Group Races to Buy Blue Hill Adult Day Care Center Before Liens Force Liquidation

Donors have raised $282,000 of the $750,000 needed to purchase the Friendship Cottage building and keep the last adult day care center in Hancock County open.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 9:47am

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The Friendship Cottage adult day care center in Blue Hill, Maine is facing closure after the collapse of its former parent organization, Downeast Community Partners (DCP), which owes over $4 million in state liens. Donors have been working to raise $750,000 to purchase the Friendship Cottage building before it goes up for liquidation in March, with $282,000 raised so far. The new regional community action agency, Community Action in Aroostook, Washington and Hancock Counties, is also trying to boost enrollment to keep the center financially viable long-term.

Why it matters

Friendship Cottage is the last remaining adult day care center in Hancock County, providing critical nursing home-level care for aging residents as other health services have shuttered across the region in recent years. Its closure would leave a significant gap in care options for the county's growing elderly population.

The details

Friendship Cottage, which opened in 2008, was previously operated by the now-defunct Downeast Community Partners (DCP). DCP collapsed last fall and is now liquidating its assets, including the Friendship Cottage building, to pay off over $4 million in state liens. Donors have been racing to raise $750,000 to purchase the building and keep the day care center open, with $282,000 raised so far. The new regional community action agency, Community Action in Aroostook, Washington and Hancock Counties, is also working to increase enrollment at Friendship Cottage to make it financially sustainable, as it currently operates at a $6,000-$8,000 monthly loss due to under-enrollment.

  • The Friendship Cottage building is expected to go up for liquidation in March 2026.
  • The Friendship Cottage program saw an increase in clients needing nursing home-level care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The players

Friendship Cottage

An adult day care center in Blue Hill, Maine that provides nursing home-level care for aging residents in Hancock County.

Downeast Community Partners (DCP)

The former community action agency that operated Friendship Cottage, which collapsed in 2025 and is now liquidating its assets, including the Friendship Cottage building.

Community Action in Aroostook, Washington and Hancock Counties

The new regional community action agency that is now operating in the place of the defunct DCP, including trying to increase enrollment at Friendship Cottage to keep it financially viable.

Anne Ossanna

The director of Friendship Cottage.

Jason Parent

The CEO of the new Community Action in Aroostook, Washington and Hancock Counties agency.

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What they’re saying

“It's just horrible, because we're an aging county.”

— Anne Ossanna, Director, Friendship Cottage

“Right now a third of our clients are nursing home level of care, and that is a lot of work.”

— Anne Ossanna, Director, Friendship Cottage

“We are committed to this program and turning it around.”

— Jason Parent, CEO, Community Action in Aroostook, Washington and Hancock Counties

What’s next

The new community action agency is working to increase enrollment at Friendship Cottage to at least 12 clients in order to break even financially. Decisions about the program's long-term future will be made once a new board with Hancock County representatives is formed.

The takeaway

The potential closure of Friendship Cottage, the last adult day care center in Hancock County, highlights the growing challenges facing aging residents in rural Maine communities as health services continue to be consolidated or shut down. The community's efforts to save this critical resource demonstrate the importance of grassroots initiatives to preserve access to care for vulnerable populations.