Breaking Down Barriers: Looking beyond the Stereotypes

Summary

The Collage Podcast

Episode: Breaking Down Barriers: Looking beyond the Stereotypes
Date: July 16, 2026
Host: Feed My Sheep (Jeff)
Guests: Christina and Nancy
Location: Feed My Sheep, Temple, TX

Overview

This episode dives into the realities of serving and being part of a community that includes both housed and unhoused individuals at Feed My Sheep in Temple, Texas. The discussion, led by Jeff, explores the stereotypes and expectations surrounding homelessness, the value of empowering people rather than simply providing for them, and the hurdles—both structural and personal—faced daily by the unhoused. The conversation is candid, filled with personal stories, challenging questions, and genuine warmth, aiming to highlight our shared humanity and the transformative power of meaningful engagement.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Perspectives & Experiences

• Introductions & Tone Setting ([00:22 - 05:03])

  • Jeff introduces Christina and Nancy, emphasizing that all perspectives are valid and there is no judgment or single "correct" answer.
  • The team addresses the core population they serve—primarily unhoused and low-income—and highlights the importance of hearing from multiple viewpoints.

• Memorable Quote:

  "Everybody's perspective is correct, because that's theirs. Their perception of what reality is is accurate... It just may be different than somebody else's." — Jeff [02:05]

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2. Expectations for Volunteers: Housed vs. Unhoused

• Are Standards Different? ([07:11 - 12:07])
  • Jeff raises the question: Should expectations for unhoused volunteers differ from those for housed ones?
    • Christina feels capable individuals, regardless of housing, should meet the same expectations.
    • Nancy draws an important distinction: many people served struggle with mental illness or substance abuse, which can limit their ability to volunteer or meet certain expectations.
    • The group agrees that the real limiting factors are mental health and addiction, not housing status.
• Notable Moment:

  "If a homeless person goes and volunteers somewhere, they should do what they need to do, right? ...They're the ones that put themselves in that predicament to volunteer." — Christina [09:24]

Barriers to Volunteering for the Unhoused ([15:47 - 18:14])

• Practical obstacles—transportation, health, lack of resources—make participation harder for unhoused folks.
• Christina offers examples: lack of alarm clocks, basic hygiene supplies, or a safe place to sleep can derail plans to volunteer.
• The group refutes the stereotype that unhoused people are "lazy" or "entitled.”
• Notable Story:

  During a winter storm, unhoused individuals at Feed My Sheep stepped up to serve meals when others couldn’t make it in. "They jumped right in and took over. It was really, really beautiful to watch." — Nancy [19:37]

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3. Empowerment vs. Enabling: Rethinking Service Models

• The Reality of Opportunity ([22:15 - 24:31])

  • Structural barriers (like locked doors, the need to sign up online, dismissive attitudes) can discourage participation.
  • When people are prevented from helping, they internalize the belief that they’re “not good enough.”

  “If you went and approached, 'Hey, I’d like to help,' and then it’d be a reinforcer of, ‘You are not... you’re not good enough to help.’” — Jeff [24:19]

Expecting Payment & The Entitlement Challenge ([29:09 - 36:53])

• Many, especially those receiving services, naturally ask if they will be paid for work.
• The ethics of expecting unpaid contributions are debated. It’s distinguished between healthy family-like expectations and coercive/trafficking mindsets.

“There shouldn’t be any expectation of wanting food or wanting money or wanting anything. They should just give.” — Nancy [31:39]

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4. Breaking the Cycle: Modeling & Motivation in Community

• Why Don't Some People Serve? ([37:57 - 41:11])

  • Both Christina and Nancy agree: many unhoused people have never been shown what selfless service looks like. Others, out of trauma, struggle to see their own worth or the point in helping others.
  • Empathy can be a learned trait; Christina shares her own journey, noting she grew up surrounded by “selfish people” but learned to be empathetic.
  • Jeff observes the danger when people internalize low expectations; it can reduce motivation to do more or take up new roles.

• Transformative Power of Service ([54:00 - 55:37])

  • Service to others helps those struggling with self-focus or tough times gain new perspective and self-worth.

  “The single easiest way to stop focusing solely on yourself is to serve someone else... If that doesn't make you smile, then you got a problem.” — Christina [55:22, 55:41]

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5. Structural and Cultural Recommendations

• Changing the Mindset & Culture ([45:46 - 49:59])

  • Empowerment is not about payment, but about fostering responsibility, purpose, and belonging.
  • There is great value in simply being seen, named, and greeted as an individual upon entering Feed My Sheep.

  “It’s not too much to acknowledge your individual worth as a person. Hey, Christina. It is so good to see you.” — Jeff [68:08]

Purpose and Identity ([69:49 - 70:44])

• For many, having a specific role or job (even small) within the Feed My Sheep community provides a reason to get up and something to be proud of.
• Community empowerment prevents atrophy and fosters mental health and hope.

“Because some people find purpose in little things. Purpose and identity sometimes in human nature comes with the things that you do.” — Christina [69:53, 70:08]

Personal Stories: The Impact of Kindness

• Christina recounts her earliest moments at Feed My Sheep, crediting another guest, James, with making her feel welcome and igniting her own hope ([73:41]).
• Nancy and Jeff describe witnessing acts of extraordinary generosity among unhoused guests, as well as moments of meanness born out of pain—illustrating the complex humanity present in every person.

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6. Breaking Stereotypes: Individual Stories Matter

• Stereotypes—about homelessness, wealth, race, or class—always fall short, because every person’s story is different and usually defined by hidden pain or hardship ([50:41 - 52:11]).
  • Christina: “Some of these people have just been through genuine nightmares… And people want to come up and judge them for the way they look or the scars they have…”
• True transformation for a person or a community requires breaking down these stereotypes and addressing each individual as unique and valuable.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The struggle's real dog." — Christina [51:34]
• “There’s a room full of people that carry so much hurt. If anyone would understand how different and complex the stories are, it’s the people in that room.” — Jeff [51:41]
• “If you think no one cares about you, that makes me nothing. Because I care about you.” — Christina [76:46]

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-------------|------------------------------------------------| | 00:22–05:03 | Introductions, perspectives, no judgment | | 07:11–12:07 | Expectations for volunteers; housed/unhoused | | 15:47–18:14 | Barriers to volunteering for the unhoused | | 19:37–21:35 | Breaking stereotypes: Unhoused stepping up | | 22:15–24:31 | Structural barriers to participation | | 29:09–36:53 | Entitlement, payment, empowerment | | 37:57–41:11 | Motivation—modeled behavior, empathy | | 54:00–55:37 | Service as transformation | | 68:08–68:50 | Being named, seen as an individual | | 69:49–70:44 | Purpose, belonging, identity in small roles | | 73:41–74:25 | Christina’s personal story, welcome by James | | 76:46 | Final message: “I care about you.” |

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Conclusion

The conversation ends with gratitude for each participant’s candor and hearts, reinforcing the message that every person matters and deserves to be acknowledged. Empowerment, kindness, and breaking down stereotypes are not abstract ideals, but daily practices that yield lasting transformation—for the community and for individuals.

