For Angel Hernandez, recovery was never a straight line—and it certainly wasn’t easy. His early days of sobriety were marked by isolation, instability, and survival. With no guidance and no support system, Angel entered recovery while experiencing homelessness, staying with someone still actively using. The odds were stacked against him.
“Trying to navigate recovery alone under those circumstances was incredibly difficult,” Angel said.
Things came to a head when Angel entered Drug Court, facing the reality of a possible 30-year sentence. What initially felt like an impossible situation ultimately became the turning point that changed the course of his life.
True recovery, Angel explains, didn’t begin until he stopped trying to do it alone.
“When I started working the steps with my sponsor and realized I was not alone, everything changed,” he shared. “By finding my Higher Power, recovery transformed from something I had to do into something I was called to do.”
Today, Angel serves as a Peer Support Specialist with Wolfe Street Foundation, walking alongside individuals who are navigating the same uncertainty and fear he once knew so well.
“Hope is powerful when it comes from someone who’s walked the same road.”Angel
His work is deeply personal—and intentionally grounded in lived experience.
“When I speak with the peers I serve, they keep me humble and grounded,” Angel said. “They remind me where I came from and why this work matters.”
Angel’s approach to peer support centers on connection, dignity, and empowerment. He helps individuals access resources, develop recovery plans, advocate for themselves, and build independent, meaningful lives in recovery. Just as importantly, he strives to create a safe space where people feel heard, believed in, and respected.
“I use active listening and shared experience as tools for connection and growth,” he said. “Hope is powerful when it comes from someone who’s walked the same road.”
Angel’s passion for peer support was solidified early on when he attended a peer conference and watched Wolfe Street Foundation receive awards for its work.
“That moment showed me what was possible,” he said.
His journey continued at Stepping Stones Recovery House, where mentorship under founder Joseph Cruz helped Angel refine his skills, gain education, and build confidence in his role. Watching peers grow into self-aware, independent individuals—finding purpose and stability—became one of the most rewarding aspects of his work.
But for Angel, some moments stand above the rest.
“Seeing family reunifications—that’s what stays with me,” he said. “Watching peers rebuild relationships and reclaim their roles within their families is incredibly powerful.”
As his recovery and service evolved, Angel became involved with the Smart Justice District Court Initiative through the 100 Families Initiative, strengthening his commitment to advocacy, equity, and systemic change. Through this partnership, he continues to support justice-involved individuals by addressing barriers, offering hope, and helping create pathways to long-term success.
Angel’s story is a testament to what happens when recovery is met with opportunity, compassion, and community support.
“My lived experience fuels my purpose,” he said. “Peer support is not just what I do—it is who I am.”
Through his work with Wolfe Street Foundation and the Smart Justice District Court Initiative, Angel Hernandez is proving every day that healing is possible—and that no one has to walk the road to recovery alone.
Smart Justice is a magazine, podcast, and continuing news coverage from the nonprofit Restore Hope and covers the pursuit of better outcomes on justice system-related issues, such as child welfare, incarceration, and juvenile justice. Our coverage is solutions-oriented, focusing on the innovative ways in which communities are solving issues and the lessons that have been learned as a result of successes and challenges.
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