MEET THE TEAM
Angela Schenewerk
President & Co-Founder
Angela has a background in accounting, financial systems, and operational leadership. She grew up known as "JJ," in a home filled with love, contradictions, and the unpredictable rhythm of alcohol‑fueled nights — an early education in resilience that shaped her understanding of people and pain. She built a successful career in finance, rising into management roles where her intuition, precision, and ability to find truth in the numbers set her apart.
As a mother of two boys, Angela knows the impossible tension of needing help while wondering, “But what about my kids?” She knows what it feels like to be broke, overwhelmed, and terrified to put herself first. Her drinking escalated quietly, then loudly, until she entered treatment in November 2018 — the turning point that ultimately saved her life. She lost her voice long before she found recovery, and reclaiming it became the foundation of her healing.
Her journey through addiction, motherhood, divorce, and rediscovery now fuels her mission to help women and mothers do the same.
Today, Angela leads The Walk Forward Foundation with a clear purpose: to remove financial barriers to treatment and ensure no one has to WALK FORWARD alone. She is committed to being a voice for women until they find their own, showing mothers that choosing themselves is not selfish — it’s survival.
Christopher Schenewerk, MD
Director & Co-Founder
Chris is a family physician whose personal journey through addiction and recovery now fuels his work. Raised in Smithton, Illinois, he pursued his lifelong dream of becoming a doctor—earning his microbiology degree from SIU‑Carbondale, attending medical school at the University of Illinois–Chicago, and completing his residency at Saint Louis University.
After years of escalating drinking, depression, and a suicide attempt, Chris entered inpatient rehab in 2018—a 92‑day experience that saved his life and reshaped his purpose. Returning home committed to sobriety, he simplified his life and stepped fully into recovery.
He helped launch the "Walking Together" program at Memorial Hospital - a medical stabilization unit that serves around 100 patients each month, and later served as the medical director of a drug and alcohol rehab center, a role that deepened his understanding of the barriers people face when seeking treatment and receiving it.
Having been on both sides of the table, "Dr. Chris" - the name he's most known by - brings a level of understanding and empathy to individuals battling addiction that only lived experience can provide. He co‑founded The Walk Forward Foundation with Angela to remove financial barriers to treatment and make recovery accessible to anyone ready for change.
Thomas Aldridge
Director of Recovery Services
Thomas rebuilt his life through recovery and now uses his lived experience, spiritual grounding, and commitment to service to help others do the same. Raised in a close, supportive family, he learned early the value of community, faith, and showing up for others. Before addiction pulled him away from life, he earned his BS in Management Information Systems from SIUE and built a career in IT.
His turning point came when he finally became willing to seek help and walked into a recovery meeting, where he found a sponsor, the 12-steps, and a Higher Power strong enough to break the cycle he couldn't escape alone. A profound spiritual experience during his fifth step became the moment that changed everything.
Today, Thomas lives in a life rooted in humility, service, and daily spiritual practice. He works honest, simple jobs and gives his time freely to anyone battling addiction. As a board member of The Walk Forward Foundation, he brings compassion, clarity, and the unwavering belief that recovery is possible for anyone who seeks it - and no one has to WALK FORWARD alone.
Denzell Murray
Multi-media Technician
Denzell Murray is a St. Louis–based videographer, content creator, website designer and marketing professional known for blending creativity with purpose-driven storytelling. Originally born in Chicago, Illinois, Denzell has lived across the country, gaining diverse perspectives that now shape both his professional work and personal mission.
His journey took a transformative turn in St. Louis, where he experienced homelessness and ultimately found a new path through recovery. That turning point not only restored his life but ignited a deep passion for helping others facing similar struggles.
Today, Denzell is actively involved in the recovery community in St. Louis, where he dedicates time and energy to supporting individuals battling alcoholism and substance use disorder. After a brief but powerful meeting with Co-Founder Dr. Christopher Schenewerk, he was inspired to join The Walk Forward Foundation, a mission that aligns deeply with his lived experience and provides a strong sense of purpose.