Nova Markos

Nova was a complex, vibrant person—resourceful, funny, loyal, and full of motion. She lived with the daily realities of addiction, navigating the dangers of heroin and crack use while trying to survive on the streets. When we first met her, she was freezing in the dead of winter, sobbing in my car about how she felt she had failed herself. She spoke honestly about her substance use, her fear, and her longing to be safe and off the streets. That honesty became one of her defining traits.

Over time, we came to know the full person behind the addiction. Nova was funny, loyal, and constantly in motion. She kept her word, respected our home, and returned anything she borrowed—sometimes with a little extra, simply because that was who she was. She spent many winter nights warm, fed, and safe with us, and she treated that trust with care. People in the neighborhood knew her as helpful, dependable, and kind. Love, LBLT gave her a place where she could show up exactly as she was, without needing to be “clean” to deserve safety.

Everything changed after Nova lost two friends in one night. Their deaths were traumatic, but the aftermath created an even more dangerous shift: her long‑time supplier was gone, and the new supply she accessed was different, stronger, and unpredictable. Her body reacted in ways we had never seen before. She became exhausted, disoriented, and withdrawn. She slept for days at a time. She stopped eating regularly. She left messes that were completely out of character for her. These were not signs of someone “giving up”—they were signs of someone being harmed by a suddenly altered drug supply, a reality far too common in today’s unregulated street market.

We worried constantly when she disappeared for weeks, and we held onto hope every time she returned. The last time she came by, she left a note. I missed her by just a few days—I had just been discharged from the hospital on the 8th. I will always remember Nova for her humanity, her humor, her resilience, and the way she reminded us that every person deserves safety, consistency, and care. I only wish we had more resources then to support her the way she deserved.

I dedicate the first warming center to Nova Markos.