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Final Words:

“If you think no one cares about you, that makes me nothing. Because I care about you.” — Christina [76:46]

“You do matter, okay? And you are a person. And that's what we're all about.” — Jeff [76:52]

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For more local stories and community discussions, tune into the next episode of The Collage Podcast.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign.

[B]

Hey, we want to welcome everybody out there to another edition of the collage podcast. We are coming from you a little place called Temple Texas, where we're at. We're going to have a little discussion today. The place that we are at in Temple, Texas is a little place called Feed My Sheep. So that's where we're coming to you from. We're going to have a little discussion today. So we have some guests here, and we're just going to talk about some things. Nothing huge. Nobody's on the spot. So we have Christina today and we have Nancy today. What we tend to deal with here at Feed My Sheep, a lot of the people we serve. Okay, not necessarily everybody in this room, not anybody in this room, whatever. A lot of people we serve here are normal customers, are people that are unhoused or they are below the poverty line. That's the normal people that would come in to Feed My sheep. We provide different services. We provide food. We provide different stuff. So that's kind of what we do. So the topic oftentimes that we discuss is about being homeless, being the unhoused population, and serving within that. So I thought it'd be interesting today. Hopefully you find it may be interesting as well out there is just to take a look at perspective and to look at. Because everybody's perspective is correct, because that's theirs.

[A]

Right?

[B]

Okay. Their perception of what reality is is accurate. It is 100% true. It just may be different than somebody else's. Okay, so what we're going to look is some basic stuff, because I thought that would be kind of interesting. We have Christina, we have Nancy, and we're going to look at different stuff. We're going to talk about some things that are occurring here to see if perception and reality are the same between the three of us on different topics. Okay, so there is no right answer. There is no wrong answer. There is no trap that we're coming to. It's just interesting way. So mine could be, I think these things to be true. And then you go, wow, golly. No, you're not. You're just an old white dude that's way out of touch with stuff. Okay. For 100% true. And then I go, hey, this is what I think. And then Nancy goes, this is what I think. And Christina could go, this is what I think.

[C]

But don't say, I'm an old white woman.

[B]

No, that's Christina. If she says that, that's her. Her business to say that. I will not. And we're not going to say this one's young, this one's old, this one's this, this one's that. We are just different people with different opinions.

[C]

Okay?

[B]

Not one is better, not one is right, not one is wrong. We're just looking at that. Okay. Okay. So, yeah. So, Christina, you want to say hello so you can set. Everybody can know.

[A]

Hey.

[B]

When you're hearing this, this is this voice.

[A]

Hello, my name is Christina.

[B]

You gotta talk square into them. There you go.

[A]

Hello, my name is Christina.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I am with Jeff and Nancy at Feed My Sheep in simple Texas.

[B]

There you go.

[A]

And I am down to answer some questions.

[B]

Okay, we will see. And so you got that. So that's Christina and Nancy.

[C]

I'm Nancy Glover. I am the assistant director here at Feed My Sheep. And I think Christina is the bee's knees.

[B]

What in the world does that mean?

[C]

Bee's knees. They're mighty and tiny, but cute. And you've got bee's knees.

[A]

I think Nancy's pretty awesome.

[B]

So evidently this is the prop it up show. So Christina's got bee's knees, which I

[C]

did not realize she is the bee's knees.

[B]

So. Meaning she is very good.

[C]

Yeah. Okay.

[B]

There you go. And Nancy is, like, super awesome. Okay, so enough of the Flattery 101. Okay, so if you'd like to join us, we're gonna have another hour of Nancy propping up Christina and Christina propping up Nancy, and we're going to get on down the road. Okay, so we've established that. So I thought we're just going to talk.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

No traps. I ain't going, and I don't even know where we're going.

[A]

Okay?

[B]

So here I will say in our world, not that anybody out there would care on this, but it has been a frustrating day in the feed my sheep world, trying to navigate and not frustrating at people. But when you deal with a large number of individual stories, there's always going to be a certain percentage or a certain number that are not going to get the outcome or not even heading down the track that you're really hoping to do. I got so and so out at the farm. Oh, my gosh. You're going, huh? Why am I out at the farm? Trying to find all the animals, which your simple task was shut the gates and make sure the animals don't get out. That's pretty easy. Pretty easy. But it seems to be too much to expect. Yeah.

[C]

I was going to say, apparently it's not very easy.

[B]

Apparently it's not easy. Okay. So then you look at some of this stuff, and you're going pretty easy, but evidently it's not.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay. So in it, we would ask this. We've been looking to. Today we're going to. The last podcast we did was on what you can expect out of volunteers. And so to look at that. So in it, the first question is, okay, not volunteers, but volunteers. And not picking on anybody or anything. Okay. If somebody is homeless. Okay. So the other one, we talked about volunteers, assuming much of the discussion was the volunteers that come here that serve in that capacity. Most of them are housed.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

So the discussion was kind of leaning. It was never said, but kind of inferred that, oh, Susie Smith, who came and served breakfast today, she drove from her house and she serves here. Okay. And the expectation that comes with that and our obligation to that person. The question I have for both of y', all, and I'll say, okay, whoever wants to go first, okay. People that are homeless, they don't have a home also volunteer here.

[A]

I would agree.

[B]

Okay. So, yeah. So then the question is for y', all, are the expectations or what, that you would expect out of somebody even though they are homeless? Are the expectations the same of what you can expect out of somebody who lives in a house that volunteers here? So there's the question at hand. Is the bar of what expectations are for somebody who is homeless? Is it lower than somebody who is in a house? And does that even matter?

[A]

I think it depends on what the ex. Like, what's behind those expectations? Like, what. What. What is it?

[B]

There you go.

[A]

What is it for?

[B]

Tell me about. What does that mean?

[A]

Like, are you still on the volunteering subject?

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

We haven't moved

[A]

then. Yeah. It should be about the same. Because if you're volunteering somewhere and, you know you're homeless, you know, you should meet those expectations.

[B]

Yeah. Is it. So mine is. Is it asking too much, like, to go, hey. Or to hold them to the same standards? All people?

[A]

Yeah. I mean, I don't know. I think it is. You know, I don't.

[B]

There's no right or wrong. So mind is the question, am I doing a disservice to somebody going, hey, I know that you are homeless, so I am going to expect even less of you?

[A]

Well, I mean, if a homeless person goes and volunteers somewhere, they should do what they need to do. Right?

[B]

Agreed.

[A]

They're the ones that put themselves in that predicament to volunteer.

[B]

Nobody made them do it.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

I mean, they just wanted to volunteer.

[B]

Agreed. So, like, would you find it offense, like, just pretend Nancy, if you are a homeless person here that volunteered, would you find it offensive if I said, nancy, I know you're a capable adult, but I'm going to really expect very little out of you because you are homeless. Would you find it offensive?

[C]

It depends. Okay. On the. Yes. So, like, I'll. I'll take for an example you. My. My. My little Yr.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

She has a limited capability right now because.

[B]

Mental difficulty.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

Okay, fair.

[C]

There are things that she cannot do. I think she would. She wants to do all the things, and I think she's enthusiastic about everything. But, like today, she was feeling sick to her stomach, you know, and it was not going well for her. So she. The chances of her meeting an expectation that's the same for someone that came here from their house that doesn't have the same sort of mental illness that she has or the same struggles that she has, I would say pretty low. Like, she's not going to meet those expectations.

