It’s that time of year when many of us pause to reflect on all that we have to be grateful for. In this moving StoryCorps “Finding Our Way” interview, Ben Kastenbaum talks about his gratitude for his adoptive parents:

At the age of four, Ben was homeless in Las Vegas with his family. When police discovered Ben and his older brother wandering in a casino, they detained the children and took them to an institution; there, the kids waited in vain for their mother to come and get them. Then one day a man with a “cool red car” came to visit. That man turned out to be the mother’s cousin Ray, who with his wife, Lori, arranged to adopt the boys and give them the home they’d never had. Ben tells his story to Catherine Hinrichsen from Seattle University.

This Thanksgiving, if you’re feeling inspired to talk with your loved ones about what you’re grateful for (or anything else!), consider using the StoryCorps mobile app to record and share meaningful conversations.

Ben told us he shared his own story to help reduce the stigma of homelessness. We’re grateful for advocates like him.