Network and is excited that this year’s Black Balloon event will be held in the same community where he grew up, struggled and began his recovery journey (Seaver photo)

Paige is a recovering drug addict who is now on a mission to provide support, service and resources to other people, regardless of where they are on their own recovery journey. He and his wife, Cynthia, launched Access Direct six years ago.

The first Black Balloon event held in Maine took place on the Eastern Promenade in Portland six years ago. It was organized by Paige and his friend, Randy Beard – a fellow recovering addict.

“It was a really small event,” Paige recalled. “We had maybe 50 people show up and we had one table set up with information about resources, and it was freezing cold.”

Over the years, the event continually grew.

“In true addict fashion, we decided to try it again,” Paige laughed. “It’s always been a grassroots type thing, but by year two we had between 150 and 200 people.”

Last year, the event was held in Bangor and more than 500 people attended to hear musical performances and share the memories of those who have been lost to addiction.

This is the first year that the Black Balloon event will be held in Biddeford.

“Having it in Biddeford this year means a lot to me,” Paige said. “This where I live. This is where I struggled. I have a strong personal connection to Biddeford.”

Paige says the Black Balloon event is designed to allow people to grieve and share the memories of those who have been lost to addiction. But is also an opportunity for community members, families and others to learn more about available treatment resources.

“We’re constantly working to get rid of the stigma that surrounds so many of these battles,” Paige said. “This event gives people information about resources and a chance to see the power of recovery.”

This year’s event will feature a variety of food trucks and musical performances by artists in recovery from all over the country, including Skyler Ray from Seattle; Colicchie from Pittsburg; Jordan Meyer from Florida and others.

Several community awards – named after people lost to addiction – will be presented to individuals and resource providers.

But there will only be a minimum number of actual black balloons at the indoor Black Balloon event. No balloons will be released.

“During our first year, we heard some concerns from people about the negative impacts that balloons have on the environment and wildlife,” Paige explained. “We want to be good neighbors.”

The event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 11 a.m. Performances begins at noon.

For more information, please visit Black Balloon Event

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Randy Seaver is the editor and founder of the Biddeford Gazette. He has been covering Biddeford news and politics for nearly three decades. He may be reached by email: randy@randyseaver.com

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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.

*Ryan Paige talks about the recovery network that he built from the ground up (Seaver photo)*

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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Black Balloon event coming to Biddeford

Turning addiction into something positive