[B]

So we're going to divert that direction and y' all can team up against me.

[C]

That's fine. No, no, no.

[B]

I mean, no, you're not teaming up.

[C]

I would say if you're. If you're talking about someone with all of their faculties about them, that, you know, they are, you know, experiencing homelessness because of circumstances that don't relate to mental illness or substance use disorder or, you know, anything like that, I would say yes. Hold them to the same standard.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

But 75% of our people have struggles. Mental illness or substance use disorders.

[B]

Fair. What were you gonna say, Christina?

[A]

I was gonna say mental health is completely separate from homelessness.

[B]

Okay, Valid.

[A]

Like mental health and people who struggle with addiction. That is definitely a different topic than being homeless, because that just affects your ability to do life completely.

[B]

Okay, I'd agree with that.

[A]

That. That's not homelessness. If you do not struggle with mental health, like, severely, and you don't struggle with substance use disorder, I mean, yeah, you should be held to the same standard because you're. You're a capable human being. Okay, so already in a predicament to volunteer.

[B]

Okay, great. So already a little bit tricky, and I would agree. Okay, so in it, if somebody. We have certain groups that come and volunteer that are. I don't know what the politically correct term is now. They are differently gifted in the school system. They are mentally challenged.

[A]

Are they special needs?

[B]

Special needs. Okay, So I don't know. Like, I would say special needs. That doesn't seem inappropriate to me. We know that when they come in, so we don't lower the bar. But we put expectations that they can succeed at. We know these. There's some limiting factors that you would go hey, this is what you do and what they can do. Well and we work with the teachers and we do that. There's limiting factors. Okay. Why are today her mental struggle. It was real. I mean like she was having a difficult day. So I would agree with that that you have. It's not lowering it for the person because I want to insult them. It's truly seeing what's occurring and then putting them in the best opportunity to succeed. Okay. And allowing them the opportunity to serve. So then the point like what you were saying Christine, the limiting factor here is not necessarily whether you have a roof or not. Somebody can come from West Temple which is in our area. That is they tend to have affluence of some sort over there. Okay. And they could have some of the same limiting factors that people that don't have anything here. So the roof maybe is not a limiting factor to do that. So let me ask this question. Okay. So we would say that if somebody is homeless, that's not necessarily a. That's not necessarily in of itself a reason to not allow them to be empowered to serve. They are highly capable to their own individual standards. Like yr can do certain things and Christina could do certain things and Tina functions a certain way. Like there's ways to empower everybody that could do here. So let me ask you this generally on a day to day basis. Okay. And this is. We don't. We're not going to answer for everybody but we have very few people that are homeless that volunteer to help just out of benevolence and good. They don't volunteer much here. That's not our normal volunteer base is people that are homeless. Okay so in your opinion why is that? Why do they not want to generally population. We'll have 15 volunteers today that will be here. 14 of them will be housed. Why do we have fewer that would come and volunteer out of the population that we serve? Anybody? I don't know. There's no amdus opinion.

[C]

Why do you think you answer it

[B]

first and there's no right. But just what do you think got other things to do.

[A]

Probably because it's easier to drive here. I mean not everyone's gonna sleep right outside to feed my sheep. You know, fair. You know, you got a car, you can go a lot of places, you can do a lot of things. You can go drive yourself to volunteer and feed my sheep.

[B]

Agreed.

[A]

But you know, they walked all the way, three miles that way to get to a safe spot they knew they wouldn't get touched at. And then they wake up at 2pm the next day because I don't know.

[B]

Alarm clock. Fair. Fair. Yeah. And then so in it and they've got other like matters to, to concern with.

[A]

They probably don't got a hairbrush or a toothbrush or a new pair of clothes or an alarm clock or you know, they probably got a staph infection that just opened up on their leg.

[C]

Man.

[A]

Like there's a lot of different factors there. Whereas the regular citizen of society can hop in their car after a good night's rest, let her go, do a good deed and volunteer. It's just, it's definitely a lot, a lot easier.

[B]

Okay, so let me ask you this question. So then we're going to come back to that because there is some obstacles that you wouldn't necessarily ponder or realize that probably be realized. You wouldn't necessarily realize unless you see it because you go, well first off, yeah, over here if you got a car, it's pretty easy to drive, to feed my sheep and to serve if you're having to stay way away and you walked here and you're going to have to walk back and you got this and you got to be here and you got to be that. Obstacles. Okay, so let me ask you this. People will ask me, okay? And I don't agree with this. So if I pose a question, doesn't mean necessarily if I'm asking did I agree with it? Okay? They'll say, man, Jeff, why don't any of the homeless people help up there? Are they just that lazy and not care? Are they that self entitled that they believe that they don't even help to contribute to their own benefit? Okay, so addiction is an issue.

[A]

They're either on an upper that's going to distract them every three seconds or a downer that's possibly killing them at that moment.

[B]

Yeah. Okay, so substance abuse issues are that. And would you describe anybody again? So any stereotype of any general population of people is wrong. Like it's wrong the minute you say it. So if I said all white men are this, I can say it because I am one. I'm wrong even though I am one. So any stereotype of anything is wrong because you can't make a generalization over a population because it is made up of individuals. There are some similarities within groups, but you can't make an overall generalization. Say all Caucasian women with dark hair like Christina have. They are all this. And I'm. No, you can't. Nobody would do that. So we're not going to do it on the homeless population as well. But if you were going to look at the population that we serve. Okay. Some people say other, they're lazy, they don't want to help themselves, and they don't serve others. Okay. Is that an accurate statement? Would you classify that as being homeless? Is I'm just lazy? Nancy, what do you think? Are they lazy?

[C]

No.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

And I. I mean, I can point to an example. When we had the last winter storm and we opened up as a warming shelter, there were a lot of. Of the people that have cars that couldn't make it here. Like, the roads were closed and, you know, it was icy and all of that. And the people that were sleeping around, Feed my sheep. Hopped into service and they were back there making breakfast, getting the donuts out, brewing the coffee. Like, they jumped right in and took over. It was really, really beautiful to watch.

[B]

Okay, I agree. Okay. And so you would look and you go, man, that was really kind of a neat deal.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay. So you go, okay. So then the question would bid itself and you go out of that, the people that we empowered to help serve others here, okay, they felt very good about that because they were contributing to helping themselves.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

So then the question is, if you were doing this, which we are, what could you do to help contribute to that mindset of man? We would love for each to contribute to what is going on here. So in that, do I have any preconceived notions that some of the people that may have served. I didn't. They weren't using in front of me. But are there a chance that they could have been high or coming off of being high? Probably. So the normal stuff occurs. But they felt good and everybody pitched in and you had a different feel. It wasn't us and them, it was we.

[C]

Yeah. And there was no one that was trying to run the show or be the boss or. I mean, it was just really everyone on the same level playing field of we just need to get the breakfast out.

[B]

So then what could you do? If you were designing this, you've seen what we do. We try to serve lunch, we try to do these different. What could you do that would facilitate and move to a feeling of empowerment rather than I come here to be solely served?

