Christmas 2009

As Christmas  approaches, we find ourselves looking back over the  last 12 months .
The Banquet Run has seen more people than ever coming for food at the Poultry Cross.  September – December has seen double the amount of people attending compared with the figures for last year (approximately 4,250 meals given out).
The food is the highest quality, with Dave’s famous  home- made soup  which is more like a casserole, delicious home -made hot pasties made by the lovely Maxime,  along with hot quiche, fruit,  various sandwiches, cake and sweets.  People come to the Banquet Run for the food, which helps keeps those living on the streets alive during the cold weather, but for those whose lives have been torn apart by bereavement, homelessness, financial crisis, relationship breakdown, and issues around addictions, there is Hope for the future, friendship and a listening ear and of course  advice as to how people can access other services including our own crisis beds and residential project.

Accommodation - Our crisis beds and residential project have helped many people change their lives around this year.  Often when people come to us they have been in and out of rehabs for a long time and often have reached rock bottom; some have tried to commit suicide, others are on the verge of losing family, partners, and in some cases their own lives to drugs and alcohol etc.  The project has been set up for those who have life-long history of homelessness, problems with drugs, alcohol or other addictive life styles.   We are now able to provide a detox facility for those who need it, after which people work through a programme to help them start a new life.  This is often the hard bit as it’s relatively easy for people to come off substances but it’s staying off and changing their lives around from an addictive and chaotic lifestyle to one that allows them to live life to the full without the aid of substances or addictive behaviour patterns.   In the last two months we have launched our “12 step” programme called “Overcomers”,  (which is also open to those who are not on the residential program) our  therapeutic work program, which includes organic gardening, carpentry, and other leisure activities, and other sessions which also help people deal with some of the pivotal issues in their lives.

Amongst the successes we have also continued to face challenges; as we look for financial support for the projects, we have recently learnt that the Housing Department of Wiltshire County Council is unlikely to fund our residential project and crisis beds after March 2010 leaving us with a shortfall of £20,000 a year.  Both of these projects are crucial to help save and change lives, and have done so for the last three and a half years, but we do need to raise further finances for the projects to continue and grow.  The New Life Project (which includes the residential project and crisis beds) is unique  in the South,  and has a  95 % success rate for those who finish the residential program.   

If you feel you would like to support the work of the charity,  please read the  leaflet attached and consider whether you could  become a Friend of Morning Star (Salisbury) and help us to help people like Jo turn their lives around (see story below). 
(If you are already a Friend of Morning Star, we would like to thank you for your continued support.)     
It ‘s never too late to Bring Hope to Broken Lives.

Here is Jo‘s story.  He is still on the journey to recovery, but has seen amazing things change around in his life.
Hi my name is Jo.  I am nearly 33 years old I am Portuguese and have lived in Britain for the last 14 years.  I grew up in Portugal with my brother, sister, mum and dad.  Our family lived in very poor conditions.  My dad had been in the army for many years fighting in Angola, he returned a changed man.  He became an alcoholic and was very violent.
 Often he would come home at night totally drunk, if me, my brother or sister cried or made a noise he would get hold of us and shake us.  As a result, from 2 years of age, my mum would soak bread in sugar and wine to help put us to sleep each night, for fear of us angering my father.  Often we would witness him beating my mum up, our lives were full of fear.  I remember when I was about 4-5 years of age, we had an old battery television.  My dad told me to go and get another battery for the television.  I had to walk 30 miles, I slept out rough that night and brought the battery back the next day. 
When I was going to school I was beaten up by one of the other lads, I went home crying.  My dad asked what was wrong with me and I told him how I had been beaten up.  He beat me again and told me to go back to school and beat up the child who had beaten me. My mum ran away and took my brother, sister and myself with her.  We went and stayed near my auntie and uncle, but my brother and I were always in fights, violence was all we knew, that was the only example my dad had given us.  We used to steal bottles of wine and by the age of 8 years old I was smoking “pot”.  Shortly after this time my dad tried to get access to see us through the courts, but due to his poor mental state, the courts set an injunction u so he could come no nearer than three miles to where we lived.  His mental state became worse and finally he hung himself..

As I grew older, I tried to beat my teachers up, I was a terrible student and at the age of 14 my Grandfather offered to take me on to teach me some carpentry skills, he was a skilled man.  Later on in life my brother died of an overdose of drugs and as I grew older I got into crime which escalated out of control. I was a hooligan for the National Front in Portugal, most of my friends at that time died of drug and alcohol overdoses.  I left Portugal and travelled around various other countries.  The inheritance of my dad’s drinking and violent ways always somewhere in my head haunting me - it didn’t matter how far I travelled, it was always there in the background.   I couldn’t stop drinking, always trying to hide the pain and hurt from the past.

