The Collage Podcast
Host: Feed My Sheep
Episode: Homeless Women and Their Challenges
Date: November 19, 2025
Location: Temple, TX
Episode Overview
This episode of The Collage Podcast centers on the harrowing challenges faced by homeless women in Temple, Texas. The conversation, led by the host (Jeff) and guest Nancy—a dedicated volunteer and Elizabeth’s Farm manager at Feed My Sheep—dives deep into recent real-life examples from their work and examines the layers of trauma, lack of resources, and the desperate need for both practical and compassionate community action. The episode weaves together stories of acute crisis with a broader critique of institutional and community inaction, highlighting a call to holistic and personal involvement for lasting change.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Reality of Women’s Vulnerability on the Streets
[00:00–07:36]
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Nancy recounts a recent incident: being called early on a Friday about a woman found naked, disoriented, and terrified outside Feed My Sheep.
- Police involvement revealed she had been assaulted but, due to memory loss and trauma, she wouldn’t press charges or seek hospital care.
-
Homeless women in Temple face significant physical and emotional dangers—often heightened by trauma, substance use, and lack of safe shelter.
"She knew the last thing that she knew, her husband had kicked her out of their hotel room, and she was out on the street alone. Come to find out, she was assaulted brutally. And sadly, because she doesn't remember, she's not willing to press any kind of charges."
— Nancy [04:01] -
Temple has an unusually high rate of homeless women (~60%, compared to the national average of 25%), attributed in part to a perception of lower violent crime against women locally.
2. Traumatic Cycles and Lack of Shelter
[07:36–15:17]
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A second story: another woman lost memory after being drugged, wandered aimlessly, and was found hungry and terrified.
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Both women were unable or unwilling to report assaults due to confusion or shame.
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Acute lack of overnight shelters—"Zero" was available the night they intervened.
- Feed My Sheep is not an overnight shelter; their intervention was to pay for hotel rooms when possible, typically only if a next step (like treatment) is planned.
"Access to a shelter that night was what?"
— Jeff
"Zero."
— Nancy [11:19]
3. Systemic & Procedural Hurdles
[13:15–17:06]
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Shelters full; mental health help unavailable unless the person admits being a danger to self/others.
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Police are bound by strict regulations, limiting what they can do in such situations.
- Volunteers, not professionals, often manage extreme crises.
-
Even paying for hotels is “not cheap” and not sustainable for longer than a week.
“Her mother apparently passed away recently. Just horrific. Horrific.”
— Nancy [17:15]
4. Trauma at the Root of Substance Use
[19:00–21:24]
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The hosts push back on the stigma that substance use explains homelessness—it’s often a coping mechanism for severe underlying trauma.
"They're using those substances because they've experienced trauma that we can't even fathom."
— Nancy [19:38] -
Isolation compounds the issue: no family, severed relationships, untreated PTSD, physical illness.
5. The Inadequacy of Piecemeal Support
[22:02–26:58]
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Survival strategies barely keep women going; self-worth is depleted, so they may not fight for themselves or accept help.
- Memorable moment: The hosts highlight the “not enough” of sandwiches, socks, or short-term hotel stays—these are just the bare minimum.
"I don't want to come to [God] and have been faced with all these different scenarios... and all I can answer to him is, 'I gave them three sandwiches, and we normally only give people two.'"
— Jeff [41:03]
6. Housing Barriers and the Limits of the System
[29:08–35:22]
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Affordable housing waitlists are long (up to eight months), with domestic violence or proven assault barely improving odds.
-
Cold weather and delayed processes are life-threatening for women on the street.
"If we were to be able to prove that this woman was assaulted, that might help, but it might not."
— Nancy [30:10]
7. Beyond Shelter: The Holistic Approach
[35:20–39:49]
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Elizabeth’s Farm: housing with healing in mind, not just a roof but a chance to rebuild self-worth and process trauma.