[C]

I mean, I think the same kind of concept as with the winter storm. You know, we just invite them to come back there and help or do whatever. I mean, I would think I Don't know.

[B]

Maybe we're just discussing.

[C]

Yeah. I think right now the way that it is. The person that's in charge of the. The cafe has the door locked and anybody that tries to come in too early or whatever problematic. Get out of here. We're not ready yet. You know, and so there's no. There's no opportunity for them to serve. Fair on a daily basis.

[B]

Fair. That. That valid. Okay. So, like, they're. The opportunities are not there. Yeah, we would. We would say as an organization. Okay. And I'm. I would not disagree with that. But as an organization, go. But now that's not true, you know, because anybody. Anybody can go online and sign up to serve. Well, then you've already sort of eliminated a certain population, you know, doesn't have access to a computer. Maybe they can't. So you go, okay, not necessarily true. And then how they are received when they say, hey, I want to help, and you get ripped. So not going to go well. So let's ask. So Christina, or pretend Nancy, whatever, you want to volunteer. You came here and you're brand new to the area, and you're like, man, this is really cool. And I like cooking or I like this or I like that. I want to be part of that. And you walk up there and he goes, hey, I know y' all open at 9, but I see people back here working. I'd love to come help and work. And you get told now you go wait outside. We'll open up at 9. What you gonna do? You gonna ask again? No. Why not?

[A]

Because I was shut down.

[B]

Okay. Yeah, no, it's fair. Like, yeah.

[A]

Completely dismissed.

[B]

Yeah. Agreed. Okay. And it would hurt really bad.

[A]

I mean, I think it'd just be like, oh, they don't need help. Okay.

[B]

Yep, Yep. And then. So, like out of that. Is it hot in here? What in the world. I'm looking at all these people trying to fly away. Like they're going to burn up in here. Okay. So you would look. And if you went and approach, hey, I'd like to help. And then it'd be a reinforcer of. You are not. Lack of a better term. You're not good enough to help. You're not good enough to help. We'll bring. This group is going to come in and help y', all because y' all are the ones that need help. And they got this. And they're going to come in and help. Nobody wants that. Okay. So in it is to try to. She's going to go blow her nose. Yeah. I Know that. Okay, so in it is, you're trying to figure out this difficult scenario of how do you empower people? I'm glad you all didn't hear that out there, which y' all did. That came from the bee's knees right there. So how to empower people, because you're trying to break a cycle of people believing that they cannot contribute. Well, you can't do anything because you're this. You can't do this because you're this. I'm going to do this for you because you're this, which is baloney, you know, and you can start believing that stuff. So here is just to try to look at the obstacles of what we could do and then the different perspectives. Okay, so like Nancy, pretty easy to volunteer. Christina, not so easy. Work schedule's different. You got to go to work. I got to be there 11:30. Well, you can't volunteer because a lot of our times. Okay, so then you'd look at that and to look and see the people that we serve, they desperately. They really would like to be part of it. And you start seeing they get empowered, and then there's some obstacles that come along, which we learn or trying to navigate, which is then sometimes when people start volunteering, then they have false sense of ownership and they believe that they can boss and tell everybody what to do. Like, serving then leads to authority, and authority leads to, I'm going to tell everybody how to do something, and. Because I'm boss.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So not equal on that. Okay, and so in it. Let me ask you. So then the last one, we asked this question. So we kind of came to this place which was, we believe that we are called to serve all that come here and empower them and challenge them in a way that they grow within themselves and they grow closer to others. All volunteers, all people that come through the line. Okay, so looking at this side of it, like the people that tend to get lunches here, how would you go about doing that? What could you do to help empower that mentality? Because most operations that are similar to ours, it is. You got this side of the line, and they come through and they get their plate of food and they sit in there and they hang out and they go, yeah, not empowering, right? Not challenging, you know, not enabling them to be part of the solution, even in a tiny way.

[C]

Right.

[B]

You know, and so, like, I get it. So me, if I. If I would go and ask somebody, hey, is there any way you could help me? Whatever, Wash dishes, serve food. This, this, this, this or that whatever the task is at hand. Hey, could you help me mow the lawn? Okay, I agree. Everybody needs to make money. The first question, the first thing that they will ask me 90% of the time, how much am I going to get paid?

[A]

Mm.

[B]

How much you gonna pay me?

[C]

If there's no paycheck, there's no.

[B]

And then I'll say, I'm gonna pay you exactly the same amount I pay that person standing right there. Or that person right there. Or that person right there. Okay, how much? Zero. Now I'm good. Now I'm good. How do you change that? Do you. And with it. I'm not saying that I believe it is right to not pay people that do a job and do it well. They should be paid like Christina deserves if she works here. Nancy deserves to have income. And I cannot lord over somebody go, hey, Nancy, by the way, I fed you the last three meals, and so you technically owe me this amount of money. So I'm going to need you to do this because you owe me. That's Trafficking 101. That mentality of, hey, I gave this to you free, but now you owe me. No, I'm not going to do that. So how do you get that off the map?

[C]

I think that this is actually biblical. In Acts, in the early days of the church, there were instances of people who didn't want to work and didn't want to participate. You know, and Paul said, if they don't work, they don't eat, you know, that everybody should be contributing to a greater. A greater whole, greater good. And that contribution is dependent on the person's capabilities or their time, talent, treasure, you know, whatever they're able to give. But everybody should be contributing freely without any sort of risk of something, you know, or without any expectation of wanting food or wanting money or wanting anything. They should just give. And I think that's where Paul was going with that, was, you know, everybody should be. Everyone should be coming together in support of this new way and that there should. They shouldn't be doing it for pay. They shouldn't be expecting anything other than, you know, let's work together to move the needle, to get this thing going, to support each other.

[B]

No, I agree on that. It's just. It's an interesting deal to ponder.

[C]

And there. If they didn't work, they didn't eat.

[B]

No, agreed.

[C]

Like, that was part of it. You contribute to the greater good or you don't eat. And I mean, you think about it like, even as a child, when I was growing up like, we all had chores to do. It was not. You can't stay here for, you know, and not have an expectation to keep your room clean or you do the dishes or you. You know, that's part of being a fan in a family is there's that expectation, expectation. If I'd have gone to my dad and said, sure, I'll do the dishes, but how much are you gonna pay me? He done knocked me into next week. I wouldn't have survived that, I don't think. You know, because that's just. That's not what that. That's not what being a part of a family is about. How you motivate someone to change their mindset towards that. I don't know, other than, you know, you start instituting that sort of family structure of you eat here, you work here. We work together to cook the food, clean up after ourselves, and, you know, that's just the expectation. You don't work, you don't eat. I don't know.

[B]

Is it possible, Christina?

[A]

Yes, sorry. Yes, it's possible.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

You think we could make people work and help and cook the food?

[A]

It's possible.

[B]

Let me try to think.

[A]

I'm struggling with a runny nose right now. My apologies.

