Shawn Collins
Executive Director
Shawn Collins grew up near Spokane, WA and has lived in Corvallis since 2003. He moved to the area from Knoxville, TN to take a position on a global research team with Hewlett-Packard.
Shawn got his first look at the realities of homelessness and poverty in the Willamette Valley through his volunteer experiences at the South Corvallis Food Bank. While working at Hewlett-Packard, he was chair of the site Volunteerism Committee. Among other volunteer events throughout the year, Shawn organized HP volunteers for the annual United Way Day of Caring and for work with SAGE Garden, which provides fresh produce for area food pantries.
After leaving HP in 2016, Shawn worked at United Way of Benton & Lincoln Counties, as the Program Manager for the Housing Opportunities Action Council (HOAC) through 2019. In that position, he began working with area shelter and service providers. He was instrumental in securing the site that would become the Corvallis Men’s Shelter in 2017, and served on the management team. The current Men's Shelter builds on a long history of shelters in Corvallis and is made possible by the spirit of partnership and collaboration that is central to the Unity Shelter mission.
