Casa Nuevo Vida Testimonials
David Marvin and Janel Faraci are two of the nicest and most genuine people I have ever met. I have had the pleasure of getting to know both David and Janel over the past 2 1/2 years. They have opened their homes and meetings to me and I am grateful.
Their Thursday night house meeting is fun to attend and includes people currently living in the sober living as well as alumni who are actively working 12 step programs. It’s wonderful to see how many people they have helped at this meeting.
The food is also incredible. David is a food connoisseur and always has an excellent spread. I’ve had everything from kabob to Honey’s Kettle Fried Chicken to pizza to homemade Mac and Cheese with truffle oil and southern style ham. Always something yummy! If that’s not enough, Janel is an avid baker and always has cookies, brownies and other sweet treats!
They are generous & giving, in addition to helping people recover from their addictions, they run a non-profit for
I recommend David Marvin and Janel Faraci without reservation. If you’re checking them out, make sure to ask about all the fun activities available (epic fishing trips in Mexico, ATVs, jet skis to name a few)!
Casa Nuevo Vida helped me save my own life when I didn’t even care that much about saving it. Owners David and Janel showed me a ton of kindness, patience, and tolerance through many painful days in early recovery and a few relapses. They are not just a business. They do REALLY care about their clients. Without them, I would not be sober and flourishing today. Thank you CNV!
When I relapsed and thought I knew what was best, David and Janel were there to help steer me in the right direction in a firm yet loving way. Instead of turning their back on me they encouraged me to receive the treatment I so desperately needed. The amazing staff at Casa Nuevo Vida has also guided me to the path of a new and sober life beyond my wildest dreams. It’s definitely an awesome place to get and be sober.
Casa Nuevo Vida saved my life! From the moment I walked through the front door, I felt at home. Very warm surroundings and great staff. David and Janel took me in as if I were there own son. After 3 months of staying there, they took me and some other clients to their place in Mexico. It was honestly one of the best vacations I’ve ever been on. Living at CNV gave me the foundation to build my recovery upon. Today I am over 2 yrs sober and am forever grateful for everything they have done for me.
I am very grateful for my time spent as a resident at Casa Nuevo Vida. I was given a second chance at life and wanted to make the most of it. Originally I did not want to go to sober living but agreed to 30 days. 30 days turned into 8 months by choice. I choose to live at the beach house in Playa Del Rey because what could be better than having the beach in your backyard?? Life just kept getting better daily and if I had a pressing issue, I had a group of guys I could trust to share my problems with. Steve was a great house manager and did everything he could to make sure I was comfortable during my stay. David, the owner, was very kind and always there if I needed someone to talk to. Also after spending 90 days there, David took a group of us down to Cabo to do some
Early recovery can be very difficult but making the choice to move to CNV was probably one of my smarter choices. I would highly recommend Casa Nuevo Vida and will always be grateful for my stay there.
I lived at Casa Nuevo Vida’s Women’s House for roughly 6 months. My stay there was exactly what I needed to get back on my feet. The Anchor house had structure, accountability, and women working towards the same goals I had set for myself. The staff at Anchor was beyond amazing. They were always available to help me with step work, relationship issues or just daily struggles life throws at us. Casa Nuevo Vida Sober Living was a huge part of my sobriety and still is.
Casa Nuevo Vida is what real sober livings should aspire to be! I spent approximately 9 months in this house and unlike other sober livings where one is treated like a client, at Casa Nuevo Vida I was treated like family. The men at Casa Nuevo Vida became my family. We were a group of men that were lost, wondering aimlessly about the nation, thinking that we were living. We were men who believed that success was measured by the jobs that we held, the money we earned, and the material possessions that our families were providing us. I slowly experienced a transition and was able was to care for and be of service to those around me. I came to understand that the relationships I developed were far more important than the “things” I spent most of my life trying to acquire. We believe that you must “walk the walk” and not just “talk the talk”! The owner/manager of Casa Nuevo Vida, David Marvin, lives his life this way on a daily basis. By having someone who truly “walks the walk” around you 24/7, I was finally able to understand my priorities, and put them in order, – sobriety, family and service to those I come in contact with on a daily basis. Today I can honestly say without an inkling of doubt that My Days are Bigger than My Dreams! Thanks David!
My experience at Casa Nuevo Vida has been very different than what I expected coming into a transitional sober living home. This place has become a home to me, and thanks to David, his staff and the rest of the community, I feel very comfortable and I love it here.
This is the perfect place to learn to transition to a new life. You are treated like an adult and have freedom. The staff is very understanding and always there to help, being in recovery themselves. I have had nothing short of a great experience living here so far. Casa is helping me get my life back and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to stay here.
