To raise money for the Adams County Homeless Shelter, Leadership Adams held a 5K Run/Walk last weekend at Adams Lake State Park. (Provided photo)

By Patricia Beech-

An encounter with a homeless child at the Adams County Homeless Shelter was all the motivation Manchester resident Shannon Mack needed to take action that will make a difference in the quality of life for homeless people in Adams County.
“There was a little girl who couldn’t have been more than three years old, and she held her arms up to me and wanted me to pick her up – it just tugged at my heartstrings,” says Mack. “ When they told me they were turning families away, I could picture people like that little girl being turned away and having no place else to go. I wanted to ensure that doesn’t happen and that local families have a place to go and a place to call home – at least for a while.”
Mack visited the Homeless Shelter as a 2019 class member of Leadership Adams – a local nonprofit organization working to benefit and better the quality of life for the people in Adams County.
She subsequently chose the Shelter as her project, along with six of her fellow classmates including: Larry Heller, Adams County Clerk of Courts; Corey Campbell from GE; SOMC Nurse Practitioner Kayla Ross; Carlee Crump from Venture Productions; Justin Hamilton from Southern State Community College; and Dylan Lowe from Venture Productions.
“We looked around and saw there was a need,” says Mack.
She and the others considered several different options that would allow the shelter to house more individuals and families.
“We decided to start a building fund because we want to expand the facility,” says Mack. “We know this isn’t an overnight process, but our goal is to continue raising building funds and raising awareness about the shelter’s needs.”
On Saturday, May 18 the group hosted their first fundraiser – a “Run for Shelter” 5K race at the Adams Lake State Park in West Union.
In addition to the building fund, Leadership Adams has donated money, food, and water to the shelter.
Shelter Director Char Brown says the group’s donations are extremely important to the shelters operations.
“Leadership Adams has been a big help to us all through the years,” she told the Defender. “We only have to call them, but it’s not just us – they do a lot for the entire community.”
Mack, who is employed at the Woodforest National Bank, says being a member of Leadership Adams has allowed her to fulfill one of her passions.
“I’ve always wanted to help in some way in my community, but I never knew exactly how to go about it or what resources were available to me to use,” she says. “Thankfully, being accepted into the 2019 Leadership Adams class opened doors for me to be able to help.”