The Overwhelming Barriers to Personal Care

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Collage Podcast

Episode: The Overwhelming Barriers to Personal Care — June 6, 2026

Produced by Feed My Sheep, Temple, TX
Hosts: A (likely Jeff) & B (Nancy)

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Collage Podcast explores the exhausting, often-insurmountable barriers to basic personal care faced by members of Temple, TX's marginalized community—particularly people experiencing homelessness, mental health crises, and extreme poverty. Through raw, personal stories, the hosts highlight the bureaucratic, financial, and logistical obstacles that prevent individuals from maintaining their health, dignity, and safety, despite the best efforts of local advocates.

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Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. How Complex the Challenges Are

• The hosts set out to illustrate that the hardships faced by homeless and vulnerable individuals are rarely solved by a single intervention like "just get a job."
• Emphasize the tangled web of issues—affordability, insurance, bureaucracy, family estrangement, and more.

“It is not a do one thing differently and the whole story has changed scenario like, ah, homeless, get him a job tomorrow. And everything is back on par.” (A, 01:05)

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2. Case Study 1: Prescription Medication as a Lifeline, and a Barrier

YR’s Transformation and Impending Crisis

• "YR", a woman previously in crisis, has seen a dramatic positive transformation thanks to a monthly injectable medication for mental health—a shot that, with discounts, costs $2,500 per month and is entirely out of reach for someone with her income.
• Without this medication, YR will quickly revert, with recurring ER visits, ambulance rides, and possible hospitalization; all far costlier to society than the medicine itself.

“Her transformation from the stories that we have been sharing on her and to the person that walked in today… It is unbelievable.” (A, 08:18)

Illustrating the Absurdity of the System

• Describes the cycle: if YR can’t afford medicine, she’ll require emergency services, resulting in costs of $10,000-$50,000/month to the system—far exceeding what the medication would cost.

“So we are now...$10,000. And guess what? She's going to pay none of it.” (A, 14:04) “If we could figure out a way to make the prescription medicine affordable...societal cost will be...$40,000 to $50,000 for sure.” (A, 16:44)

• Points out that the same medication costs a fraction abroad (as little as $3 in Bolivia or $40-$60 in Mexico), but is unattainable here.

“I could go into Mexico and come out with the exact same medicine...that is affordable.” (A, 19:28)

Insurance and Access Barriers

• Even after getting Medicare, YR’s coverage is insufficient; outpatient mental health care and prescription coverage still fall through the cracks.

Memorable Quotes

• “If you would give...$2,500 rather than the $18,000 extra that I've already paid to cover seven days...That doesn't even cover the month.” (A, 15:29)
• “Somebody's got to figure out, okay, how do we get the medicine that is helpful?” (A, 18:04)
• “The quality of life just goes into the toilet. I mean, does that come into play at all with anybody?” (B, 44:30)

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3. Case Study 2: The Wheelchair-Bound Elderly Woman

Story of Extreme Vulnerability and No Safety Net

• Police find a 68-year-old, wheelchair-bound woman abandoned outside a meth house, with open sores and no possessions.
• She cannot get into a nursing home (not “bad enough” physically), nor into rehab (won’t admit drug use and rehabs won’t accept her limited mobility), nor the local Salvation Army (only upper bunks available and must perform self-care).
• The system either deems her too healthy for some services or too impaired for others—a classic "services not for you" catch-22.

“She was dropped off in Temple by the Belton Police Department...Another police department is using the model of solving the homeless problem by bringing them to another community.” (A, 33:18)

No Viable Options—A Daily Crisis

• Feed My Sheep pays for hotel nights as stopgap but acknowledges unsustainability and the moral/economic waste.

"At this moment, how many viable options does she have for any sort of housing as we sit at this very moment?" (A, 36:28) "Today? Stay in the hotel or go back outside." (B & A, 36:50–36:58)

• The process is exhausting and painful: no family will take her in; even small steps (like securing an apartment) require time, energy, and resources few have.

“Family doesn't equal good all the time…In this world it looks very different.” (B, 41:18)

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4. The Hidden (and Overwhelming) Barriers

• Even with diligent advocates, seemingly small issues are impossible to solve because of inflexible rules, delayed bureaucracy, or circular eligibility.
• The hosts note how quickly help is arranged for a stray dog—but not for people.

