Injury Prodded Woman onto a Path of Recovery

By Brian Young

“Woman hit with stone, in serious condition” was the headline to an article in the May 23, 2007, Providence Journal.

The headline was about Lawshawnda Dennis, who decided that her injury was a signal to change her life. At that point, Dennis had been battling addiction for about 15 years.

“This moment could have been my last,” she said of her injury. The incident was a result of being on the streets and fighting addiction.

Dennis started her turnaround by working with a case manager at Crossroads, who helped point her in the right direction. She then took the initiative to seek out counseling and meetings to help her cope and recover.

She has an apartment today that she received through Riverwood, located at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Providence. Dennis stays busy by attending meetings and working to defeat her addiction. Her next habit to kick will be cigarettes. She is currently looking into programs to assist her with this task. Dennis says that dealing with homelessness and addiction has strenghtened her resolve to remain on the road to recovery and well being.