Chanel's Story of Possibility

Chanel’s journey begins with the devastating loss of her sister, creating a void she didn’t know how to fill.

She began using drugs to address her pain. Nothing worked. She increasingly used more substances to try to cope and eventually hit rock bottom. Chanel admitted to her then-husband that she was using, expecting to receive help. Instead, she was physically attacked.
She knew she had to leave. For herself, and for her daughter.

Chanel attempted to get sober through several different programs, none of which resulted in sustainable sobriety.

She says, “I tried, but nothing stuck! I thought maybe it wasn’t for me”. One day, a woman at her church recommended a place that had worked for her daughter. Chanel decided to give it a try.

After completing her residential treatment program, Chanel found herself with renewed confidence. This time she was ready to move forward in sobriety. Chanel needed a job to support herself and her daughter and a safe community so she didn't have to go back to where she had previously been using.

That’s where Unshattered came in.

When it came to finding an employer who would both give her a chance and provide a supportive environment for her continued sobriety, she says, “I don’t think I chose Unshattered at all, God chose it for me and I listened”.


Chanel says, “I look forward to coming to work every day! Truly! I always tell my mom about how excited I am to go to work. The atmosphere here helps me stay focused and encouraged.”


Throughout her sobriety journey, Chanel has found she is stronger than she thought she was.

She is most proud of herself for never giving up. Like any journey, there are still hard days. She says, “The hardest things to overcome have been the memories of my life while I was in addiction. Grieving the familiarity of my past”. But hard days and difficult memories are no match for the new-found strength she has. She says her faith and her daughter get her through when she’s having a tough time.


Chanel has big plans for her future!

She and her daughter recently moved into their own apartment and she wants to go back to school to study Criminal Justice. She says,” I want to go back to school so I can be a parole officer, I’d also really like to be a mentor to women struggling with substance abuse, to be able to give them hope and guidance.”

“I am grateful for my journey because it made me who I am. Everyone rushes to get to their destination, but I am thankful for the journey.”