“Today outside of Feed My Sheep, there was utter concern...because we had a Chihuahua dog...It took absolutely nothing for the dog catcher...Nobody even looks up, can't find no help.” (A, 49:03)

Barriers Identified Repeatedly:

• High prescription costs, inadequate insurance or lack of coverage
• Sluggish and fragmented social safety net systems ("the wheels of the machine move so slowly")
• Shelter and facility requirements that exclude the most vulnerable
• Family as a presumed backstop when often dysfunctional or absent
• Immediate costs paid by nonprofits and volunteers; long-term costs (emergency care, repeated crises) paid by taxpayers

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5. A Plea for Perspective, Compassion, and Practical Solutions

• The hosts do not paint themselves as saviors, but as “microscopic” parts of any possible solution, asking listeners to imagine if it was their family member in these situations.
• They invite listeners to challenge their observations, offer new solutions, or simply witness the problem in person.

“You come meet the people here. It makes it real hard to just think of this as a topic. It becomes a person.” (A, 54:11)

• Urges listeners that ignoring the issue is still making a choice, and everyone is part of the answer, however small.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the futility of current systems:
  • “If you are out there, this is scenario two...Scenario two.” (A, 39:31)
  • "We always say we do everything because people matter. If you are listening to this, you are a person and you matter..." (A, 58:36)
• On needing better information:
  • “People that have good information, pertinent and relevant information are more apt to make good decisions because they are good for sure.” (A, 46:46)
• On dignity and decency:
  • “Everything we are about is treating people with dignity and worth. Not always easy.” (A, 54:27)
• On the emotional toll:
  • "It's honestly like I would have been...Not knowing that, not seeing her this way makes it a little bit easier just to go, huh? That's just how it is...No, it doesn't have to be like that." (A, 57:46)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |---------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–04:50 | Introductions; context on Feed My Sheep's work | | 04:50–20:00 | YR’s story: medicine, transformation, and price barrier| | 20:00–25:10 | International medication cost comparisons, system critique| | 25:10–41:43 | Second case: elderly, disabled woman, no support | | 41:43–49:03 | The futility of bureaucracy, family as fallback myth | | 49:03–51:02 | Chihuahua anecdote: easier to care for animals than people| | 51:02–54:54 | Call for actionable solutions and audience engagement | | 54:54–58:36 | Wrap up: The meaning of “people matter,” emotional toll| | 58:36–end | Final thoughts: hope, call to action, the human side |

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Conclusion & Call to Action

The episode’s impact lies not only in chronicling two wrenching stories but also in demonstrating the relentless, tangled barriers that make even basic care out of reach. The hosts challenge listeners—especially those unaware of how deep these obstacles go—to become informed, to see the people behind the problem, and to step in as part of the solution, however small.

“If you are listening to this, you are not the solution but you are part of the solution...Simply ignoring the topic does not make it go away. Right. I'm saying you are part of the answer. Help be part of the solution. It's that simple.” (A, 52:36)

Listeners are invited to visit, meet people like YR, offer practical help, share new ideas, and—above all—regard those in need as people first, worthy of dignity, care, and community.

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For more information: [e-mail] | [e-mail]

Transcript

[A]

Foreign. Welcome, everybody, to the Collage podcast. It's good to have you here. Just briefly, I will say we are coming to you from a little place called Feed My Sheep here in Temple, Texas. And Temple is a little town right in the heart of Texas, kind of between Austin and Dallas. And what Feed My Sheep is. We are a facility that does provide hot meals for a lot of people that are experiencing homelessness and poverty. We have resource office. We have a substance abuse center, women's center. So providing the basic needs for a lot of people that are in a very difficult, difficult place in life. So today I've got Nancy again. We're just going to continue our conversation. We've been talking about and trying to navigate the world that we're in. And we're just trying to give a little glimpse of some of the difficulties and the struggles that are in this world. And so we're kind of just painting a picture for people to see. We're not whining, not complaining. I don't. Maybe it sounds. I don't know. That's not the objective is. We're not. We're just wanting people to see how complicated and terribly difficult many of the situations that you come across all the time in. And then all of this that we come in contact with these people generally, it is not a do one thing differently and the whole story has changed scenario like, ah, homeless, get him a job tomorrow. And everything is back on par.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Okay. So a lot of, oh, go work. There's many factors that come in, and we're just trying to outline a couple that we come in contact with and to let you see different roadblocks that we run up against, you know, and for people to be able to a hear, wow, didn't even think about that. Okay. Or wow, we need to do something about that. So we're going to start today. I will confess that Nancy and I both were. Not that it matters. So this is not a good intro into wanting to listen to the rest of a podcast, but we are. It's a little bit tiring today. We had a long weekend. So what did we do this weekend, Nancy?

