Volunteer Spotlight: Renee Mozeliak

Feeling “tired of losing friends to the disease [substance use disorder],” inspired Renee Mozeliak to serve as a community volunteer recovery coach with Healthy Acadia. “I’ve lost several good friends to this,” said Mozeliak. Unfortunately this is a truth for many - 504 Mainers lost their lives to substance use in 2020 alone “Sometimes these experiences compel us to want to do something and attempt to make changes in our communities in any way we can. Volunteering is one way we can do this.” In September 2020, she attended the CCAR Recovery Coach Academy offered through Healthy Acadia’s Maine Alliance for Recovery Coaching. She began coaching in January.

Over the last several months, Mozeliak has formed many rewarding relationships through her role as a recovery coach. “Volunteering has been a great, rewarding and fulfilling experience. I enjoy it. I think to get a more rewarding and fulfilling aspect of recovery coaching, I would recommend Healthy Acadia. I haven’t been able to coach or meet anyone in person yet, but this still feels like I am part of a family.

“The stipend and the educational award that are offered do help. I am a stay-at-home mom and this allows me to help with my family’s finances. This experience also looks great on a resume and will help me move toward something for my future.”

Recovery Coaching brings added support to individuals in the recovery community as well as to those seeking recovery and a new way of living. Healthy Acadia offers two ways for interested community members to serve as recovery coaches: as a volunteer community recovery coach through Maine Alliance for Recovery Coaching (Maine ARC), or serving as a recovery coach intern through Recovery Core. Recovery Core members commit to serving a set number of hours per week and receive a small cost of living wage for those hours. Recovery Coaches receive free training through Maine-ARC using the CCAR (Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery) curriculum. Click here to learn more.