Monthly Archives: July 2017

Where do you feel you belong? This is a significant question, and touches upon our deep human need to know we’re part of something bigger, to know we belong.

Novō’s programme aims to teach residents about our basic emotional needs – to be loved, valued, and to belong, amongst others. Understanding that we are constantly seeking ways to meet these needs provides the residents with insight into their motivations for their own behaviours and addictions.

All too often we hear stories of instability and rejection during residents’ childhoods, of times where their emotional needs were not met in their homes. Broken family relationships. Abuse and abandonment.

Naturally, they start to look elsewhere for a sense of belonging and a place where they feel accepted. Gangs on the streets, sleeping in small communities under the bridges, using drink and drugs to fit in with the crowd… or else to numb feelings of worthlessness and aloneness. It works for a short time, and the basic needs are met, even if only superficially. But before long, the destructive consequences of this lifestyle begin to set in, and the drink and drugs become a necessity for survival.

Novō’s community model is so fundamental in a resident’s recovery process. It creates a secure place in which to belong, which in turn builds self-worth and increased emotional security. We aim to grow this sense of community through various aspects of the programme including shared meal times, therapeutic groups, regular times of worship and prayer, work therapy (as a team) and occasional social trips out together.

As Christians, we also have the benefit of belonging to a much wider community – the worldwide church! As Novō we are so grateful to all our supporters, far and wide, who have played such a huge part in enabling us to reach this point. Thank you!

As we look back on progress to date, and focus-in on the priorities we have for the future, we have produced the first Novō Annual Review. It’s short and to the point, full of pictures from the life of the community, and includes our budget for the Quinta Totaices project for 2017 and 2018.

To read the UK version of the Annual Review click here:
https://gallery.mailchimp.com/13f01e249d138923823287a8b/files/30ac1d7f-9f05-49ce-bc36-b0ebeecca1d5/Annual_Review_2016_UK_.pdf

To read the Canadian version of the Annual Review click here:
https://gallery.mailchimp.com/13f01e249d138923823287a8b/files/4070eb00-d332-425a-9e98-38669e7c9569/Annual_Review_2016_CAD_.pdf