I started working for a well known cafe chain, using my carpentry skills, re-furbishing their coffee shops, but I was still drinking heavily.  I was working all the hours day and night, but people would exploit me, I was too drunk to do much about it.  At this time I met my partner.   We were together for a month before she told me she was expecting a baby.  I stayed with the same organisation working all round the country; I desperately wanted to stop drinking but couldn’t.  I tried a home detox but was only able to stay dry for two days.  I often used to try and harm myself and felt suicidal.  In the end it was the love for my partner and little girl that gave me the push I needed.

One day a friend of ours suggested we contacted Dave and Bev from Morning Star (Salisbury) who run a residential unit to help people with life controlling issues. After chatting with Dave and Bev they offered me a place on the residential program.  It took every bit of courage to actually turn up at the New Life Centre, even the day before I was trying to think of ways I could ensure I would be able to have a drink the following day.  Drinking a bottle of whiskey and three bottles of wine a day was a lot to give up, but I knew my life was out of control and if  I didn’t take this opportunity, it would only be a matter of time before I would be dead.

I received a good welcome from Dave and Bev, who made me feel really at home, they helped me through detox at the New Life Centre, this was the beginning of a new journey in my life.  The first month at the centre was hard, I really missed my partner and little girl, and still do, but the second week, I started to explore the Christian faith. 

Before I arrived at the New Life Centre, I often used to suffer from asthma and panic attacks, but when arriving at the Centre I realised I had forgotten my inhalers, but I have had no problems with either.  When first arriving, the whole of the front and back of my body was covered in eczema - after praying it was completely gone within three days.

I have been at the New Life Centre for three months now.  I have been going to church and have started attending an “Alpha Course”.  I haven’t had one alcoholic drink and my faith in God is growing.  He is helping me turn my life around and is doing amazing things for me.    A few months ago after drinking heavily I fell down a flight of stairs and hurt my knee, it was really painful and I wasn’t able to bend it back  but I asked the Lord to heal it and, within a couple of days, I was able to bend it right back up towards my back without any pain.  God has become so real to me.   It’s amazing, in the past when anyone ever tried to tell me about God, I just didn’t want to know, but I know I am changing - the old Jo has gone and a new Jo is emerging.  I am having to learn how to deal with my emotions, when you drink from an early age,  as soon as something happens that you don’t want to handle you have a drink, so you never really learn how to handle situations or your emotions, its all new to me, but for the first time, I am finding out who “Jo” really is.  I know I still have a way to go and have issues that I need to deal with, but I really want to continue to change and be a good husband to my partner and a good dad to my little girl.

Four months ago I would never dreamed that I could be living life without the help of alcohol.  If I can change my life around with the help of God after 30 years of alcohol abuse, there is hope for everyone.
Full permission has been given for this story to be Published .

(Morning Star (Salisbury) is a Christian organisation, but is open to people of all faiths and to those with none).   

“Women Alive in Salisbury”

This group was set up during the year to meet the needs of vulnerable women in Salisbury.  This meeting has been a real joy to attend.  The women who have attended have bonded together and have really benefitted from having an informal meeting where they can talk honestly about their lives without feeling fearful, or rejected, but being totally accepted as they are.    One lady said

     “I love the fortnightly meetings.   We have a great time together sharing our lives,
 in a safe environment, but also the programme of  events and activities are really
enjoyable.   I have got involved in various things that I never really had the
confidence to have a go at before.  Once one meeting has finished I can’t wait for the next one.” 

On behalf of the Board and everyone at Morning Star (Salisbury) I would like to say a special thank you to all our precious volunteers  who have been so faithful in working with us this year to help change the lives of so many people.   Often people say to me “oh I haven’t  done very much”   but  even one kind word of encouragement can help to change someone ‘s life.
 
I would also like to thank  those of you have faithfully supported us financially  this year, both  our “Friends of Morning Star (Salisbury)   and those who have given one-off donations.   We are so grateful for your commitment  to the work of the charity, even though the economic  climate has been uncertain you have remained faithful.   Many lives have been turned around this year and  some people would not be alive today if it wasn’t for your support. 
We would like to wish you a very Happy Christmas and pray that 2010 will be a great year for you all.