[B]

Yeah, it's interesting, an interesting deal, because then you're. You were several fold of the. The struggle of what we do on the food side of it is simply, I was hungry and you fed me straight biblical on the eating side of it going. You know, there wasn't a quid pro quo expectation out of that relationship there. Now is it, you know, is it just like, for me, I'm with you. Like, so at the house, when I was a young kid, I mowed lawns, and all the other lawns I got paid for at my own. I didn't get paid.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

And I brought it up like, hey, I'm old, so and so over there, and they give me 20 bucks, and why don't I get paid anything here? And then it was brought to my attention, you know, you do this, you do this. I mean, we do this for you. You eat, you do this. And I'm like, still like, my 20 bucks, you know? And no, I didn't get nothing.

[C]

It was worth a try.

[B]

It was worth a try. Okay. But then out of that, in the same line of just philosophical discussion, if they said, we give you all of this stuff, do you still want to get paid? And I'm like, yeah. Oh, okay. And they give it to me, then I'm entitled to it. Correct.

[C]

That's right.

[B]

Then it becomes. So then this difference of a sense of entitlement. And then once it was given,

[A]

do

[B]

you think it ever could retroactively go and be ungiven? No, I'd have fought it tooth and nail. No Much difficult. I'd have been like, whoa, whoa, whoa, slick. What do you mean I'm not getting paid anymore? You've done that for the last month. You paid me 20 bucks and you fed me and you did this and you did this. That's just part of the deal.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I'm like, no, that wasn't part of the deal. Okay. So entitlement is a slippery slope to end up in. Okay, so then, like, for mine frustrates me to no end. I'm not going to lie around here. If there's a. If there's a piece of trash outside, the only thing I know for 100% sure it wasn't mine, because I don't put trash around here. I don't have anything I throw down. I know for a fact it's 100% not my trash.

[A]

But you can still pick it up.

[B]

Okay, agreed. If I ask somebody. Not Christina. Okay. But if I. If I asked somebody, I said, hey, I saw you walk by that cup. Think you could pick that up maybe and help. Let's pick things up. What do you think the first answer is going to be?

[A]

To me, of course,

[C]

no, I would

[A]

bend down and pick it up.

[B]

You would? I would agree. Most people are going to say, ain't mine.

[A]

That's true.

[B]

Ain't mine. I didn't put that there. And then I will pick it up and say, well, I know for certainty I didn't put it there, but yet I'm going to pick it up. How is that fair? Yeah, just whining, but, like, you go get it. Of going, that ain't mine. I didn't do that. So why should I serve somebody else who is not that they did it? So to break that cycle, how do you do it?

[A]

I don't really have an answer to that. That's a hard. That's a tough cookie right there.

[B]

It is. It's a difficult deal because it's. So much of the world can be caught into this place of. I take care of mine and that's it. I get mine. And I'm not worried about others. But so much of what we're trying to do is get people in the world to care about others and to come serve others. But yet those that are in it, it's often very difficult for people that's trapped in. In this world, not even counting mental illness, but to care about other people because nobody cares about them.

[C]

I think though, a lot of them, at least from what I've been able to sort of glean, they don't ha. They've never had anybody model that behavior for them. Like they don't know how to be caring and thoughtful and selfless. Yeah.

[B]

Accurate. Inaccurate, Christina.

[A]

Extremely accurate.

[B]

Okay, how's that? And you're just speaking personal reference like we're not making. Oh, but they haven't seen it.

[A]

Well, you know what? I grew up with pretty selfish people, okay? But I myself am just a naturally very empathetic person, okay? Sometimes I put others before myself even.

[B]

Why?

[A]

I don't know. It's just who I am in my nature. Okay? But I think a lot of it has to do because I'm a woman.

[B]

Oh my gosh. Oh, y' all gotta be kidding me. I'm a bees knees woman over here. Okay? But maybe empathy is a trait that not easier for women, but more apt for women to embrace. Understanding the hurt of others would not disagree. Okay, so then let me ask you, so that you're not answering for a population, Christina, who's been modeled. You said, I don't know, possibly have seen selfish behavior. That Christina wasn't put first and foremost in relationship, but you saw selfish model behavior. You're in a world that promotes selfish thoughts and take care of you. So then why were you able to take the step and why are you able to go to a place of. I'd like to help others. I tend to put others in front of me.

[A]

Me. I think a lot of it came with not caring about myself and not prioritizing myself, feeling like others are more important than me because I have a big heart. But with time and learning to appreciate, you know, my life as well and prioritize myself sometimes I've, you know, found a good balance between helping others and myself. But I do believe that's what it stemmed from. But I found good balance between.

[B]

Okay, interesting. So then out of that, your motivation may have come from not the healthiest of places that others are more important than me. So your response to that of insignificance is not the right word, but that I am unimportant. So I might as well focus all my energy on important ones. Other people. Not as healthy a place. But you like to say you're trying to navigate and come within a place of. This is a healthy way to. To navigate with that. Because that's another one that issues that people have is they tend to have very little value of self. Self worth is very low.

[A]

And so then also turn people negative and selfish.

[B]

You know, for sure. Tell me about that.

[A]

It's just how other people's brains are wired.

[B]

Agreed.

[A]

Some people can. Can feel so low and most definitely not put some. Someone else before them because they just screw you. Screw you and hide it with an ego.

[C]

Huh.

[B]

Agreed. So then. Same place. So then I'm. And. And we're not even going to say that it is wrong. They have justifiable reasons. Abuse or these things that have occurred. Like heck no, I ain't gonna worry about somebody else. I'm just trying to worry about me surviving today.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And Jeff, you're gonna ask me to serve somebody else? That's ludicrous. You know, how dare you not. I mean, I'm. I could see that. And you go, you have no idea. You know, and putting somebody ahead of me, everybody's ahead of me. Why do I need some other example to show that I am below everybody else by serving? Because then we even look the biblical model. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. And you serve is how you lead. We can look at that and you go, man, that's. That's brilliantly good.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But it could also be terribly, terribly humiliating and difficult. No way am I going to put. I'm not picking up somebody else's trash because then that puts me even more lower down here.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I'm not going to take, you know, everybody griping at me because they didn't like the food that I prepared for them today for free. And I sacrificed my time for that. No, I ain't going to do that. I'll just take care of me.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay. So difficult on this deal and to change this idea of what occurs here. So then if it's solely about, hey, I need you to come volunteer because really would appreciate it because you've been getting meals for all this time. Doesn't work. Doesn't work. You can't do it. Hopefully you would try to come to a place of that people are truly cared about and they truly are. They're shown care. That person's more apt to want to serve and help others because they've seen it and they felt it, you know. And so you go, hey, I need you to volunteer because you've been eating here for the last 15 years free. So I need you to come help me do. No. Gonna get nowhere.

[C]

Right.

[B]

But somebody who truly feels embraced and cared upon and they are given the opportunity. Because then that's the other thing is what is so perplexing to me is the number one way, if you really want, like if you're doing youth ministry stuff, I did that for a long time. Number one thing you do is you want to give the youth in your youth group opportunities to serve others because that makes them connect more with themselves and they learn to live outside of just solely their selves. Okay? So like Nancy, your grandkids, if you said, I want you to be compassionate and care about people, the only way you do it is they got to be serving other people and understanding what's going on in the world.

[C]

Right?

