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SERLC Quarterly Newsletter Spring 2026
Recovery Story Spotlight
In our community, recovery is not just a personal journey. It’s a shared act of courage and connection. When people speak their truth, they challenge stigma, celebrate resilience, and light the way for others still finding their path. Each story, whether messy or triumphant, is honored as part of a collective healing process. At the SERLC, we’re rewriting the narrative: recovery is visible, powerful, and deeply human. By amplifying these journeys, we foster understanding, build bridges, and make space for every survivor’s truth to be seen and valued.
Shannon Donnelly, BA, CPS
(She/Her/Hers)
Community Connector
Fall River Recovery Connection Center
Shannon is the Community Connector at the Fall River Recovery Connection Center. Her journey with the RCC began as a peer in 2020 during the early days of the pandemic. At the time, Shannon struggled with intense anxiety and attended groups on Zoom without turning on her camera or saying a single word. As difficult as it was, she kept showing up day after day.
Through the care, encouragement, and connection she experienced in the peer community, Shannon gradually began to participate more and more. By the fall of 2022, she felt comfortable enough to begin attending groups in person at the Center. As her confidence and connection with the community grew, so did her desire to give back.
In the spring of 2024, Shannon began volunteering as the co-facilitator of the Grief Healing Group, helping to create a space where peers could share their experiences and support one another through loss. In the summer of 2025, she officially joined the staff at the RCC as the Community Connector.
Shannon recently created two groups at the Center that are especially meaningful to her: Grounding & Reflection and Self-Care. These groups invite peers to slow down, take a moment to check in with themselves, and connect with others through shared conversation and reflection. They offer space to think about what caring for yourself can look like in everyday life and how small changes can help make personal well-being more of a priority. She is also partnering with Rainbow Rabbit Wandering Wardrobe to offer various workshops, creating a welcoming and creative space for members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Shannon graduated summa cum laude from Stonehill College in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and a minor in Secondary Education. She spent many years working as an analyst at Filene’s Corporate in Boston. Shannon loves singing, spending time with her family, and recently married the love of her life.