I’m truly blessed to have discovered Casa Nuevo Vida in my journey through recovery. The owners David and Janel have worked hard to create a safe and healing group of homes with a kind and considerate staff who keep us all accountable and on track. They stress the importance of daily meetings and group events like dinners and beach outings, and they understand the value of the AA fellowship.
The houses not only attend daily meetings together but the importance of being of service and taking commitments is stressed as well. From my understanding, Casa is of a more serious level of care than many other sober living environments. For instance, we travel monthly to the midnight mission downtown to feed the homeless. We also all have daily chores and are put on restriction if they are neglected. There are also group events that align to the “fun in recovery” theme of course, but overall Casa Nuevo Vida is a recovery environment where the skills crucial to long term sobriety are treated with the respect and life-saving importance it demands. There is no place I’d rather have lived while in early recovery and will be forever grateful for the experience and amazing new relationships.
Casa Nuevo Vida was my sober living house after rehab. Being 29 days sober, scared, and having to figure out a completely new life, Casa became my home and family. They were completely non-judgmental of my gayness and would let me find my peer group and my own meetings. I became fast friends with many of my fellows at Casa, and I was even able to help one of my friends from the past get into Casa and out of a bad situation. All the Casa houses feel like homes, not hotel rooms as I have seen other places, and the chef does come up with some pretty good dinners, and there is always more than enough. Overall, I would recommend Casa Nuevo Vida to anyone who needs transitional housing and is serious about being sober.
Jesse was embraced and supported by David and the other residents. Within a very short time, he felt right at home.This continued a very important part of his journey in recovery. Jesse was held to task for a series of responsibilities, including attending daily meetings, participating in household chores and securing a sponsor that would help him through the 12 step program. With David’s continual loving guidance and his diligence in the 12 step program, he remains clean and sober today. As parents we remain comforted in knowing that David and the other residents of the house are always there for Jesse. We can’t say enough about the care he got at Casa Nuevo Vida. We thank David with all our hearts.
Casa Nuevo Vida saved my life. Without the support of the staff, owners, and clients I would not be where I am today. Not only is the house beautiful but the staff makes you feel welcomed when you first get there. To be able to feel loved and supported while going through early sobriety was a blessing and I would not have found it anywhere else besides Casa. While it is a business it feels more like a family.
In January 2013, after a long and painful relapse, several
During my stay at the house, I felt safe and supported as I began to rebuild my life. In my wildest dreams, I never imagined myself in sober living at age 51. I felt lucky to be in a nice home, living with other women who were on the path to recovery. At the house, we spent time helping each other on the journey, going to meetings together daily, morning reflections, evening check-ins, and I took advantage of Sunday yoga and occasional movie outings. Thursday nights, we had a house meeting and dinner with all the houses which I dreaded initially but grew to appreciate during my stay. I felt that as a group, we were a family, albeit a dysfunctional one at times.
I have been sober for 18 months now and I feel that I got a good foundation at Casa Nueva. David and Janel were initially tough on me but I grew to understand that they were really looking out for my sobriety. The structure and environment at the house helped me to stay on the right path towards recovery. When I see Dave and Janel at meetings now, I know that they are genuinely happy that I am sober and living life again. Casa Nueva Vida was absolutely the right choice for me.
I would like to start off by saying I’ve struggled with sobriety on and off for 5 years. I have been to countless sober living homes and high-end treatment centers. Casa Nuevo Vida was the one and only place I felt comfortable enough to open up and dig deep within myself to save my life. I owe everything to David and Janel. Being 23 years old and having to deal with sobriety was hard to accept, but with Davids help, one day at a time I have 2 years clean. Fortunately, I had the wonderful opportunity to go to Mexico. I fished for 3 days, splashed around on their jet ski, and ate some amazing food! A trip I will never forget. I don’t think everyone who stays at the house goes to Mexico (we are drug addicts and alcoholics) we need to earn trust. I truly believe if you show David and Janel you take this seriously and honestly mean it, they will be MORE than happy to take you. They need to trust you and know that you won’t let them down. I speak on experience. Thank you
Words can’t express the gratitude I have for this place. After attending 30 days of treatment at Sierra Tucson in Arizona, my treatment team recommended I go to Casa Nuevo Vida for my aftercare. I was located at the beach house in Playa del Rey. The second day I was there the owner David took me and some of the other clients out on his boat to go fishing. I immediately felt the homey environment David had been telling me about over the phone when I was still in treatment. My house manger’s name was Steve. What an awesome guy! he was always there for me and the other clients to talk with and work through various problems I was having. Overall I would definitely recommend this sober living to anyone coming out of treatment.
