Rescue workers arrived at the scene to find Shniese lying on the sidewalk. They asked her how she got out of the car, and she told them that the EMTs helped her escape. “They told me: ‘We just arrived. There is no way possible that you got out of this car by yourself. You are lucky to be alive,’”she says. She knew then that the angels had saved her and laid her on the ground. “God saved my life. I went to jail. The court placed me in an intervention program at Maryhaven,” Shniese says. “ You are lucky to be alive. ” Yet, the intervention was not her savior. Shniese fell back into her old life of drinking and drugs. The lifestyle overtook her, and she began leaving her three children, ages 5, 3, and 2, home alone while she went out to party. This led to Children’s Services removing the children from the home and to Shneise going back to jail. By the time she was released, she had been evicted from her home and found herself homeless once again. Shniese realized that she needed a plan to get her children back. She moved in with the father of her youngest children, and all her children were returned to her custody. Unfortunately, this did not change her old habits; she continued to drink and use cocaine. Unlike her, the child’s father was clean and sober, and he soon left. Shniese found a job and moved in with a cousin in Poindexter Village. She continued to drink and to use drugs; she ended up in a crack house. Shniese knew this was not a good life for her children, but she says that she was unable to help herself. She was forced to call upon the children’s father again to take all the children so that she could try to get her life back on track. She was only 23 years old, but it seemed to her that she had existed for decades longer. Shortly thereafter, Shniese saw a lady who looked familiar. It turned out to be an employee of Maryhaven and the catalyst for Shniese to reach out for help. She called Maryhaven again and again until she was admitted and placed in a 30-day program. Each time she was ready for release, she asked to stay longer, because she was afraid of returning to the streets and her old way of life. She entered a six-month program and 34 | ENVISION PROVEN SUCCESS MAGAZINE was ready to return to give her new life a whirl just after four-and-a-half-months. There was beauty in the strangers at Maryhaven; Shniese describes feeling their overwhelming love, expressed in a way that she had never experienced. Not only was she able to finish her treatment education, but also, she found resources that helped her to stop stuttering. It was awesome, and for the first time, Shniese began to feel important. With the help of Children’s Services, she regained custody of her children, found a home and was able to furnish it. Her new journey had begun. Along the way, Shniese met someone while in recovery and they started dating. They were married in 1998, but later divorced in 2010. The divorce almost set her back to her addictive lifestyle, but with strong resources, she says that she was able to stay clean and sober. For the past 29 years, Shniese has been clean and sober — something she credits as one of her greatest accomplishments. Shniese enjoys having a relationship with her children and being the proud grandmother of four grandsons. She has made peace with herself and with her mother, with whom she regularly communicates. Also, Shniese is passionate about her job at Maryhaven, which she has held for the past 25 years. She likes seeing the clients’ growth from hopelessness to inspiration by finding themselves, overcoming addiction, completing their education and restoring their ability to obtain custody of their children. Shniese plans to further her education and continue to help others who are experiencing life traumas. Gerri Collier Gerri Collier is the proud mother of one daughter and one granddaughter. She has resided in Columbus for ten years. She is a strong believer in community engagement and community service. She is a current volunteer with the AARP State Office and the Central Ohio AARP Team.
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