When Community Hero Action Group (CHAG) was founded in 2020, its mission was clear: break down barriers and create meaningful opportunities for members of the African American community to rebuild their lives through service to others.

Lead community health worker Shameka Holmes embodies this mission, having transformed her own journey of recovery into a powerful force for community change.

Early Challenges and Recovery

Holmes’ path to CHAG was anything but straight.

Growing up in Norristown, Montgomery County, she faced early trauma including sexual abuse and the loss of her father to substance abuse. Despite coming from a highly educated family, she turned to drugs and alcohol to numb her pain, leading to repeated encounters with the criminal justice system.

“Personally, I endured some trauma as a child, particularly sexual abuse, which led me to drugs and alcohol,” Holmes reflects.

Her struggles continued until a setback nearly 25 years ago would become a turning point in her life.

Setbacks and Perseverance

While Holmes was a young mother, a misunderstanding led to serious charges.

After her car window was broken during an altercation, Holmes found herself facing serious charges despite her innocence.

“They took me to court and lied, saying I pulled a knife on them when I didn’t even have one,” Holmes explains. “I had my daughter at home, so I just took the plea deal they offered, even though I didn’t do anything.”

That guilty plea came with five years of probation which, after multiple violations, turned into a state prison sentence of one-and-a-half to three years.

Finding Purpose Through Service

In 2013, after her release and committed to recovery, Holmes began rebuilding her life with renewed purpose.

Through strong mentorship and support from dedicated recovery professionals and her supervisor, she found her footing and discovered her calling to help others.

By 2016, she had secured work at Philadelphia’s Kirkbride Medical Center, helping others struggling with substance abuse.

The guidance and opportunities she received at Kirkbride proved instrumental in shaping her career path. However, her criminal record created obstacles.

“I will say what I still struggle with to this day is that criminal background because I have a lot of experience, my heart is good, [and] I enjoy helping people, but I’m limited to certain things because of that,” she said.

But former patients’ gratitude showed her she’d found her purpose.

A New Chapter with CHAG

Today, Holmes continues her journey of service at Community Hero Action Group (CHAG), where founder Nicole Keels-McGruder’s leadership and vision have provided a platform for her to make an even greater impact.

As a certified recovery specialist and behavioral health technician, Holmes exemplifies CHAG’s philosophy of community healing through service.

Since joining last year as lead community health worker in CHAG’s evidence-based Community Advocates for Senior Empowerment (CASE) Program, she conducts one-on-one sessions educating seniors about depression, developing personalized action plans, and connecting them with vital community resources. Her work demonstrates how personal experience, combined with strong mentorship and organizational support, can transform into professional expertise that directly benefits vulnerable community members.

CHAG founder Nicole Keels-McGruder emphasizes the unique value Holmes brings to the organization: “Shameka embodies our mission of transformation through service. Her personal journey, combined with her genuine commitment to helping others, makes her an inspiring leader who truly understands the paths our community members are walking.”

Setbacks Don’t Define One’s Future

For Holmes, CHAG serves as more than a workplace — it’s a living example that setbacks need not define one’s future.

“A lot of people would beat themselves up because they [went] two steps back and they want to be stuck in that,” she notes. “No, you keep going. You don’t give up. It’s not how you fall, it’s how long you stay down.”

The organization’s impact extends beyond individual rehabilitation. Through community events, Holmes now teaches her nine-year-old stepdaughter the value of giving back while celebrating the achievements of her 25-year-old daughter, a Penn State graduate:

“At nine years old, it’s really important that she learns how to give back and work with the community. Community Hero [Action Group] has allowed my family to know what it’s like to give back to your community.”

“It’s been such a blessing,” Holmes reflects on her journey from client to leader at CHAG. Her story shows how targeted support and resources can transform lives.

As CHAG works to improve health and wealth outcomes in the African American community, Holmes demonstrates daily that empowerment often comes full circle — from receiving help to becoming a leader who helps others build healthier, wealthier, more empowered lives.

To learn more about the impact of Community Hero Action Group, visit the nonprofit’s website.