[B]

Okay. I'd say the same for the people in our line. If you want to empower and to truly transform the line, the single best and most different way to do that is empower people to help and serve amongst our community. Give them opportunities to serve. Not because they're indentured servants, but like over the ice storm, they come together and they serve and they do it because they care about each other in the community.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay. The people that drive here, they come here not because they are entitled and they could do this or that. They come here because they want to care about our community and care for the people in our community and they know them. And then out of that they respond through service.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

And so to try to change the mindset of, you know, what is going on here is far bigger than slapping a scoop of mashed potatoes on somebody's plate and here's your food, it's been done to death.

[C]

Right.

[B]

It's trying to get a group of people caring about the community, investing in it, giving them an opportunity. Okay. And some days we do it good and some days we do it really poorly to be part of the answer. You know, you would not tell a 13 year old kid, hey, you can't go on the mission trip because you're really not going to contribute a whole lot to the overall good because you're just a 13 year old kid and you're really not going to do a whole lot. Yeah, I'll find somebody and I'll go get an adult that do a way better job than what you could do because they're just better at it than you. You would never do that to them.

[C]

Right.

[B]

But it's so easy to do it in the population we serve now. Hey, I'll go ask somebody else. Difficult. Okay, so then in it. Interesting. Okay, Christine, a quick question. Okay. I hear that you are possibly entering into the graffiti Competition.

[A]

Possibly. I need to practice a little bit. May have been practicing on a couple tables.

[B]

Practice on a couple tables.

[A]

Oh, yeah. What?

[B]

Popo out there did not hear that.

[A]

Okay. So no, like. Like my friend's furniture in their house. They let me paint on them.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Tag it, draw it up. It's really fun.

[B]

Well, then. So we got that. We'll. We'll do the supplies. And then also, Christina is working. We're getting closer to getting permanent housing.

[A]

Yes. Because I've struggled with. On houselessness for the past seven years.

[B]

Yeah. Unhouselessness. So, like in it. And so we're making steps in that direction and just having a discussion of that. Like, Christina has no incentive. She's getting paid nothing. To come discuss things here. She's not feeling well. But it's this. To try to figure out and discuss different ways to do this. That it's based upon care and not obligation. Empowerment over enabling.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, and to try to navigate. All the different things that come in are so complicated. Of every single person that comes into this door every day.

[C]

Mm.

[B]

Why they walk and what they've carried to this place is very complex and complicated, and you only get a tiny glimpse.

[A]

Oh, yeah. That person is not like the other person. They have two different stories of how they met up to be by each other.

[B]

Agreed.

[A]

You know, I think about that a lot when I. When I'm inside to feed my sheep or I'm having a meal in the cafeteria, I'm like, we have all had so many. So many different experiences that have all led us to be in this place. But why don't we try to help each other now that we're here?

[B]

There's the question. Like, that's the question. And so in it, what I like on that is it's easy. So generalizations and stereotypes occur from the outside to something that you're uninformed about. Racial stereotypes.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I don't really know that. Race. Church stereotypes. Oh, I don't understand that. Religion. So I'm going to make a stereotype about it. All people who are this. Insert blanket statement here. All the people who are this color and certain stereotypes. Huh?

[A]

Class stereotypes.

[B]

Oh, class stereotypes, too. Yeah. So then in it, we would go homeless. They're all this. Rich people.

[C]

They're all.

[B]

All this. Because they're both sides. You know, like. So then you look okay. But mine, like Christina says, every story that walks in the door is different. Similarities. There are similarities. The similarity is they are. Everybody walks in the door has a whole lot of hurt. They carry through the door, period. Struggle, you know, struggle's real.

[A]

Struggles.

[B]

Real struggles. Real dog. Okay, so the struggle's real. And we look at that.

[A]

The hurt is real.

[B]

The hurt is real in the room. So there's your million dollar question. Took us a little bit to get there. We have a room full of people that come here. The stories, if anybody would understand how different and complex the stories are, it's the people that are in there.

[A]

There's some, like. Some of these people have just been through genuine nightmares.

[B]

Unbelievable.

[A]

Yeah. Like things you can't even comprehend. And people want to come up and judge them.

[B]

I agree.

[A]

For the way they look or the scars they have, or the things they struggle with or their mental health or what they use to numb their pain with or the situation they're in. You know, like say Missy over there, you know, she. She's. She's ugly and she's high and she's this and she's that. Three days ago, she just got out of a sex traffick ring after being beaten, raped for five years.

[B]

Agreed.

[A]

You're gonna judge her. You know, okay, that's.

[B]

That.

[A]

That is a completely fake example.

[B]

But it's not fake.

[A]

Well, I'm saying that is completely made up.

[B]

Okay?

[A]

From. You know what I. I know. I don't know a girl named Missy that's been through.

[B]

Oh, no. Okay. Yes, yes.

[A]

But that. That's. That's a reality. You know, a lot of these people, whether it's fresh or old, you know, it's. It's a lot of pain out here.

[B]

Agreed. Agreed. A lot of pain in that room. A lot of hurt. Individual stories. Okay. Some you go, oh, what? None. How? I can't say something. Some coming out, but the hurt is real. The pain is real. So then trying to figure out. So then mine. The single quickest way outside of the box to stop focusing on yourself is to. What if you were going to. If I'm say. Finish this sentence. The single easiest way to stop focusing solely on. Let's just pick on me. Single quickest way for Jeff to stop focusing solely on Jeff. What do I need to do?

[A]

Pray.

[B]

Okay. Pray good. Church answer. Oh, come on, Christina. Okay.

[C]

Pray service to others.

[B]

Okay. Focus on somebody else other than me.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Serve.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay. So then we made this circle. So then we come back to this. So you would say Jeff. Okay. Not the purest motivator, but the single easiest way to. For you to start reconciling and taking steps to finding peace within you and trying to find ways to come to terms with what has happened to you, we would say find a way to serve and to help others and to think about them for a little bit. Christina used a big college word that Jeff's not smart enough to use, but she used this word, same thing, empathy. Thinking about others more than self was a coping mechanism for her to go, you know what? I'm going to focus on helping them. So mine is, if that is the single. If it is one of the biggest contributing things that could help move me along. Also, as a byproduct, it helps others.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

If I'm helping somebody else and doing it with decently pure intent, then at the end of the day, I'm helping them as well.

[A]

And you also feel good about yourself, you know, because you're being a good person.

[B]

Agreed.

[A]

With a good heart.

[B]

Yeah. And you brought joy to somebody else.

[A]

Yeah. If that doesn't make you smile, then you got a problem.

[B]

Agree. Okay. So like Christina, I would believe, man, maybe she's. I don't know if she's having a good day or a bad day or whatever, but watching her dynamics, if she has brought joy or happiness to somebody else, she's at least going to feel good.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

She's going to smile because. Ah, whatever. Insert boy's name here. Zach, Chris, Dylan, whatever. Okay, that we go. I helped them.

[A]

He totally went there.

[B]

What did I do?

[A]

You totally went there.

[B]

What did I do?

[A]

Brought up my ex fiance's name. Jeff. Who?

[B]

What did I say?

[A]

Zach, Chris.

[B]

Oh, I did pull up. Okay. I apologize.

[A]

All three names. I know, by the way.

[B]

Whoa.

