In this episode of the Philanthropic Podcast, we sit down with a Somali refugee family who spent decades surviving war, enslavement, and extreme poverty before resettling in the United States.

From childhood in Somalia during the civil war, to life in Kenya’s Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps, this conversation reveals the brutal realities of forced migration, refugee camps, water scarcity, food insecurity, and waiting 10+ years for resettlement. The family shares firsthand experiences of violence, survival, UNHCR processes, and what it truly means to live as a refugee — including growing up without education access, healthcare, or employment. We also explore the challenges of resettlement in Utah, culture shock, learning English, rebuilding dignity through work, and the long road from refugee camp to American life. This episode offers an unfiltered look into Somali refugee experiences, illegal vs legal migration misconceptions, refugee resettlement, and the human cost of displacement — told directly by those who lived it.Key Moments:00:00:00 – “Putting Life on Hold for 10 Years as a Refugee”00:04:56 – “Growing Up Enslaved”00:07:47 – “A Tomato Was Worth More Than a Human Life”00:09:32 – “Hiding While His Father Was Executed"”00:10:41 – “Escaping Somalia on Foot at Just 20 Years Old”00:12:19 – “Arriving Alone at a Refugee Camp With Nothing”00:21:24 – “Learning a Trade So His Children Wouldn’t Starve”00:26:43 – “Walking Miles Daily as a Child to Find Water”00:35:39 – “Waiting Over a Decade to Be Allowed a New Life”00:40:09 – “Seeing Snow for the First Time”00:42:11 – “Spending Two Years in School Without Speaking”00:56:25 – “Trying to Raise Eight Children on $12 an Hour”somali refugee family, refugee story, refugee camp life, kakuma refugee camp, dadaab refugee camp, kenya refugees, somalia refugees, refugee resettlement, life as a refugee, forced migration, humanitarian stories, immigration stories, resettled to utah, refugee experience, african refugee stories, global displacement, human rights stories, life after resettlement, philanthropic podcast, migration and refugees

In this episode of The Philanthropic Podcast, Fred Sheehan shares a story unlike anything we've featured before. From a childhood in Hawaii to years of turmoil, loss, addiction, and eventually a calling he never expected, Fred opens up with honesty and heart.

Today, he works directly with individuals experiencing homelessness and those in crisis—drawing from his own lived experience to lift others. His journey raises powerful questions about redemption, purpose, faith, and what it truly means to serve.

This is an episode you’ll feel. An episode that challenges assumptions. And an episode that might just shift how you see the people around you.

Tune in to hear Fred’s remarkable path, the moments that changed him, and what drives him to help those who feel unseen.

⏱️ Key Moments

00:00 – Intro
01:23 – Meet Fred
02:00 – Growing Up in Hawaii
03:00 – Early Trauma
05:15 – The Cycle of Power and Addiction
07:45 – A Miracle During Homelessness
09:00 – Joining Life Changers Outreach
15:02 – Learning to Tell the Truth
17:47 – Losing His Son
22:59 – Returning Home
30:00 – From Client to Colleague
31:00 – Utah County’s Winter Response Effort
36:00 – Fred’s Three Principles for Recovery

In this episode, we sit down with Brent Crane, Executive Director of the Food & Care Coalition in Provo, who has spent 36 years serving Utah’s homeless population. Brent shares raw, real stories that break common stereotypes — from mental health struggles to generational poverty, addiction, deinstitutionalization, and the everyday barriers most people never see.

Together, we explore what homelessness actually looks like, why so many fall through the cracks, and how community connection—not judgment—creates real change. Brent opens up about heartbreaking failures, inspiring recovery stories, and the moments that shaped him personally, including lessons learned the hard way.

If you care about poverty, service, or simply want to understand people better, this conversation will shift the way you see homelessness forever.

⏱️ Key Moments

0:00 — The Early Days
1:20 — Brent’s Origin Story
4:49 — The Deinstitutionalization Fallout
6:30 — Why Connection Changes Lives
11:32 — When Dialogue Stops, We Lose
14:13 — The Misunderstood Realities
15:39 — Hidden Disabilities & Schizophrenia
17:23 — Cycling In and Out of Homelessness
19:14 — Who Actually Becomes Homeless
20:16 — Eric’s Story & System Reform
24:26 — Common Gateways Into Homelessness
29:00 — Lessons in Humanity