Shannon Diaz never expected to be director of anything but her own misery.
And yet, today Shannon leads from the front as Orange County campus director for Matthew’s Hope, a homeless outreach nonprofit based in Winter Garden. She still marvels at the title, given that just a few short years ago she was starting her journey out of drug addiction.
“It was a hopeless, bleak life,” she says.
Shannon, 33, struggled for years with addiction to heroin, which cost her custody of her children and a felony conviction. Her decision to pursue a different path led her to a twelve step program and transitional housing through Matthew’s Hope.
Getting clean was a struggle that required perseverance, but “nothing worth having comes easily,” she says. Physical recovery brought mental healing. The jagged edges of life on the street were worn smooth by her sponsor’s patience and unconditional love. Shannon learned the value of vulnerability and transparency, and reshaped her approach to life.
“I was so stuck on being a victim of my story, versus owning my story,” she says.
Today Shannon embraces her story and uses it to encourage and inspire others. She’s learned acknowledging the pain and struggle carries extra weight when it’s heard by someone with a shared experience. Sometimes that hand up is rejected, and that’s OK, too. Shannon remembers her own resistance to giving up a harmful lifestyle.
“We don’t get to pick the day the message is heard,” she says.
For now, she focuses on what she can change with a newfound optimism and excitement.