[A]

It's okay.

[B]

Okay. Be knees did not like my choice. Okay, your choice of names. Gilbert, Horatio and Geraldo. I don't know any of them. Okay, thank you. Those names. Insert those now. By the way, Christina was engaged to Geraldo like two years ago. So I'm sorry to bring that one up. So then my point on this, it brings joy to people to have the opportunity to serve others, to show care. So then in it, why is it so difficult here to bring that mindset in the purest sense, you go, it's purely selfish. Somebody could do this because they just want to help and feel good.

[A]

Some people procrastinate. Taking that first step.

[B]

Okay, fair enough.

[A]

Once they're in the door, you know, you can motivate them, push along and help others. But to actually motivate them to want to do something like that is the hardest part.

[B]

Agreed. Because in culture, most are on the other side, man. Don't be no dog. Don't be doing that. Come hang out over here.

[A]

Shouldn't be like that, though. Shouldn't be two sides. It should just be a community helping each other.

[B]

Okay, I would agree. Okay, so then you'd go. And in a right way where you're not judgmental of the ones who don't yet have the vision, but stick to

[A]

clear boundaries because evil is real.

[B]

Fair enough. Fair enough.

[A]

And a lot of these people only know how to take advantage because fair. That, that's just how some, some of these people, you know, live.

[B]

Fair.

[C]

I have seen some of the meanest things done. Person experiencing homelessness against person experiencing homeless. Like. Oh, yeah, the, the community of people just being mean to each other. Just vile, awful things. Like I've never would imagine one human could do to another. But I've also seen some of the kindest, amazing generosity just out of nothing. Like they have the clothes on their back and they are, what can I do to help you? You know?

[A]

But if someone's steady trying to take advantage of people and hurt people, it's because they're hurt and they need help.

[B]

Agreed.

[A]

But help with clear boundaries.

[B]

Okay, and what does that mean?

[A]

That means. I feel like I don't really know what I mean by that. No, I mean it.

[B]

No fair. No. And that's true.

[C]

Boundaries.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, go ahead.

[C]

Just making sure that they understand what's. What's okay and what's not okay. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

And if they try to step across the boundary, set a bigger one. Right. But I don't believe the people should be given up on.

[B]

Ah. How do you give up on a person? Tell me what that looks like to you.

[A]

You lose hope in them ever improving.

[B]

Okay, so then here. So tell me my line of logic. So this is. We've made a circle to come to this place too, I think in the truest form, by not allowing people and helping to empower them to serve others, I have given up hope in them and belief that they can truly change. Yeah, fair.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That's why I think the importance and the urgency of it. The other is easier. Like, and I'm not. I'll pick on Geraldo, your fiance. Okay, so Geraldo over there, your former fiance. Okay. I pick on him. And you know what? If I really want to hurt him, I go, dude, ain't. Can't do nothing, ain't never done nothing. So I'm just going to stop asking him because he's going to say no anyway. Defense mechanism. Everybody's going to say no, but I'm just going to stop asking and stop treating him like, you could actually help. I've done wrong by him. Like, I've hurt him. Okay. And so the urgency of, the importance of it. If the task. So I will say this. This is where this circle is going to come to. Okay. If the task at hand is simply to provide solely a meal, I'll find people to do that. We'll find people to come slap some food on a plate. If that's the sole task. Okay. I'm saying to truly change the community and how people are treated and empowering them, serving others is of paramount importance.

[C]

I agree. Huge.

[B]

We invest as a community a lot of money in youth and youth groups, and we take them on mission trip. We got a couple coming up that churches are going to bring all their youth group out here. I'm not saying it with a tone. Churches are going to bring all their youth group out here to serve, to empower them, to learn to care about others.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I'm saying the same thing must occur in what we do here at Feed My Sheep. And with the people knowing it's an up, he'll struggle. And so then mine, just because she happens to be sitting across from me, mine is, if I don't care about Christina, the person and the giftedness and the wonderful things that God has given her, if I don't care about that person, then I never ask her to do anything. I never hold her to any standards. I don't do anything. I'm like, ah, here's your food. Okay. But if I truly care about her, and I'm not trying to take advantage, it's not a bait and switch going, hey, you know what? No. I really know that the giftedness in changing the culture, in the community only occurs when the community truly embraces and cares about each other.

[A]

Can I say something?

[B]

No.

[A]

I forget who I heard this from. And I believe it was, you know, Mr. Jeff over here.

[B]

No. Okay, go ahead.

[A]

I. I had heard that you cannot walk into Feed my sheep without being acknowledged.

[B]

I hope not.

[A]

You know, and that really made me think. I also heard you cannot walk in to feed my sheep without being greeted. Hello, Christina. Good morning, Christina. How are you doing today, Christina? And those are things I've overlooked for the past three months until I heard you say that, Jeff. And it really made me think. Anytime I walked into the soup kitchen, you know, I've heard a couple people call Feed my sheep a soup kitchen.

[B]

I agree.

[A]

I think it is extremely far from that, because anytime I've walked in here, I've been greeted by my name. Always asked, how have I been? You know, I'm seen as a person. And that doesn't go just for me. That goes for the person behind me.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, the person in front of me. The person who already got their meal and is sitting down. And then the volunteers that are in there, you know, who's that lovely lady who always praise for everyone? She's so great. She comes inside the cafeteria, gives us all hugs, greets us all, prays for us, you know, like, it is much more than feeding the homeless. It's much more than a soup kitchen. It comes with change.

[B]

Agreed.

[C]

You know.

[B]

Okay. And like that, Ms. Lynn, two fold. Okay. So I do have to chuckle. I have only. I've been doing church stuff for a lot of years. I've only been reprimanded in a prayer twice in my life. Like, somebody would hush me during a prayer. And both times are by Ms. Lynn.

[A]

She's serious.

[B]

She don't play. I didn't even realize one time a prayer was going on. And I'm walking up there talking, and she was like, jeff, we are praying. Can you please be quiet?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yes, ma'. Am.

[A]

I'm like, whoa.

[B]

But so that. And that's what we're getting to, is to try to realize the worth of people and allowing them to serve and to focus on others, because there is

[A]

a lot of hurt out here.

[B]

100.

[A]

It's. It's. That cafeteria is a safe place.

[C]

Place.

[B]

Okay, agreed.

[A]

Walking in to get yourself some food, you aren't just getting yourself some food. You're nourishing your heart for a second.

[B]

Okay, agreed.

[A]

You're. You're letting your guard down for a second, you know?

[B]

Yep. Like, in it, I will say this. And we don't claim to know. Like, I'm. I'm not picking on Christian. I don't claim to know or understand what might have occurred in the last 12 hours since I've seen her or Tony or whoever. Inserts your name. I don't know what the night looked like for them. I don't even claim to understand what atrocities occurred or what hurt might have occurred to them. And nor can I do much about it. I'd like to believe I could, but there's not much I could do. But the minute you walk in the door, we can control that environment.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

You will have a safe spot, and it is controlled. A lot of people don't. Like, I mean, like. So then in it, it is that you will get spoken to. You will hear your name. Because a lot of people don't they don't grasp this concept like Nancy and I. Even Christina, she's sort of an icon around here. Everybody knows her. I mean, she's very bubbly and a good personality. So there's not a day wherever she's going to go, and she's. She's a beautiful young lady. And there's not going to be a day that countless men are not going to say her name. And that's not negative at all. But Christina's not going to go around here where she doesn't hear her name. We still have people. I won't pick on any name, but I know that a couple of our ladies, she'll be sitting out in the front tomorrow morning. Okay. If we don't speak her name here, her name will not get spoken tomorrow, period. Flower.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay. And so you go. It's not too much to acknowledge your individual worth as a person. Hey, Christina. It is so good to see you.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

We missed you last night. We met. I hope. I hope you're doing well. Yep. I'm doing good, man. Good to see you.