[B]

We had our first ever Wildflower Charity Classic gala and golf experience fundraiser for Feed My Sheep. And it was phenomenal.

[A]

It was very good.

[B]

Absolutely amazing success.

[A]

Yep. I will go on record. So that was a very nice opportunity for a lot of the people in the community to come together on Saturday for a meal. And then Monday they did a golf tournament. And it was a great way to raise some resources for the people that are here. So it was that. But with that being said, so Nancy and I representing Feed my Sheep and we also had Katie and a lot of the crew and Casey and so but long day Saturday.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And then pretty long day on Sunday, getting ready for Monday and recovering from said Saturday and then Monday, long day on Monday and we are now at Tuesday and you're trying to get back to business as normal. So we're not going to discuss that because that's unintriguing to you out there listening to it. We could talk about the menu and all this and that. Whatever. No, what we're going to do, we'll rewind a little bit. We won't use any names but we. Yet another story. Yeah, yet another story and a new story. Okay. So Nancy, catch us up to this story and the obstacles. Kind of paint the picture and then where we're at today. Okay. Because as soon as paint the picture where we're at today. Tuesday.

[B]

So I guess I'll start with one that's familiar to our listeners. If y' all have been listening to the podcast, you're right, we're starting.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

YR is doing phenomenally well. Oh my.

[A]

Amazing.

[B]

Totally transformed.

[A]

Yeah, tell them, tell everybody about this morning.

[B]

On her 8:30, she's bright eyed. She came by first thing to get some underwear because she didn't have any and was just in a beautiful mood. She was smiling and she came up and hugged you. She hugged me and coherent. Yep. Very, very different than she has been.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

The key to her current state of mind is the medicine that she's on. Okay, I would agree has been great. Her last day at Canyon Creek they gave her an injection of medicine, excuse me, that she's supposed to take once a month and it's one of those time release things that keeps her regulated. She also has a couple of pill prescriptions that she takes as well. The pill prescriptions are pretty inexpensive. She's got Medicare now and so she's able to get some discounts on her medication. The injectable one however, which I think is the one that's really making the difference for her is they filled the prescription and sent me a text at the Walmart that it was ready to be picked up for $2,500 for a month for her. She can't like, she's, she doesn't have that kind of money. I've looked online at Goodrx and other coupon sites to see if there's anything available for her to get the medicine discounted at All. And I can find nothing. She's. She doesn't have Medicare Part D. I'm looking into that for the prescription coverage, but that's going to take time. And she's due to take the medicine again on June 10th. So that's in what, 20 days or less. So I've got to find something really, really quick for her to be able to get her medicine.

[A]

I'm not presenting this in a public forum out there on the airwaves or anybody to hear what's so dumb. We're gonna come up. This is a whole. This is once. And I forgot about that one. Okay. Because you'd mentioned that you load up in a car if they don't cut our heads off and we go to Mexico.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

And you go across the border and it's 40 bucks.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

We'll go buy her a year's worth of. We're not. Hello, we're not. Okay. I'm just saying it. But we could drive across the border.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Into Mexico with the same medicine, same everything.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

And it's going to be 40 bucks, 50 bucks, 60 bucks. Probably. They probably listed at 100. And say, I don't have 100. I'll give you 80. And you walk out of there with it.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Okay. Doable.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

$2,500 for. And I'll tell you, like, for the record, her transformation from the stories that we have been sharing on her and to the person that walked in today, even last week. Yeah, even last week. This is like. It is unbelievable transformation of a person.

[B]

Came to work on Friday, worked for us on Friday. Soleil.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

She's interested in working again. Just totally different.

[A]

Totally different. Totally different. Okay. And so this is this person. They found a medicine that does work on her. Okay. That is injectable, which she doesn't have to worry about taking every day. It lasts for a month. So the other issues we've had, she gets confused and she'll take two days of medicine or miss a day or so. Our body's all out of whack. She didn't do well. So then in it. So here, let's talk about this in her. So in it. Tell me how absurd this is in our system. So this person. Not absurd. She is phenomenally good today for her best I've seen her in eight months.

[B]

I agree.

[A]

Okay. Whole other.

[B]

This person could live eating food. She's showering. She's showering.

[A]

Sleeping.

[B]

Yep. Walking around wearing dresses again.

