Summary of The Collage Podcast - Episode 57: Ireland, Brooklyn and Cole
Podcast Information:
- Title: The Collage Podcast
- Host/Author: Feed My Sheep
- Description: Produced by Feed My Sheep in Temple, TX, The Collage shares stories and experiences of people in our community, from all walks of life, showcasing our shared humanity.
- Episode: Episode 57 - Ireland, Brooklyn, and Cole
- Release Date: December 18, 2024
Introduction
In Episode 57 of The Collage Podcast, host Jeff welcomes listeners to a special edition featuring three guests: Cole, Brooklyn, and Emily. The episode delves into their experiences volunteering at Feed My Sheep during their Christmas break, exploring themes of community, support, and personal growth.
Guest Introductions
Cole's Background
Timestamp [01:43]
- Cole: "My name's Cole. I'm a sophomore from Texas Tech. Majors, ranch management. And I grew up here, Belton, Temple, kind of same thing."
Brooklyn's Background
Timestamp [03:21]
- Brooklyn: "My name is Brooklyn. I'm a freshman at Texas Tech with a biology pre-med major. And I have been in Belton basically my whole life."
Emily's Background
Timestamp [03:21]
- Emily: Although not explicitly introduced by name at this timestamp, Emily later shares her experiences and background throughout the episode.
Choosing to Serve at Feed My Sheep
Motivations for Volunteering
Timestamp [03:48]
- Cole: "I've done it a couple times a few years ago and came and did the food service, I think. And I don't know, I figured, let's do something useful if we're gonna. If we're gonna do something, let's actually make a bit of a difference or try to."
Timestamp [04:11]
- Emily: "I think growing up in this community, there's a lot of things that you don't see. So I think opening our eyes to something that was different, something that we don't see every day... it was a good eye-opening experience for us to help serve the community and see something not fair."
Timestamp [08:46]
- Brooklyn: "I feel like here also, it's more intimate with the people. Like, there are more relationships between the volunteers and the people that are helping. And I think that's really nice."
Expectations vs. Reality at Feed My Sheep
Initial Expectations
Timestamp [06:00] (Hypothetical, as the transcript doesn't provide an exact timestamp) Guests share their initial thoughts and expectations about serving the homeless community, anticipating challenges and the need for meaningful engagement.
Reality of the Experience
Timestamp [07:48]
- Emily: "I've seen a lot of that just being there for a full year. But I think I was expecting... I can resonate with them more as people rather than like, something else."
Timestamp [08:48]
- Cole: "You're not just handing stuff out. You know, you're actually spending time with the people and you know their names and you... Their stories and all that stuff."
Understanding the Needs of the Homeless
Key Needs Identified
Timestamp [10:22]
- Cole: "I think everybody has hard times, but not everybody has people to help you through those hard times."
Timestamp [10:36]
- Brooklyn: "Support... Whether that's helping them mentally, like, having, like, counseling sessions or just giving them food or clothing."
Timestamp [11:16]
- Emily: "A sense of community that's greater than the people that they're around every day."
Jeff's Reflection
Timestamp [12:00] Jeff emphasizes that the primary service provided by Feed My Sheep is fostering a sense of community and belonging, which transcends merely providing basic necessities.
"Every single person who is homeless... they are a person. They have individual worth... People matter."
Personal Stories of Isolation and Support
Cole's College Struggles
Timestamp [21:58]
- Cole: "My freshman year up at college was pretty rough... seeing everybody else doing good in school and... struggling and you can't get good grades."
Brooklyn's High School Experience
Timestamp [24:30]
- Brooklyn: "A couple years ago in high school... feeling like an outsider at the lunch table."
Emily's Emotional Challenge
Timestamp [25:26]
- Emily: "Before I went to college, my freshman year, I had a boyfriend and he tried to take his own life... I felt like no one was feeling what I was feeling."
Jeff's Personal Anecdote
Timestamp [23:00] Jeff shares his own difficult freshman year experience, highlighting feelings of loneliness and lack of support.
"I sit in the room lonely, and everywhere I looked, it seemed like everybody was involved and happy but me."
The Importance of Community and Support Systems
Building Connections
Timestamp [13:41]
- Cole: "You need to find a little community or a little group."
Timestamp [14:23]
- Brooklyn: "Not only support, just leaving the room... it's easy to just sit by yourself."
Jeff's Insights
Timestamp [16:00] Jeff draws parallels between the needs of the homeless individuals and the guests' own experiences, underscoring the universal need for community and support.
"Community is what we provide... understanding of individual people and their worth is how we will change this world forever."
Why Volunteer? The Rewards of Serving Others
Personal Fulfillment
Timestamp [33:32]
- Emily: "It's really rewarding, not only for the people that you're helping, but for yourself."
Making a Positive Impact
Timestamp [34:10]
- Brooklyn: "At least you're putting your time to something good, to helping people, to doing good in the world in general."
Giving Back
Timestamp [34:27]
- Cole: "We've had the privilege of having the support and community that have helped us through our hard times. So we ought to give some of that out to people that haven't."
Perspectives on the World: Youth vs. Experience
Younger Generation's View
Timestamp [35:28]
- Cole: "I'm discouraged. I think people are just starting to worry more about themselves."
Timestamp [37:16]
-
Brooklyn: "I think it's a mix of good... Feed My Sheep and other organizations here are proof that there is good in the world."
-
Emily: "It's encouraging to see that we are ever evolving... we have so many things that give young people like us hope for what's to come."
Jeff's Perspective
Timestamp [37:43] Jeff acknowledges the complexities of the modern world but reiterates the fundamental need for community and human connection.
"We were made to live in community and be around people that care about us... You matter out there, and you deserve community."
Conclusion
In this heartfelt episode, Jeff, along with guests Cole, Brooklyn, and Emily, explores the profound impact of community and support both in their volunteer work at Feed My Sheep and their personal lives. Through sharing their struggles with isolation and emphasizing the importance of fostering connections, the discussion highlights the essential human need for belonging and care. The episode serves as a poignant reminder that every individual matters and that collective efforts in building supportive communities can lead to meaningful change.
Notable Quotes:
- Cole [10:22]: "I think everybody has hard times, but not everybody has people to help you through those hard times."
- Emily [11:16]: "A sense of community that's greater than the people that they're around every day."
- Jeff [12:00]: "People matter. You are a person. And you matter out there, and you deserve community."
- Brooklyn [33:32]: "At least you're putting your time to something good, to helping people, to doing good in the world in general."
This summary captures the essence of Episode 57 of The Collage Podcast, providing an insightful overview for those who haven't listened to the episode.