For much of her life, Shauna knew what it meant to start over.
Today, she is a mother of three, a grandmother of four, and an Intake & Youth Development Specialist at United Community. She helps families access resources, supports children in after-school programs, and offers encouragement to people facing difficult circumstances. But her ability to connect with others comes from lived experience.
Shauna’s journey has been marked by hardship, resilience, and an unwavering determination to build a better life for her family.
After leaving high school in the 10th grade, she entered the workforce and became a mother at just 20 years old. Like many single parents, she faced difficult choices. She worked hard to provide for her son, but when he developed severe asthma and was frequently ill, she lost both her job and her apartment.
Suddenly, she found herself back at her mother’s home, sleeping on the couch with her infant son.
Rather than give up, Shauna kept pushing forward. She found work through a temp agency, eventually securing a stable position with benefits and enough income to support her growing family. By her early twenties, she was raising two children on her own and building a life she was proud of.
Then, life took another devastating turn.
In 2008, Shauna lost her job. Just months later, her fiancé was killed in an act of violence, and she was the one who found him. The trauma sent her into a deep depression.
“It took everything in me to keep going for my children,” she recalled.
Determined to be there for her family, Shauna sought mental health treatment and slowly began to heal. But more challenges were ahead.
After leaving an abusive relationship, Shauna found herself homeless while pregnant with her third child. She and her children moved between friends’ and relatives’ homes before eventually entering a homeless shelter. On their first night there, she cried.
“I couldn’t believe we were in a homeless shelter.”
For eight months, the shelter was home. Then, after waiting nearly 18 years, Shauna finally received the housing voucher she had applied for shortly after the birth of her first child. For the first time in years, her family had stability.
They moved into their new home with little more than their clothes, a television, and a DVD player. Friends and family helped furnish the apartment, and Shauna slowly rebuilt her life.
Years later, that journey led her to United Community.
What began as occasional visits to the food pantry and assistance with utility bills eventually grew into something much more. Through United Community’s Family Advancement Program, Shauna received workforce support, transportation assistance, and employment opportunities that helped her regain financial independence.
She started working in the food pantry, then moved into an Intake Coordinator role, helping neighbors connect with resources and services. Later, she joined United Community’s youth development team, where she found a natural fit working with children.
“I was like a second mom to many of the kids,” she said.
Today, Shauna serves as an Intake & Youth Development Specialist, supporting families while helping young people thrive through United Community’s programs.
Her own experiences with homelessness, unemployment, grief, and recovery have shaped the way she serves others.
“I always asked myself, ‘What’s my purpose in life?’” Shauna said. “I realize my purpose is right here at an organization that cares about the community and takes pride in being able to assist. I genuinely care for people’s well-being. I genuinely want to see everybody win in life.”
For Shauna, United Community is more than a workplace. It is the organization that helped her rebuild her life when she needed support most and allowed her to help others do the same.
“I owe my new start to United Community,” she said. “I love all of my coworkers. They nourished, encouraged, and believed in me from the start. They are family.”
After years of overcoming obstacles that might have stopped someone else, Shauna now spends her days helping others find hope, stability, and a path forward. Her story is a powerful reminder that with support, opportunity, and determination, a new beginning is always possible.