[A]

Singing, listening to 80s music. Okay. Not that. That may make you crazy, but that's a whole other case. We got that. Okay, so then you put that and go, wow, that's amazing. For $2,500, that person with this could live a happy, decently productive life of self sustainability. Long term.

[B]

Agreed.

[A]

Okay. Long term. We have found a possible scenario for her that could last. Okay, so here, listen to this absurdity of this next deal cost $2,500 a month. She is homeless.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Well, she, she's in. We got her a place. Okay. So recently. Yes, so recently in that. But her economics, we know what she makes. I'm not going to put it out there, but she has a fixed income that the government provides. It is barely enough to pay for the rent that she's in.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And not even half. Not even half total income of what the medicine prescription would be.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Okay, so zero, zero possibility of her being able to get that filled. Okay, so here's the absurd part. Tell me if this makes any sense. Okay, let's just predict. She. We are unable to find a way for her to get her June 10th shot. Okay, so then she goes without medicine. Okay. She will fall off a cliff of mental health.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Okay, so then within a week she will be. I don't know which one, but catatonic or pretty sure that anxiety attacks and she's having a heart attack and she's going to die. And then here's what's going to happen. Okay, so Scott White, I'm going to go ahead and tell you the hospital so you can go ahead and plan for this. And I'm not a business person, so let me just put a business scenario out there. I'm just going to put a business scenario out there.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So what is going to happen? Whether we like it or not, as a society, as a business entity, okay. The world we live in, Rachel is going to be mentally ill because she can't get the $2,500 prescription that she needs to stay well.

[B]

Right.

[A]

She will call an ambulance within the first week, week and a half.

[B]

Agreed.

[A]

Okay. She will get an ambulance to come pick her up along with. Because she's going to call 911 and believe she's having a heart attack from anxiety or from angels or for devils that are coming and getting her and that she's going to die. And she's dying. The ambulance is going to come, the paramedics are going to come, the fire department's going to come. Okay, so let's start doing the math here. And they're going to transport her from the place that she is at to Scott and White.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

For an ER visit. So I think roughly, let's just say roughly, an ambulance transport from there to Scott and white is what, 4,000 bucks? I think so 4 or 5,000 bucks is what it would cost her to transport her to the er. She's going to go into the ER because she's got chest pains and medical stuff. They're going to have to run tests. I think the average ER visit for something of this sort is like what, 8, 10,000 bucks.

[B]

Yeah, I think for the last one I was in there when the lady came in and was talking to her about billing. She had been there for maybe two hours and I think they were planning to do some additional tests on at that point, three grand.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Was what the lady said, three grand.

[A]

So but let's say she walks out of there for another five grand. Okay. So she's now on the hook. We are now eight grand on the hook for that. Okay. And that doesn't even count like probably on this. Generally what occurs on her is they're going to go, oh, I'm not sure we can release her. We're going to have to keep her for an emergency, whatever they call detention. So we got psychiatrists coming in and we got her here. So you're on the hook more maybe other scenarios. She goes to Canyon Creek, another behavioral center for two weeks and she's on the hook there, which is probably who knows how many thousands of dollars. Say you're at another $10,000.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Okay, so we are now. Well, let's pretend she doesn't even go to Canyon Creek. Okay, so we got that she goes to the ER in 91 1. That's how it's going to occur. She's going to go in an ambulance, the paramedics, the police, all of these, we won't even count their hours. Like the time spent of manpower that are going to come make this occur. Going to go to the hospital. Let's just say she walks out of there cheap for a five thousand dollar bill which she's going to pay none of. She's going to pay none of the, the ambulance bill. They go there, they realize nothing we can do. Okay. They're not going to give the ejectable medicine. But we're $10,000. Yeah, $10,000. And guess what? The social workers, if she's lucky, well they general on her generally they don't drive her back anywhere.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Okay. They'll just let her walk out. Okay. So she gets back to her apartment, I promise you, three days later, she does the same thing again because she's done it.

[B]

That's what.

[A]

Okay, so then now, three days after that, we're 20,000. Yeah, 20,000 in the hole for her, we're 20,000. There's the year's worth of medicine injections could have occurred within those that week. We have now covered the cost of that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Will not occur.

[B]

Nope.

