On today’s episode of Fostering Change, Rob Scheer sits down with another incredible “Good Human” — Tristian Smith. After losing his mother at the age of seven, Tristian entered the foster care system, where he experienced over 25 placements and attended 13 different schools. Despite these hardships, he never let his circumstances define him.

Tristian shares the powerful story behind his memoir, Against All Odds, which chronicles his journey through the challenges of foster care and his path to becoming a voice for change.

Now a retired U.S. Army Officer, Tristian continues to serve as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), a Foster Care Review Board Member, and a mentor to youth aging out of the system. His commitment to advocacy, mentorship, and reform is genuinely inspiring.

📘 Get Tristian’s book, Against All Odds, available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

🔗 Connect with Tristian: Instagram: @undeterred_anomaly

LinkedIn: Tristian Smith

📩 Have questions or guest suggestions? Please email us at info@comfortcases.org

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Don’t you just love a really good person? On today’s episode of Fostering Change you’re about to meet one. Shawn Henss is truly the definition of what we call a “Good Human.” A nice guy, with a HUGE heart.

Shawn is the founder of Giving Sole, a non-profit organization that gives new shoes to youth in foster care. Technically, Shawn’s son came up with the idea for Giving Sole at the age of 10!

Since founding Giving Sole in 2018, they have given away more than 3,000 new, brand-name shoes and sneakers to youth in foster care throughout Arizona, and are looking to share this generosity throughout the US.

We can go on longer here, but we’d rather you listen to Shawn’s story directly from him in this beautiful interview with our host, Rob Scheer.

To find out more information about Giving Sole, including how to donate, please visit: www.givingsole.org.

You can also follow them on various social media channels:

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/givingsole/

Instagram

@giving_sole

Twitter/X

@givingsole

Threads

https://www.threads.net/@giving_sole

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/giving-sole

#fostercare #givingsole #adoption

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s always special when we can welcome both a returning guest and a first-time guest who are making a real difference. Join our host, Rob Scheer, as he sits down with Kate Trambitskaya and Brian Rosenberg for an urgent and eye-opening discussion about how federal cutbacks are impacting youth in foster care, LGBTQ+ youth, and other vulnerable communities.

Why This Episode Matters:

Kate, who last joined us in May 2022, is a passionate advocate for children, women, and families. As CEO of Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Childre,, she has expanded programs supporting expectant women facing adversity, children in institutional care overseas, and adoptees and their families here in the U.S.

Brian is the founder and executive director of GWK Academy Family Building, a non-profit spin-off of the beloved Gays With Kids community. Originally focused on supporting gay and queer men in their journey to parenthood, Brian is excited to announce that starting in March 2025, GWK Academy will support ALL family-building paths for ALL LGBTQ+ individuals!

🔥 Don’t just listen—take action! 🔥

🎧 Tune in now and get informed.

💬 Join the conversation—leave a comment or question!

❤️ Like, share, and help us spread the word! The more people who hear Fostering Change, the faster we can create real, lasting impact.

📩 Have thoughts or questions? Reach out at fosteringchange@comfortcases.org or visit www.comfortcases.org—we’d love to hear from you!

#FosteringChange #Podcast #LGBTQFamilies #FosterCare #Adoption #MakeAChange

To find more about each organization:

Spence-Chapin

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/spencechapin

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/spencechapinsvc/

Twitter/X

https://x.com/spencechapinsvc

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/71342/

GWK Academy/Gays With Kids

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/GaysWithKids

Instagram

@gays_with_kids; @gwkacademy

Twitter/X

https://www.youtube.com/@GWK

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianrrosenberg/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.