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Sheri |
Sheri has been working hard since she came to Champa House. She knows she has a lot of ground to cover before she expects to graduate from the New Life program in spring of 2005. When she arrived here in January, her life was a story of tremendous upheaval punctuated by big question marks. Although free of drug addiction for eight months, she was homeless, jobless, and lacked even a high school diploma. Her two boys, Corbin and Tristan, had just returned to her after nine months in court-ordered foster care. She came to Denver two years ago to get away from a domestic violence situation in Texas. But she was addicted to methamphetamine, and her circumstances did not improve. In April 2003, authorities stepped in and placed the boys in foster care. “I pretty much lost everything because of my addiction.” Determined to regain control of her life, Sheri entered a six-month rehabilitation program to free herself from drugs, but it was just the first step on a long road to recovery. For the next stage, she set her eyes on the New Life program at Champa House. “I was homeless at the time,” she says. Her determination to set herself on solid ground was motivated by anticipation of getting Tristan and Corbin back. “I knew I needed somewhere to get my life to where I could be self-sufficient and raise my kids.” “I knew that I needed a healthy environment for my kids and myself.” “I had to really prove that I wanted to be here,” she says of those times. “I had to stay in a shelter. There had to be two months in between the rehab program and Champa House. The state wanted me to prove that I could do it on my own, without being in a drug and alcohol treatment program. I had to prove to the state and Champa House that I was going to stay clean on my own. It was quite a process—I didn’t just get in.” Sheri’s children were returned to her two weeks after she entered Champa House. Now in Phase III of the program, Sheri has already passed significant milestones. Using Champa House’s computer-equipped Literacy and Education Center, she earned her GED early in spring, and then moved immediately to begin higher education. “I’m trying to cram in as much as I can,” she says. “The whole time has been spent learning everything I can.” Currently she is attending college to obtain certification in addiction counseling with plans to complete level one coursework in September.
Sheri’s first concern coming to Champa House was that it would be a good place for her boys after the long separation. “It gave them a sense of security, being here,” she beams. “There was consistency here—they knew mama was going to be here. They had the support from everybody here and got into family counseling right away. It’s been amazing for them.” Sheri names the reasons she sought out Champa House, “What I liked most was that I could totally change my life. I could get the Lord back in my life, which wasn’t a part of my life for a long time. I liked the fact that I could go to school and actually start doing something different with my life. I liked the long term of it, just because I knew I needed it—so I could develop a lifestyle and stick to it afterward.” Champa House has made a huge difference in Sheri’s effort to overcome her struggles and move toward a healthy, productive life. “I think the most valuable thing is in my relationship with God. Definitely. It’s amazing to me—since I’ve been here—how close I have gotten to God.” She feels she can bring that experience into her home, for her children to experience. “I think it’s awesome. I thank God for
it.” *Sheri's story appears in the September 2003 issue of the Chronicle. Click to donate and start "Changing Lives in the Name of Christ" |
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