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Megan Shapiro-Ross, left, and Emily Flinkstrom, co-founders of the Mainspring social services hub in Kittery, pose for a photo in February 2025. Mainspring is receiving a $1 million investment from the state's opioid settlement fund, the office of Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey announced Wednesday. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer)

A Kittery social services collective is receiving a $1 million investment from the state’s opioid settlement fund, the Office of the Maine Attorney General announced Wednesday.

Mainspring — which opened in February 2025 and is led by housing and homelessness nonprofit Fair Tide and Footprints — helps people navigate substance use disorder, housing instability, food insecurity and poverty.

Funded through the state’s $230 million opioid settlement fund, the investment will be used to strengthen Mainspring’s integrated recovery support model, according to a news release from Attorney General Aaron Frey. That means the organization will use the money to expand case management, housing services, food access, outreach, and recovery support for people impacted by opioid use disorder and substance misuse.

“This investment recognizes the importance of treating substance use disorder with a comprehensive, community-centered approach,” state Rep. Michele Meyer, D-Eliot, said in the release. “I am proud to support this work through Maine’s opioids settlement funds.”

Funding will also help strengthen prevention, long-term stability and create scalable models for other Maine communities. Mainspring hopes to build shared data systems and improve coordinated outreach to “ensure individuals do not fall through the gaps,” according to the release.

“We are deeply grateful for the support of Attorney General Frey and Rep. Meyer as we continue building a collaborative model that we believe can benefit communities across Maine,” Emily Flinkstrom and Megan Shapiro-Ross, executive directors of Fair Trade and Footprints, said in the release.

Isabelle Oss is a community reporter covering Kittery, Berwick, North Berwick, South Berwick, York and Ogunquit. Born and raised in Colorado, she moved to Maine in April 2026. Isabelle holds a master’s...

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