Community
My friend Larry is likely to die soon
O P I N I O N My friend Larry is likely to die soon. As director of Hope for New Hampshire Recovery, I’ve seen way too many people die, either from suicide or drug READ MORE
Articles by Keith Howard
Point of View
Dear Hope Nation, I have COVID-19. It sucks.
Do whatever you can to prevent yourself from getting it, unless you like losing your sense of taste and smell, feeling sore all over, coughing, being chilled and needing to sleep 18 hours a day. If you’re not vaccinated, please get vaccinated. If you’re not wearing a mask indoors in areas where community transmission is high, please start. If you don’t wash your hands regularly, please do so. I don’t want you or anyone else to feel the way I do right now. READ MORE
News
Hell may be hot, but cold is Hell: ‘Hope for the Winter at the Twelve’ warming station opens Dec. 1
Who will step up to run a warming station, open from December 1 until March 31 from 11 p.m. to 7 p.m.? FIT has its hands full with its shelter and, much as they might like to, they can’t do more. Hope for New Hampshire Recovery and the 1269 Café (aka The Twelve) are two small nonprofits, one serving people struggling to recover from addictions and the other a Christian organization helping people who are homeless. Still, both places value dignity, oppose suffering and want to prevent needless death. neither of these small organizations have the budget to operate a warming station this winter, but it is obvious that Manchester needs a warming station staffed by human beings demonstrating love and respect. READ MORE
Point of View
An unorthodox man’s unorthodox search for a dog
As you know, my previous life companion, Lucy, died a little over a year ago and is buried in the cabin’s backyard. Lucy, who happened to have manifested in dog form, was also smarter, more insightful and attractive than I. She was funnier, too. You brought her into my life for eight-and-a-half wonderful years, and I bear you no ill will for taking her away. Still . . . I miss her intensely and painfully every day. Which leads to this third letter in three years. READ MORE
Community
Dear Hope Nation: Join us April 13 for the return to living in community, sharing love and laughs and tears (and cookies) as we support each other in recovery
Tuesday evening is a big deal for Hope, for you, for the Hope staff and for recovery in general. Not being a huge megacorporation, we won’t have a prime rib dinner or goodie bags with iPads. We will offer: Cookies, Coffee and Milk to the first 3,000 people who show up. READ MORE
Business
Windows of Hope Fundraiser: It sounds like a metaphor but this fundraiser is for actual windows in need of fixing
If you’ve been by Hope lately (or even semi-lately—within the past six months), you’ve seen the plywood covering the broken windows. Even with the upbeat and positive graffiti over the boards, the front of the building looks pretty horrible. You may have read here or here about how the windows were broken. I’ll give a short answer: READ MORE
Point of View
Pulling the plug on Thanksgiving to avoid pulling the plug in the ICU
With all of New Hampshire a COVID-19 hotspot, and with the seven-day totals of confirmed cases continuing to rise at a crazy pace, I’ve made the personally devastating decision to celebrate Thanksgiving at home, with no guests. READ MORE
Point of View
Larissa’s story, Part II: No more crises because that’s all life is
In a perfect world, I could have driven the four hours to see her, whispered magic words into an amulet, placed it around her neck, and she’d never drink again. In a perfect world, Larissa could have met me at her door, asking to go to an AA meeting, where she’d meet a woman who’d offer to walk her through the 12 steps of that organization as Larissa got used to living without booze. In a perfect world, Larissa could look at the mess she and her drinking had made of her life, put the plug in the jug and move on to a life without alcohol. READ MORE
Manchester Monarchs
Larissa, a Fairy Tale of Sorts – Part 1: Too smart and charming for our own good
Larissa will find another job. She’s insightful and gifted and attractive, and that’s what her references will say. They won’t say she’s a drunk. They won’t want to damage her opportunities because “She’s so great when she’s not drinking. If it weren’t for that . . .” Unfortunately, those ellipses never end without change, and that change doesn’t seem to come without work on our part. READ MORE
Point of View
Larissa: An introduction to a fairy tale of sorts
No matter what kind of recovery meeting you go to, the narratives are likely to follow a predictable path. It’s not a bad path—in fact, it’s really good—but it is well worn by every other recovery story you’ve heard before. READ MORE
