Shawn knows about poverty firsthand. “My father was born in Mexico, my mother was born in Venezuela, and I’ve lived in Mexico for a year, so I’ve seen poverty and how ugly it can be.” Shawn decided he wanted to make a difference, so he joined the Advocate Leader Council and began collecting bags of clothing and household items from his neighborhood. “I didn’t have a garage to put the bags in, so I filled up my room. It was so full that I had to sleep in my closet!” Shawn made difference.