Restored Connections Peer Center Opens Lane County Annex, Expands Recovery Services

Restored Connections Peer Center has opened a second downtown location, called the Annex, to expand peer recovery supports, training and group programming in Eugene. The Annex at 146 E 12th Ave adds larger meeting rooms and a quieter space for one-on-one mentorship that staff say were not possible at the original drop-in site.

Chrissy Barnard, program manager, described the new site this way: "While the main RCPC site focuses on low-barrier drop-in services, the Annex provides space for programming that benefits from a more intentional, scheduled, and group-oriented environment." Barnard said the Annex "supports peer-led recovery pathways, educational groups, cultural and wellness activities, workforce development, and community meetings that promote connection, stability, and long-term recovery."

The main Restored Connections Peer Center, founded by Stephanie Cameron in January 2023, will continue to operate as a low-barrier drop-in where people in recovery can socialize, attend events and connect with staff with lived experience. Drop-in hours at the main site are listed as Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a daily midday closure from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. The Annex will host scheduled groups such as Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, trainings, and peer-led educational and cultural programming.

Cameron said the move addressed space limits at the original location: "Our previous location wasn't big enough for us to provide a holistic recovery community center. We accessed some grant money to kind of expand the square footage. it's a beautiful space. We love it. It's very calming, very welcoming and open." She added that the Annex has strengthened outreach: "What the Annex has done is it really has allowed us to call out to our community. The magic of a recovery process is when community shows up for the suffering members of that community, you see a healing that isn't really duplicated or replicated in a clinical setting."

The expansion comes amid sharp funding challenges. Restored Connections is part of Lane County's Behavioral Health Resource Network, which officials say faced cuts from the Oregon Health Authority Oversight and Accountability Council that amounted to a roughly 60% reduction in RCPC funding. Cameron described an even deeper hit to a particular funding stream, saying, "At the end of the day, we just had another funding cut. And so we're looking at somewhere around a 74% reduction in that funding stream." She added bluntly, "The cuts have not been kind to us."

RCPC used one-time funding from the Oregon Health Authority Office of Recovery and Resiliency, the Lane Community Health Council, and other grants to lease the Annex through May 2027. The Annex also hosts a renewed training schedule intended to build Oregon's peer workforce, with offerings listed for Ethics (January 8 and 9, 12 CEU), Self-Care (February 6, 6 CEU), a PSS/CRM 40-hour block (March 12–18), and other monthly CEU trainings.

For contact, Restored Connections lists the address 146 E 12th Ave, Eugene, OR 97401, email scameron@restoredconnections.org and phone listings shown as (458) 544-0000 and the shorter listing "458-544-000." The Annex represents both an immediate expansion of services for people in recovery and a test of sustainability for small, peer-run nonprofits as they navigate grant cycles and state funding decisions. The center plans to continue trainings and group programming while leaders press for durable funding to keep the doors open and the recovery community connected.