In this very special episode, Nancy and Jose are joined in studio by a true gap minder, Shane Harris, the CEO of S. Harris Communications and the Founder of the People's Association of Justice Advocates. A man who works tirelessly, shaped by his own very challenging life experiences, to give a hand-up to citizens with real needs, while also being a catalyst for societal change. And, when we say a challenging life, we mean it. Shane lost both his mother and father at a very young age and spent 13 years in the foster care system, including Polinsky, San Pasqual Academy and many foster homes. We hear Shane discuss something very important for all of us to think about when it comes to foster youth: reading and other fundamentals take a back seat to survival. But with the mindset of "pain as power" to elevate, Shane has created a life of impact. One book in particular fueled his passion and hope for the life he was building: Barack Obama's The Audacity of Hope.

Impact and hope. Fueled by an endemic creativity, Shane has used his passion, pastoral foundation, and purpose to address issues from foster care and criminal justice reform to senior services and inflationary gas prices. When seniors were challenged with home essentials during the pandemic, Shane created SHOT (Senior Health Outreach Taskforce). 1500 seniors received regular deliveries of home essentials and food. Rising gas prices? Shane created "Gas Me Up" and gave away over $50,000 in gas by taking over entire gas stations. Shane Harris is the epitome of a gap minder and a true social impact entrepreneur.

A truly special episode. Here are some other amazing takeaways from the interview with Shane Harris:

- His advice to foster youth: believe in your life!
- His view that the people he helps are also his mentors (a great guiding principle for all)
- Other issues he is working on, including guaranteed income for foster youth aging out,
Family Finding Services for the homeless, and the voting rights and voting access.
- The answers to the Rapid Fire questions!

A truly uplifting and impactful interview from a phenomenal gap minder who has successfully navigated significant gaps. Thank you, Shane Harris, for your passion and innovation in closing gaps, and for joining us on The Gap Minders.

Enjoy this episode and be sure to subscribe to the show.

If you have any questions or want to contact Nancy or Jose, please send an email to podcast@uwsd.org. Thank you for listening.

To learn more about the two social impact organizations making The Gap Minders possible, please visit www.TheGapMinders.org.