As we move into a new season of awareness and impact, I’m proud to share an edition of our newsletter that highlights the heart of NOVA’s mission in action. This month, we are shining a light on our SHARE Program and recognizing Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, an important opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that individuals of all abilities have access to compassionate, trauma-informed education and support. We’re also excited to be gearing up for one of our most anticipated events of the year, Gala Game Night, which brings our community together to celebrate resilience, generosity, and the important services that make healing possible. Thank you for being part of this work and for standing alongside survivors. |
| Empowering Safety: Prevention Education for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities | | |
Prevention programs for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) are critical to promoting NOVA’s mission to prevent violence through training, advocacy, and education. Individuals with IDD are vulnerable to sexual abuse, often due to factors such as dependence on caregivers, communication barriers, and limited access to education about sexual health, consent, and boundaries. This population may struggle to report or communicate unsafe behavior that occurs, or their reports may be dismissed due to their disability. Even if a report is made, it can be difficult to get justice for survivors with IDD, as the judicial process is arduous and emotionally taxing, which is exceptionally difficult for those who may struggle with routine disruption, emotional regulation, sensory sensitivities, or communication.
NOVA’s SHARE Program—Smart, Healthy, Appropriate Relationship Education—is a multi-session, evidence-based prevention curriculum designed for young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other neurodiverse conditions. SHARE uses plain language, visual supports, repetition, and role-play to teach bodily autonomy, consent, and how to seek help. In the past two years, more than 100 students and young adults in Bucks County have participated in SHARE. Participants consistently demonstrate increased confidence in self-advocacy, boundary-setting, and understanding safe versus unsafe interactions. Participants also celebrate each other's successes in self-advocacy, creating a beautifully supportive environment for growth.
The SHARE program affirms NOVA’s commitment to providing effective, comprehensive prevention education to Bucks County residents of all identities and backgrounds, and supports our belief that people with IDD have the same right to safety, confidence, and agency as anyone else.
| | Foundations for Personal Safety: Inside NOVA’s SHARE Curriculum | | |
NOVA’s SHARE curriculum addresses essential yet often overlooked topics in young adult’s lives, including boundaries, online safety, and healthy relationships. While every lesson is meaningful, four core pillars are woven throughout the program to support long-term success and personal safety.
THE LINE OF SAFETY helps participants learn to recognize when something feels uncomfortable, unsafe, or confusing. By identifying where that internal line shifts and trusting their instincts, they understand their feelings are valid and that they have the right to pause, seek support, or say no.
ASK FIRST establishes the foundation for consent, bodily autonomy, and respectful relationships. Participants learn the importance of seeking permission and listening for a response before touching to reinforce a critical message: every person has ownership over their own body. By teaching to both request and honor permission, we foster skills that strengthen communication and reduce vulnerability to harm.
SELF ADVOCACY equips our participants with the skills and confidence to speak up for their needs, preferences, and boundaries. Participants learn that their voices matter and they have the right to ask questions, express concerns, and seek support. Individuals practice how to be a self-advocate in real-world situations. This pillar reinforces that personal safety is not only about recognizing risk but also having the tools and confidence to act when something does not feel right.
STOP • THINK • DECIDE • ACT strengthens critical thinking and impulse control by giving participants a structured way to slow down in the moment. Participants are taught to pause, consider possible actions, weigh their choices, before moving forward. This simple, repeatable framework promotes accountability, self-regulation, and thoughtful behavior to protect both the individual and those around them, while reinforcing safe, respectful community engagement.
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Amanda Carter, Personal Empowerment Program Educator
Can you give a brief description of your role with NOVA?
