UPDATE: Friendship Cottage, a vital adult care center in Blue Hill, is now facing an urgent threat of closure unless it can buy back its own facility. The center, which has served adults with mental and physical disabilities for over two decades, is launching a fundraising campaign to secure its future following the financial collapse of its former operator, Downeast Community Partners (DCP).
In October, DCP officially ceased operations, burdened by over $4 million in debts to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. This has prompted the state to file liens on multiple properties, including the Friendship Cottage location on Ellsworth Road. The nonprofit’s liquidation process has begun, and the center’s future is now in jeopardy.
Friendship Cottage provides essential nursing home-like day care services for individuals across Hancock County. Participants rely on the center for medications, meals, and community activities while their caregivers are at work. Local resident Dede Johnson expressed the emotional toll of potentially losing the center, stating, “If Friendship Cottage wasn’t here, someone would have to quit their job to come take care of my husband. We couldn’t survive in our household without it.”
Executive Director Ann Ossanna, who has been with Friendship Cottage since its inception, is devastated by the situation. She recalls a fundraising campaign in 2005 that raised $1.4 million to purchase and renovate the facility, which was previously a café. “I was devastated, to be honest,” Ossanna shared. “Now we’re scrambling to purchase the property again to keep Friendship Cottage open.”
On November 17, the newly formed group, Friends of Friendship Cottage, announced its fundraising efforts aimed at acquiring the property once more. While the center continues to function under the fiscal sponsorship of the Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP), the future remains uncertain without ownership of the facility.
Barbra Clark, a volunteer and campaign organizer, highlighted that negotiations are ongoing with Bernstein Shur, the legal firm handling DCP’s asset liquidation. “We don’t know how much they’re going to ask for it,” Clark said, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.
ACAP Executive Director Jason Parent noted that it remains “unclear” when the Friendship Cottage property will be listed for sale. “We are working with a group of interested community members to hopefully purchase the facility,” Parent stated. “No solution is off the table at this point.”
The center currently accommodates 11 participants, five of whom require nursing home-level care. With the closure of the Island Nursing Home in 2021, Friendship Cottage has become one of the few adult care facilities still operational in Hancock County. Ossanna insists that the center is more than just a care facility; it’s a community. “It feels like family,” she said, reflecting the deep connections formed within the center.
As the fundraising campaign kicks off, community members are urged to contribute to ensure that Friendship Cottage can remain a safe haven for those in need. The emotional stakes are high, with many families depending on the center for their loved ones’ care and well-being.
The situation is developing rapidly, and community support is crucial to secure the future of this beloved center. As details emerge, residents are encouraged to stay informed and participate in the fundraising efforts to keep Friendship Cottage alive.
