Brandon Stokes has a disarming smile. He asks thoughtful questions and leans in to hear the answers. The conversation is easy, but don’t mistake Brandon for easygoing. Brandon’s got grit—which may be one reason he is on such a promising path at age 26, even though he was born into a homeless shelter rather than a home. There are at least 1.2 million homeless children in the United States—although estimates vary and other sources suggest this number could be even higher—and more than 5000 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, alone.