As the PEP Educator, my role is to create and facilitate prevention programs for adults with an Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) and/or Autism. The Personal Empowerment Program (PEP) is designed to empower adults with IDD to self-advocate, set boundaries, and keep themselves safe. I facilitate PEP with individuals and small groups at day programs and work sites throughout Bucks County. I also co-facilitate our evidence-based Smart Healthy Appropriate Relationship Education (SHARE) Program designed to encourage self-advocacy and healthy relationships among young adults with Autism/IDD. If I'm not teaching PEP or SHARE, you might see me in second grade classrooms conducting puppet shows for our Safe Touches Program or at my desk developing new content to keep programs current.
How long have you been involved with NOVA?
As of February, I have been with NOVA for two years!
What is your favorite part about working with NOVA?
My favorite part about working with NOVA is all of the unique and kind-hearted individuals I get to interact with in the office and the community.
How do you support NOVA's mission in your role?
Due to their unique needs and circumstances, folks with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) can be vulnerable to inappropriate behavior, assault, and/or abuse. Further, given the demands of the legal process, it can be particularly difficult to achieve justice for survivors with IDD. That being the case, prevention efforts are exceptionally important among this population. In PEP and SHARE, participants develop confidence, agency, and safety skills so that they can recognize when a situation is unsafe, advocate for themselves, and get help.
What is one thing people should know about NOVA?
One thing people should know about NOVA is that we are one of few agencies that offer prevention programs specifically designed for folks with IDD, and we are passionate about pioneering prevention efforts with this population.
We appreciate your dedication to serving victims of crime!
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Smarter Parents, Safer Kids Workshop
March 3, 2026 | April 2, 2026
This interactive workshop helps parents learn about healthy development, how to talk to their kids about sexual abuse, and how to keep them safe. The Smarter Parents program helps adult caregivers tackle tough conversations with their children, along with empowerment and support. Virtual and in-person sessions are available. Learn more and RSVP to your chosen session here.
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Interpersonal Violence & Victim Response Training
March 10, 2026
This in-depth training brought to you by the Bucks County CAC and Delaware Valley University is designed to provide a more in-depth education about what facilitates sexual assault in our society, how offenders exploit these issues, and what victims face and consider. The training will offer concrete and practical information for advocates, clinicians, law enforcement, prosecutors, social workers, investigators, and supervising agents to supplement their work with victims, and cases of interpersonal violence. Learn more and reserve your spot here. (CEs and CLEEs available)
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Gala Game Night - A Gala Benefiting NOVA
April 17, 2026
Save the Date for NOVA's 2026 Fundraising Gala: Gala Game Night! Join us on the evening of Friday, April 17, 2026 at The Warrington for a tremendous night of fun, food, and impact to support NOVA. Enjoy an open beer & wine bar, trivia, a silent auction, a four-course dinner, and a show-stopping game show finale with surprise pre-selected contestants—all for a great cause.
Learn more about the event, tickets, and sponsorship opportunities at novabucks.org/gala26.
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Try the NOVA RX Savings Card!
NOVA has partnered with WellSync to provide essential medications at discounted rates, all while benefiting NOVA. Every time you use your card, NOVA receives a $2 donation at no cost to you. Make a difference with each medication purchase!
Click the image to the right to access and download your printable card.
Print this page and cut out the RX Savings Card along the dotted line. Take your card to any of the 35,000 participating pharmacies. Present your card with your valid prescription and the pharmacies will apply the discount.
| | Gear Up for Gala Game Night | |
Level up for a cause! Join us for a night of laughter, connection, and impact, on Friday, April 17, at 6 p.m. at The Warrington, 1360 Almshouse Rd, Warrington, PA. All proceeds support NOVA’s free, confidential services for children and adults and its wide-ranging violence prevention programs.
Gala Game Night features a beer and wine bar, four-course dinner, silent auction, trivia challenge, and live music by The Zone pop/rock band. The headline event? A Family Feud-style showdown hosted by comedian Adam Ace, featuring special guest players Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan and Bucks County Sheriff Danny Ceisler. Expect big laughs and friendly competition!
Play your part! Get in on the action as we raise critical funds for NOVA. Tickets are on sale now! Sponsorships are also available. To sponsor, volunteer or donate contact Ashley.Doyle@novabucks.org.
