Community Mom: Shannon Shackelford serves as a mother figure for Decatur’s youth

By Deborah Storey | Living 50 Plus

On paper, Decatur’s Youth Services Department is supposed to address the “economic, social and educational challenges” of the city’s young people.

That goal is great, but what really makes it work is a staff with loving hearts and compassion.

One of those people is 55-year-old Shannon Shackelford.

Shackelford has been at Decatur Youth Services for about 10 years and volunteered before joining full-time. She’s currently the lead personnel coordinator.

Her first assignment at DYS was to administer a grant program that educated teenagers on the dangers of smoking and vaping.

“The kids got to go out and really go into these stores and talk to some of the store owners about how kids come in and try to get cigarettes,” she said. “It was very educational for them, learning about secondhand smoke and what it could do to your lungs.”

The DYS program services roughly 2,500 kids a year with a staff of 20, plus volunteers.

Although called Decatur Youth Services, the program helps the whole family by offering adult programs too, Shackelford explained.

For young people, the after-school program at the center on Fifth Avenue Southwest focuses on tutoring.

“We also have a program that goes within the Decatur City Schools, which is Reconnecting Youth. We have a curriculum for that,” she said.

Some kids receive help with life skills or mentoring through the Boys to Men and Girls to Women programs.

“They come after school and they have all kinds of activities, just dealing with life skills, life issues, things of that nature. We bring in speakers that may teach financial things — teach them how to budget their little money.”

Through the summer youth program, 14- and 15-year-olds work at different businesses in Decatur.

“That’s their beginning of work ethics,” she said. “It’s a great program. We monitor them and we pay them at the end of the summer.”

At the end of summer, DYS hosts its largest event — the Back to School Jam. During the event, DYS distributes book bags and school supplies to approximately 1,500 children.

For Shackelford, who has spent most of her adult years serving in community programs, working with Decatur Youth Service represents a continuation of her life’s purpose.

“Helping people — that’s pretty much my life,” she said.

She studied psychology at the University of North Alabama and went on to complete a business degree at Virginia College.

For 20 years she worked with Progressive Christian Outreach Ministry.

“I was the administrator and we had a day care center and other business as well. We had a production company that went to different areas, different states and put on productions,” Shackelford said.

The church outreach program operated the Out of the Rain mission across from West Decatur Elementary.

“I think we started Out of the Rain Mission Center a month before Katrina hit,” she said. “How ironic was that?”

The outreach fed more than 200 people a week during that time.

“When the people migrated from New Orleans here, we were instrumental in putting on things to just help them, whether it was with clothes, housing, a whole lot of different things.”

Shackelford grew up in Florence but has lived in Decatur for about 35 years.

Giving back to the community is “a big part of my life,” she said.

“It always has been in some shape, form or fashion. I love people and I love helping.”

DYS Interim Director Bruce Jones remembers Shackelford as a key person at Progressive Outreach.

She was “always that positive role model — the kind person that everybody knew and everybody loved,” Jones said.

“Then she started working for DYS in our parenting program and she took that same love, kindness, hard work and caring for people in the community and brought that to DYS.”

Jones said people are drawn to the program because of Shackelford’s “personality and her kindness and goodness.”

Before he returned to the program Shackelford had been promoted to a lead position, he said, “and because of how she was with the staff and how they respected her, they followed her.”

When Jones took over as interim director, he saw “that same compassion” and felt she needed to stay in the job. She makes sure that her staff follows procedures, he said, and they trust her.

“She has a heart for people,” he said. “She has a heart for the community. So many people know her and love her. And honestly, I don’t know if she’s ever been given much recognition for being that person behind the scenes making things happen.”

Shackelford and her husband, James, have three children.

Her son Trey graduated from Washington State in May and is studying for a master’s in sports studies at Tulane. A standout football player, the 2021 Austin High graduate is eligible to play college ball one more year.

Trey loved playing just about every sport in school, she said, which she told him was fine but insisted “you’re going to get your grades.”

“I stressed that academics was more important than sports, although that’s his career choice in life. That’s what he wants to do. He hopes to go to the NFL,” she said.

“We push his dreams, but I tell him in order for you to get to those dreams, you have to get your academics.”

Work ethic is clearly strong in the family. Shackelford’s mother, 82, worked in her garden until last year.

Shackelford’s husband is a representative for Union Local, a retail/wholesale union, and works with plants all over Georgia. He travels a lot, but they take a lot of trips together to see their son’s football games. They flew to every Washington State game and are glad to have him in school closer to home.

Co-workers say Shackelford is a mother figure for the youth, too.

“Yes, I take on that role,” she said, particularly for one young man who was in the DYS program years ago.

“His mother passed and he just clung to me,” she said.

Today the young man is part of the family and goes with them to games.

The impact Shackelford has on the community deserves attention and celebration, Jones said.

Shackelford was reluctant to talk about herself.

“I like to help push other people,” she said. “I’m behind the scenes.”

Jones told her that people usually say good things about someone after he or she dies.

“I said, ‘Ms. Shannon, every now and then I want my flowers while I’m still here,’” Jones said.

Shackelford, Jones said, deserves her praise and attention while she can appreciate it.