Nolan went to you a little over 2-1/2 years ago. He is doing so well! He is taking 12 units at Saddleback Jr college. He attends Saddleback Church San Clemente, and just starting volunteering there with the youth pastor. This is huge, because he previously had so much anxiety around people. Besides quitting drugs, he has also quit drinking and smoking cigarettes. He goes to the gym regularly, and eats very healthy. He has taken up hiking and archery. He has had some mental bumps in the road, but has stayed committed. From the bottom of my heart, Thank you! I’m sure Nolan would not be alive today without your help.
My stay at Casa Nuevo Vida has been instrumental to my recovery process. There is strong accountability, which is something I needed in early recovery. You are mandated to attend a meeting a day, which is the accountability that I needed early on. Now, I enjoy attending my regular meetings. It has also has given me the opportunity to prepare for a successful life outside of recovery. I have been given the opportunity to obtain a full-time job.
The owners and managers have also let me do extracurricular activities, which has allowed me to dive into the fellowship of AA. The house managers have always been there to help anytime I needed advice, or if I just needed someone to talk to when going through a hard time. The house that I currently live in, the Playa Beach House, is nice, very clean and there is always food. We have the best dog—his name is Charles in Charge—super loving and fun to play with. The house is close to the beach at Playa del Rey, so when I’m not working I like to go to the beach and just relax. They have also allowed me to pick speakers for the house meetings, which has allowed me to become more involved in AA.
I have gained long-term relationships with not only the guys I live with, but with solid guys who work for Casa who are serious about the program. That is key to me staying sober. I have found that as long as I am doing what I’m required to do—attending my meetings, I.O.P. , and staying clean—David and Janel allow me to enjoy life, and for that I am grateful.
Today is my 100 days of sobriety, and I could not have achieved this milestone without you and your team’s support. I am very grateful to you for giving me this opportunity to be part of this family. I am going to miss all of you very dearly, but I’m also very well prepared to face life on life’s terms due to the discipline, support and love that was showered on me.
During my stay at Casa Nuevo Vida the management staff and fellow residents were an excellent support network that I was able to lean on and it was very mutually benefitting for our recovery. We had a lot of fun while preparing ourselves for the real world, and you helped me transition from sober living to the real world.
During my stay I learned to lead a balanced lifestyle with priority on my recovery and also manage my time with meetings, service, work and play. I now belong to the Pacific Group, which is my home group and I have commitments on Wednesday and Saturday. I am learning to surf, and I enjoy biking by the ocean, taking our house dog on walks and practicing yoga and meditation.
It is because of your dedication to help the residents live a meaningful and fulfilled life that this was possible. Your service is greatly appreciated and you have changed my life. I could have lost my life, my loved ones and my career to this disease, but with all your support I now am on the path to leading a healthy, happy and meaningful life.
Thank you again for all your encouragement to help me lead a fulfilled life. I am forever grateful to you.
Casa Nueva Vida is a house that I feel safe and supported as I focus on my recovery. The house Managers go above and beyond to meet the needs of each client. I am truly thankful to live at Casa Nueva Vida!
My son is a recovering drug addict, alcoholic and has been clean and sober while living at Casa Nuevo Vida for six months, after he was released from detox. The help he has received there is priceless. For the first time in many years he is living a happy, sober life. There is extreme care and attention given to each individual living at Casa Nuevo Vida. The atmosphere is one of belonging to a family. David looks after each individual as would a good parent. The home is very comfortable and the food, prepared by Chef David is excellent. I have nothing but the best to say about Casa Nuevo Vida and thank whatever powers may be that my son has had the opportunity to partake in their sober living program.
David’s continuous demonstration of his hands-on involvement in our son’s success in sobriety and making positive lifestyle changes is sincere and genuine. He is all about investing himself in the process. My son did not arrive in great shape… David’s support of him, (and us as his parents..me especially) has been truly life-changing. I am so grateful to him for his kindness, friendship, caring supervision and sensible guidelines that have helped our son recognize and make good choices in his daily life.
Our son is doing great, and on a path that is the right one. We are so proud of the positive changes we have seen in our son these past couple of months and his future looks bright. My husband and I needed to move out of the area as had been planned for quite some time, and we were able to move on with our plans with the comfort of knowing our son was in the right living environment and was going to be better than “fine” at Casa Nuevo Vida. Any parent who has been through what we have been through understands the gravity of such words. I mean this from my heart: whether you are young, old, single or married, I have seen what David Marvin does… and how he and others interact in his home. What he has done for our son…I say to myself, “amazing.”
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