- Many women decline the offer, overwhelmed or distrustful due to past trauma.
- A holistic plan must start with acknowledgment of worth and work on trauma, not just providing material needs.
"Housing only doesn't work. Substance use disorder treatment in and of itself will not work. Unless we're showing them their beauty and their worth, it's all for nothing."
— Nancy [37:24]
8. The Role of Community and Faith
[42:41–54:08]
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The hosts invoke the Good Samaritan as a call to personal, not just institutional, responsibility.
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The city, state, and federal governments are not the answer—progress, if any, comes from community members stepping up, volunteering, and sacrificing personally.
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Recent “strategic plans” have led to little action: three years, 31 deaths on the street, few tangible results.
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Feed My Sheep and partners are now building new, community-based solutions like Elizabeth’s Farm.
"We can't continue to put all of our eggs in the basket of national government, state government, local government, none of that. It won't work."
— Nancy [50:09] -
Despite bureaucratic and logistical failures, acts of individual kindness and self-sacrifice (buying hotel rooms out of pocket, volunteering time and skills) are celebrated as essential.
9. Ongoing Challenges & Next Steps
[56:33–59:06]
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Specific prayer requests for women in acute need.
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The narrative will continue in the next episode—listeners are asked to reflect, pray, and, if moved, find their own way to help.
"We do this because… God cares about people, and they are of infinite worth to him. People matter."
— Jeff [57:56]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the impossibility of judgment:
"At best you don't understand."
— Jeff [22:02] -
On the depth of trauma:
"You would think it would be impossible at this juncture…to still be perplexed and baffled about the depth of hurt that people carry."
— Jeff [22:13] -
On hope:
"I do believe in the goodness of humanity and people."
— Jeff [32:06] -
On acceptance and self-worth:
"There's no… 'I'm worth the fight of trying to identify these people that did these awful things to me…' She doesn't see her worth enough to want to fight the fight. Why bother?"
— Nancy [22:46] -
On faith and action:
"Well done is far greater than well said."
— Jeff [48:04]
"What we need is more followers of Christ."
— Nancy [43:51] -
On community response:
"It's individual members of the community stepping up and being part of somebody's life."
— Jeff [53:07]
Key Timestamps Index
- [03:22–07:36] Nancy describes the naked, traumatized woman outside, police limitations.
- [09:43–11:21] Second woman: memory loss, hunger, no shelter options.
- [13:15–15:17] The limits of what police and volunteers can do.
- [22:02–23:25] Exploration of internalized shame, self-worth, why women won’t pursue justice.
- [29:08–32:07] Affordable housing barriers, the reality of waiting lists during cold nights.
- [37:24–39:00] Advocacy for a holistic, trauma-informed model—why "just" housing can’t solve it.
- [41:03–42:41] A call to moral responsibility, questioning what counts as “help.”
- [43:09–48:31] Parable of the Good Samaritan, shifting the locus of responsibility from institutions to individuals.
- [49:14–51:24] Critique of government inaction; 31 deaths on the street since strategic plan launched.
- [54:01–54:42] Defense of collaborative action, partnerships, and the spirit of local government.
- [56:33–57:56] Prayer requests and a reminder: "People matter."
Tone & Style
The episode combines urgency, deep compassion, and frustration with humility and hope. The hosts speak conversationally, with a blend of storytelling, advocacy, and personal confession. They are honest about their limitations and failures but resolute about the importance of continued, community-centered action.
Conclusion (for Listeners)
This episode gives an unflinching look into the everyday emergencies faced by homeless women in Temple, Texas—a microcosm of a pervasive national crisis. It’s a call to individual empathy and action, grounded in faith and the conviction that systemic change only comes when communities stand up for their most vulnerable neighbors—not just with words, but with deeds and holistic solutions.
Next Episode Tease:
Check back for an update on the women featured, particularly “day eight”—and reflect on your role in creating a more caring, responsive community.