Shelly's Story

I grew up in a little town in northern Arkansas and was in the top 10% of my class. I loved school and hated to miss. I lived in a holler with no phone, one TV station at times, and a limited diet. I may have been poor but I never let that bother me because that’s not what life is about. Life is about what is on the inside of a person and not about what they own, the type of clothes they wear, or what they drive.

I started to smoke weed at the age of 26. My husband was smoking weed and one day I said if I’m paying for it I might as well smoke it. This continued for several years and I quit smoking weed during a two year separation from my husband. Time passed and I continued to smoke again. I had taken my husband back because of our two children who needed their father now more than ever. I was living in Louisiana around his family and was working for National Injection Services. My husband was employed immediately after being released from prison for selling weed, and we found a lovely home together with our son. My main place of employment was slowly going under and I could tell because I was the bookkeeper and had to go to the investor to make payroll. That’s when I decided we needed to move back to Arkansas where we could raise our family and be by my family again. My husband worked in the oil field so we could live anywhere.

We moved by my father and the boys were in a great school. After two months I received a good job offer. My mother was diagnosed with lung cancer and that’s when I not only smoked weed but began to use pharmaceuticals. I used these drugs to keep me going and slowly became a functioning addict. As I began to let these drugs take over my life I decided one day the way to help my mother was financially and to bring the family closer into Mom’s life. Had I not been using I don’t think I would ever have taken the money from my employer.

I was incarcerated for taking a large amount of money from my employer who had trusted me and I had deceived him, his family and the company. Just before all this happened my mother passed away and my husband of twenty years passed away 33 days later. Approximately a year after that my twenty year old son overdosed on five drugs and alcohol. Three months after the last of these tragedies, I was saved by becoming incarcerated.

I was incarcerated in the Pulaski County Regional Detention Center for 10 months where I met Sister Lee Ann who is a Sister of Mercy and the Executive Director for the Center for Women in Transition (CWIT). Sister Lee Ann showed tough love with a compassion that spoke volumes. I voluntarily took all three classes the Center for Women in Transition offered and learned who I truly am not who I’d become. I was diagnosed as bi-polar while in PCRDC and have continued with my mental health.

After 10 months I was released while awaiting trial or taking a plea bargain. During this period I found employment with the help of CWIT. I was a part of this program where I found a sense of belonging.

Four months later I went to court and was incarcerated at McPherson for 8 months. I’d been sentenced to 20 years with 14 suspended and a large amount of restitution to pay. One of the conditions of my release is I cannot contact the victim or their families and that is an amend I cannot make. Also, I have to have mental counseling as another condition of my release. I also go to group where I continue to work on my mental health. After my release from prison I came to CWIT for support. I was given small jobs to help CWIT and I also volunteered during fund raisers. I managed to get a good job but was laid off after 6 months and gained employment at a small convenient store.

I was comfortable at the convenient store and then Sister Lee Ann offered me a position at CWIT. I had to pray for two days before I accepted. It’s a labor of love with a great amount of responsibility but I can relate to our clients and give back where I have taken in the past. I thank God for saving my life by my being incarcerated because I would not be alive today if I had been left to my own devices.

Today life is a much better picture and I live it one day at a time. I’m not promised tomorrow and have learned this from all of the losses in my life. I thought I’d grow old and sit in the rocking chair beside my husband but that was not to be. I’ve been blessed to have three beautiful grandchildren and have a wonderful son who is still alive. I’ve never had to be homeless and I feel for those that have been homeless. There is so much pain in the clients at CWIT at times, but once they feel the hope their lives begin to change and they begin to work on themselves. I now have a purpose instead of a job and for that I am very grateful. I am a recovering addict and know that there is hope and progress for those who want it.

Shelly Reichard