Once homeless and fleeing abuse, Hannibal woman now helps others as United Way advocate

Published 2:01 pm Thursday, July 30, 2026

HANNIBAL — Shannon Arnold arrived in Hannibal in 2017 homeless, pregnant, and fleeing domestic violence. Nine years later, she works as a United Way Community Impact Advocate, sharing her story to help other women facing the kind of hardship she once did.

Arnold first found help through AVENUES, a United Way partner agency that assists victims of domestic violence.

“I was starting over from a traumatic relationship. I was pregnant and homeless. I didn’t have anything or anyone,” Arnold said. “I started utilizing the resources in Hannibal that were available. With the right support group, I was able to get to those places and utilize whatever I needed at that time in my life.”

A housing subsidy helped Arnold secure her own home, and local agencies assisted her with housing and budgeting as she began working as a new mother. She also found community through Harvest Ministries, building relationships with staff and residents at the Harvest House.

“I started becoming a little more self-sufficient, and I was still getting counseling and resources,” she said. “I started meeting women in Harvest Ministries, building relationships with the Harvest House, the people who run it, and the ladies who live there. I built a community there.”

A meeting with United Way of the Mark Twain Area Executive Director Denise Damron connected Arnold with Reaching Independence Through Support and Education, known as RISE, a 17-week program that teaches skills in finances, banking, advocacy, and professional development. Each participant is paired with a mentor, and Arnold was matched with Ben and Janelle Strother, who helped her set and work toward long-term goals.

“Shannon inspires me,” Damron said. “Knowing her journey began in a crisis and now seeing where she is today reminds me why this work matters. Her story shows what’s possible when someone is surrounded by the right support at the right time, and that’s exactly what United Way strives to make happen every day in our community.”

Arnold went on to serve as board president of AVENUES, giving her a closer look at how United Way connects human services agencies across northeast Missouri. She now works as a Community Impact Advocate for the organization, a role that allows her to share her story with community members while connecting them with United Way’s work.

“Everything that I look back and see has been at the right place, at the right time, at the right moment,” Arnold said. “As of last year, I was selected as the Habitat for Humanity homeowner. I never thought that would be possible. It was the little steps of budgeting classes, building my goals, and meeting people.”

“By being a Community Impact Advocate, I can tell others what it has done in my life and how it can help others in their lives and within the community,” she added.

United Way of the Mark Twain Area runs an annual community fundraising campaign, with proceeds distributed to nonprofit programs serving the region. Current partner agencies include AVENUES, CHADS Coalition for Mental Health, CHART Teen Task Force, Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries, the Hannibal Alliance for Youth Success, Hannibal Free Clinic, Hannibal Parents as Teachers, Harvest Outreach Ministries’ Loaves & Fishes program, Heartland Resources’ Lewis County Meals on Wheels, Kairos Hope, the Lewis County Health Department, Mission 180, the Monroe City Food Pantry, the Northeast Community Action Corporation, Project Community Connect, The Salvation Army of Hannibal, The Paris Senior Center, the Child Advocacy Center of Northeast Missouri, and the YMCA of Hannibal.

Donations to the campaign can be made online or mailed to United Way of the Mark Twain Area, P.O. Box 81, Hannibal, MO 63401.