Score big in the Silent Auction! Watch the Silent Auction grow as unique experiences, shows, lessons, and deluxe dinners are added DAILY! Bid on signed memorabilia from Ryan Howard and Kyle Schwarber, plus tickets to the season’s hottest games.
Don’t miss your chance to have fun, make connections, and support programs and services that make a real impact.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!
Winner's Circle Sponsor: Parx Casino
Prime Time Sponsors: American Heritage Credit Union, Swartz Culleton Ferris
MVP Sponsor: HUB International
Fan Sponsors: Capital Health, Stark & Stark, QNB Bank, C&N, Penn Community Bank, Phillips & Donovan Architects, ShopRite, Yogamazia, BLBB, Crown
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For more than 50 years, NOVA has been here for individuals and families during some of their most difficult moments—offering compassion, advocacy, and hope. Because of supporters like you, that care continues today.
Some members of our community have asked how they can ensure NOVA’s work continues for generations to come. One way is through a legacy or planned gift, which allows supporters to include NOVA in their long-term plans in a way that feels right for them.
A planned gift is a great way to carry forward a commitment to your community.
If you’d like to learn more, we’d be happy to share information and have a no-pressure conversation.
| | We are so grateful to the Village Improvement Association of Doylestown for their thoughtful donation to our Children's Advocacy Center! They came together to collect comfort items for children to use in our forensic interview rooms. Thanks to their generosity, each of our three offices now has a full box of these special items ready to support children during their time with us. | | To celebrate Valentine’s Day, NOVA staff came together for an office-wide breakfast potluck filled with delicious treats and even sweeter company. | | |
Thank you to everyone who joined us for NOVA’s Sextortion Panel! It was a powerful evening of community conversation, bringing together law enforcement, criminal justice leaders, advocates, and prevention specialists to better understand and address sextortion: a form of online exploitation that relies on coercion and threats.
We are especially grateful to our panelists: First Assistant District Attorney Kristin McElroy, Bucks County Detective Eric Landamia, Warwick Township Detective Sergeant Wade DiTommaso, NOVA Human Trafficking Victim Advocate Danielle DiUlio, and NOVA Training Coordinator Jamie Pfister.
Thank you as well to PA State Rep. Kristin Marcell and the Warwick Township Police Department, including Chief Jon Ogborn, for your partnership in making this important discussion possible!
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"NOVA provided us so much comfort throughout the entire legal process."
- NOVA Client
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Bucks County Program Teaches Important Skills to Young Adults with Special Needs | NOVA, a nonprofit victim advocacy agency based in Jamison, created special programs to help young adults with special needs with life skills. | | | | | |
The Jason Kutt Legacy Fund
We are proud to shine this month’s Supporter Spotlight on Ron and Dana Kutt of the Jason Kutt Legacy Fund. For the past several years, the Fund has generously donated proceeds from the Jason Kutt Legacy Annual Car Meet to NOVA, turning a powerful community gathering into meaningful support for victims of crime. Beyond their financial contributions, Ron and Dana Kutt have been vocal champions of NOVA’s mission, raising awareness about victims’ rights, advocating for prevention, and standing firmly behind the work we do every day. Their commitment helps ensure that survivors in our community have access to vital services including counseling, victim advocacy, and more.
| We are so grateful for our partnerships. Thank you for being a Voice Against Violence in our community! |
| Whether you donate an item from NOVA's Wish List, funds, or your time, know you are making a difference. | |
Elevate Your Impact in Style!
You can wear your support for your favorite local nonprofit and help spread the word about our mission in style.
From classic tees and cozy sweatshirts to hats and accessories, there's something for everyone, available in multiple colors and more designs than ever before!
Even better? With every purchase, NOVA receives 10–15% back to help fund our work supporting victims and stopping violence.
Browse the new collection and shop with purpose here.
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