“I was honestly over life; I was done with my life. Now, having this whole new outlook where I’m ready to take on the world, I’m ready for a new season in life.”
TW: addiction, drug abuse
“I had given up on life. There were plenty of times I would pray to overdose and die. Plenty of times where I overdosed and then became mad because I kept coming back. I was honestly over life; I was done with my life.”
Thirty years of drug addiction had taken its toll on Danelle* and affected all aspects of her life, including her home life, her family business, and self-esteem. Her addiction clouded her rationale, and she continued to stay in an emotionally and physically abusive marriage.
In 2021, she was arrested for the first time with her husband, and she took the fall while he returned home to their 15-year-old son. Danelle spent three months in county jail getting clean and, upon release, entered probation.
“Then in March 2022, I relapsed, and my probation officer gave me three choices: rehab, prison, or a mental institution,” Danelle explained. “So, I chose rehab. I went right away the next morning.”
In the early days of her recovery, Danelle intended to stay married to her husband until she learned the massive changes needed to break the cycle of addiction.
“He was sober, but he wasn’t changing. I was in the 12-step program…We learned to change everything about ourselves through the 12 steps, and I thought, ‘He’s not changing, he’s sober.”
A year after her relapse, Danelle filed for divorce and became homeless again. She flew a sign on the street for extra cash after her ex-husband stopped sending her wages from their shared business.
“That’s kind of what brought me to Fresh Start. I want to be self-sufficient and successful, and I never want to find myself in that situation again. I never want to have to rely on a man. I know that sounds bad. Even though I worked, and I worked hard, I was still reliant on him to get the jobs.”
Danelle found stable housing with a friend from childhood who also worked as a union electrician at TSMC. He suggested she enroll in the Quick Start Semiconductor course through Estrella Community College in partnership with Fresh Start.
To her excitement, she was accepted into the program set to begin in Spring 2024. While she waited for the course to begin, Danelle took advantage of other opportunities at Fresh Start, including Microsoft Office classes, resume workshops, social support services, and educational sessions on finances and budgeting.
Through the workshops in anticipation of the semiconductor course, Danelle felt the effects of the positive environment created by Fresh Start.
“Just talking with the staff here, they always boost us up. A year ago, I wasn’t as confident as I am now. Yesterday, someone said I was so confident, and a year ago, I couldn’t look people in the eye. The way we’re treated here [at Fresh Start] gives us that next level of confidence.”
Danelle needed this new level of confidence when the program finally started. She hadn’t been in a classroom since earning her GED in 1999, and she said schooling had never been her strong suit.
“When school first started, it was hard, putting in all those hours. The first day was okay, and the second day I was like, ‘I got this.’ And then, on the third day, it changed to, ‘I don’t know about this.’ But then the weekend came, and I decided to keep pushing and not let myself quit.”
She made a promise to herself to focus solely on the course and her continued recovery for its two-week duration. She studied through the night into the early mornings and then again before class to stay on top of the curriculum.
“My initial goal with Fresh Start was to get into the semiconductor program because that’s all I knew about the organization, but my goals have changed because Fresh Start is more about everything going on in my life,” Danelle shared. “I feel like this fell into place and it’s where I need to be, and I’ve actually told other ladies about Fresh Start and how it helped me.”
Danelle put her fears aside and committed to passing the semiconductor class. She knew it would open new doors and create opportunities for her to be independent and self-sufficient.
“I’ve been courageous in trying new things…It was scary walking into Fresh Start for the first time, but I was courageous and I’m doing it anyway, and asking: what can the outcome be?”
She passed the class with flying colors, earning a near-perfect 99.23. To celebrate her partner, his parents, her parents, and her son, they treated her to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. She felt strongly that this was more than just a step toward a career; it was another steppingstone in rebuilding relationships that suffered from her addiction.
“My son has heard a lot of negative things about me…It will help when he sees that I’m successful and can accomplish things, because he’s never seen that before. And with my mom, we didn’t have a relationship until I got into recovery…Now our relationship has changed, and we’ve grown closer.”
After completing the semiconductor course, her mom took her shopping for business clothes, and she smiled, recounting how put together she felt.
“I’m a new person. I can look at the person in the mirror and say ‘I love you’ to her.”
Danelle hopes that other women seeking their own fresh start will simply take that first step.
“Put those fears aside because fears hold us back, and you just need to take that first step and try your best. I like to say that all you have to do is show up. Show up and smile. Because if you show up, that’s half the battle.”
With the Semiconductor Technician certificate under her belt, Danelle continued to work with Fresh Start’s social work team to ensure she was an ideal candidate for future roles.
“Social work played a pivotal role in connecting Danelle with justice-involved services, including expungement support, individualized career coaching, and job placement assistance,’ said Dorinda, a Fresh Start social worker. “These services helped remove barriers stemming from her legal history and equipped her with the tools and confidence needed to secure meaningful employment aligned with her career interests.”
Danelle was hired full-time by the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC). She was thrilled with the pay, which was more than she expected, and excited by her work schedule of four 10-hour days, which allowed for meaningful time with her son.
“I wanted to thank you all for helping me with this journey,” Danelle emailed Fresh Start staff after her hiring. “I set off on a path…stayed open-minded, determined, positive, and willing to go through any door that came up. I owe this opportunity to everyone at Fresh Start! Without every one of you, I wouldn’t be where I am today!”