[A]

Okay. And that in itself feels really good.

[B]

That's it. I'm not the answer.

[A]

Feel more equal and human.

[B]

Okay. Agreed.

[A]

When people bring you down 247 because of the situation you're in at this moment.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

They make you feel less than.

[B]

And you're not a human then. No. You're just a. You're a topic matter.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Homeless.

[A]

You're a group.

[B]

That's it.

[A]

You're Christina person.

[B]

No.

[A]

But you walk in to feed my sheep. You're Christina. You're. You're him. You're hurt. You know, you are. You are who you are, and you're acknowledged for that.

[B]

And then in it, the next level is to get where these people who are acknowledged as a person. Person are then empowered and entrusted to also bring that love to others in it.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Must be. It must be like. And so you start looking at. If we're going to do this, it is changing the whole culture and acknowledging within the confines of what the limitations are. Yr that we mentioned is going to have some mental days that she's not going to be able to function and do a whole lot as far as the standard, that's all right. She can still be empowered. She would say. She comes here every day to do her job. You take that away from her and say, hey, by the way, yeah, you're not really all that great at washing dishes, so you're not doing that anymore. Which is not the case.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Okay. Not the case. You have hurt her a ton.

[A]

Yeah. Because some people find purpose in little things.

[B]

Okay, so then there's your second reason you want to do this. Purpose and identity sometimes in human nature comes with the things that you do.

[A]

A lot of these people are lost.

[B]

They're lost and they have life, no purpose like in it. So you'd look and go, what?

[A]

But it's a blessing to be. To be lost in this area rather than others.

[B]

Well, fair. Fair.

[A]

Because of the organization. Like feed my sheep.

[B]

Maybe so. And a different way to try to do it. But in it, I would argue this is somebody who has a reason to get out of bed and a purpose. And somebody who. Who's counting on them is more apt to get out of bed than somebody who doesn't.

[A]

Yeah, 100%.

[B]

Because there's many days. Okay, if anybody. And I'm not. This is way. There's many days that Jeff has not felt like getting out of bed and really doesn't want to do it. And the only thing that gets me out of bed is somebody is counting on me and I have to go because if I don't, I letting them down. Don't necessarily want to do it. I'd prefer. I'm just going to stay in bed all day. Screw this. I'm tired. I'm tired. Everybody. This. Okay. But then at the end of the day, you go, okay, now somebody's counting on me. I have a responsibility. Okay. I'm saying out of all of this words that we said that you take that away from somebody, you. You have disabled them a whole lot. Okay, I'd love to pay everybody. That's not the answer. But giving them a responsibility and something they do well. Okay, so like a cowboy.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Which one?

[B]

See, what's that?

[A]

So which one? There's a couple.

[B]

Well, there's several. Yeah. So But I'll just. Because there are several, so. Well, that. That's vague. He came and did a magnificent job at what he does and then got a real job. Dude is so happy to get.

[A]

I feel like Feed my Sheep kind of gives James purpose.

[B]

Oh, agreed. White car.

[A]

He comes. Comes here every single day. He plays good, happy music for the people.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, he helps clean up and stuff.

[C]

Yeah, he's great.

[A]

You know, when he's not here, he's in his car.

[B]

Agreed. Yeah. No, that dude has got tough. Tough road hope. But he comes, he has a purpose, and he fits in. And you're going, okay. Yeah.

[A]

And he. He does good.

[B]

He does.

[A]

He brings a great vibe he does. You know he does.

[B]

And so you go so in it. We're just having a discussion. There's many that are doing and like him. He gets paid zero.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

He does. He gets no perks or nothing. He does it. And he cooks. And he's an excellent cook. And you're like, dude, I had no idea you cooked. I've known him for a long time and never, ever, up until just recently, gave him enough respect to say, hey, want you to help us. And he's going to do even more like he wants to. And he's highly capable.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And you're, like, going, golly, that's how this changes. Yeah, that's how it changes. Like him, there is a lot of people that count on him to do what he does, and does it well.

[A]

He is the first person that ever made me feel welcome. I feed my sheep.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

The first day I came here, it was a rainy Wednesday. It was just a bad day. I was feeling so down, man. I just got into the Salvation Army. I just wanted to know what feed my sheep was. People were telling me about it. I walk in the door, I get my little breakfast. You know, the volunteers might be having a bad day. I get into the cafeteria and I hear this great music, music blasting. I mean, some just heal your soul kind of music. And I sit down right next to the boombox, and I'm just taking it in. And, you know, James welcomed me. It kind of gave me a rundown on feed my sheep. And then we had Bible study.

[B]

Ah, yes, right. Reggie came in. That's right. Yeah.

[A]

And it, like, genuinely changed the trajectory of me being out here.

[B]

Nice. Nice.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So in it, we didn't solve any problems today. We just discussed and looked at different stuff. It's interesting out of this just to get perspective. And maybe next time we do it, we get James up here, we get David up here, and we just hear, what can we do? You know, what can we do in it? And it's always good to hear different perspectives of this. And if out there, you hear that low buzz in here, we had to put the air conditioner back on because Nancy and Bee's knees over here is they were sitting here with much drama as they fan themselves, themselves. Like, good gosh, you're going.

[C]

This has been the longest podcast we've done in a. In quite a while.

[B]

How long is it?

[C]

We're like an hour and a half now.

[B]

Is it really? This may be two parts. Okay. I didn't realize that that went a

[C]

long time, didn't it interesting.

[B]

Okay, well, then there we go. So that's part two on the volunteer on the the other side of it. And I'm looking at Spicy loaded nacho Pringles.

[A]

They're pretty good.

[B]

Did you get that from ctlc?

[A]

No.

[B]

You bought them?

[A]

Oh, my friend bought them.

[B]

Oh, with a friend. Oh, yeah. Geraldo. Oh, my gosh, the fiance, Chris. Oh, that's a shout out to Chris. Nice.

[C]

Nice call on the people matter shout out Chris. People matter.

[B]

Oh, people matter. Spicy loaded nachos. Okay, so there we go. We're going to close because I'm going to go out to the farm and do some business out there. But no, I need a pee. Huh? Okay, so you don't say that on the microphone. What in the world? So everybody out there, just remember this. You do matter, okay? And you are a person. And that's what we're all about. So that is that. Good to have Christina, good to have Nancy.

[A]

If you think no one cares about you, that makes me nothing. Because I care about you. Thank you.

[B]

Oh, I like that.

[C]

Drop the mic on that one.

[B]

Boom, boom, done.