Origin Stories: Shannon Clancy

By Bruce Cooper and Chris Peterson

From an early age, giving back was more than a lesson, it was a way of life for Shannon Clancy. 

Shannon grew up in a home where helping neighbors, supporting those in need, and serving the community were simply part of the family tradition. Shannon carried those values with her when she left for college at the University of Notre Dame, but it wasn’t until she returned to her home in Phoenix during the Christmas holiday that something truly clicked. Community service wasn’t just something she admired, it was what she wanted to devote her life to.

After college, she married, started a family, and built a life near her college hometown, temporarily putting her dream of working in the nonprofit world on hold. But years later, a return to Arizona opened the door she had been waiting for. She found an opportunity with St. Vincent de Paul and finally turned her lifelong passion for helping others into a career.