[A]

We can go down that road. And it's going to go time and time and time and time again because the prescription medicine that she has, that can keep her. Well, I'm not going to get in the debate whether medicine is good, bad, whatever it, whatever she's doing right now for medicine, it stinking works.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And we are going to forego that. We can, as a society, as a medical entity, as any of this look at the logical deal and go, what could we do? It saved if you would give. If they would go, hey, I don't like it, but it's just business sense. I would prefer to give you $2,500 rather than the 18,000 extra that I've already paid to cover seven days. And that doesn't even cover the month. I guarantee it within the course of a month. Okay. If she's back to where she was.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Societal cost will be. I would bet in a course of a month, if we just go down 40, 50,000 bucks because she would end

[B]

up back in inpatient. Inpatient health.

[A]

40 to $50,000 for sure. When you've got. If we could figure out a way to make the prescription medicine affordable. She doesn't go to the er. Right. So if she gets to watch. Will you mark me on this? Okay, so this month, this month she. The 10th. That will be pretty much a month. Okay. So. So May 10th to June 10th, that'll be a month that she's been back at this chapter. Okay. I will go on record. I'll go on record. I don't know what's going to occur. She may trip and break her leg. That's a, that's a valid ER call. But I'll guarantee you between that time on this medicine, she will have gone to the ER and gone in the ambulance zero times.

[B]

Agreed.

[A]

Zero calls to our 911 service period.

[B]

Right.

[A]

How much sense. Granted. I go.

[B]

02.

[A]

$500 is a lot of money. Yeah, I get it. If I've got a choice. If I've got a choice and I'm looking at this gap, let's don't even go down. The ethical obligation for treating people.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And let's don't even go down to the moral. The moral swamp that we could go in of. You're going to prescribe a medicine that could heal. We knowingly know that this can bring healing to a person. And then, oh, by the way, if you can't pay anymore, you're done now. So we won't go that way because I do know the medical industry has no problem with that because we've got cancer medicines that we know can cure certain forms of cancer, can reduce it down, but they're cost prohibitive to people.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So we do make those moral decisions. Anybody out there doesn't believe that doesn't occur. I hate to break it to you. So there is profit margin decisions that do occur. Okay. That's just fact. If you can hold out cancer medicine, oh, you sure as heck going to be able to hold out mental health on a homeless person for sure. But I'm just talking here for us, because at the end of the day, somebody's got to figure out, okay, how do we get the medicine that is helpful? And again, we can acknowledge. I may do it as an experiment. I'll drive. I'll pay the gas out of my pocket and go to Mexico and I could walk across. I'm not. Because it's probably a felony. And I'm. I don't want a felony. I don't know what this. But to prove a point.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Nobody's going broke if you put it at a actual price.

[B]

I agree.

[A]

Okay. So I could go into Mexico and come out with the exact same medicine. Maybe it doesn't have the FDA approved or whatever stamp that we put on it. I don't know. For this amount of dollars, that is affordable.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So mine is that scenario.

[B]

I would think, even in any other country. Like we went to Israel.

[A]

Oh, for sure.

[B]

I don't know, five or six years ago. And needed an antibiotic while we were there. And it was five bucks in the pharmacy.

[A]

I'm not going to say the doctor's name, but I was on a trip to Bolivia. This was several years ago. One of the people on the trip got sick. This was a doctor. He diagnosed what was going on. He said, this is the medicine we need. Walked into the pharmacy. He's not a doctor in Bolivia.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

He just a person.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Walked into Bolivia, said, okay, I need this in Spanish. Explained the medicine he need. Here's the dose, here's the syringe. Okay. All in. All in. Okay. We walk out with that medicine. And it was. It was exact same medicine. Okay. $3, $3. $3 for the medicine. And you go, okay, it was. So then he tells me, he says, you know, how much just the medicine? Not even me, how much I charge to administer the medicine and the nurse, just the medicine straight cost. $650 is what that shot cost in the United States. And that doesn't count the doctor. It doesn't count the visit. He was like, this is probably an eighteen hundred dollar medical procedure in the United States. And we just did it for three.

[B]

That is so awful.

[A]

Awful. So here we're not going to attack the medical, but at the baseline here, everybody out there, this is what we're talking about. You got a young lady. I promise you it is night and day. How much clearer she is seeing the world. She's not hearing voice. She hasn't had voices come to her in the last two weeks. She has not called us in the middle of the night saying, I'm fixing to die.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And she hasn't gone to the er so let's don't even put the humanitarian side to it. How absurd is it that we would prefer. Okay. To not figure these things out? We would prefer that somebody who has no economics to just let them call 91 1-1-&over and over and to go to the hospital and go this much in the back instead of providing the mental health that we need.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It doesn't make business sense.

[B]

It doesn't.

[A]

It doesn't make business sense.

[B]

And then to add insult to injury with this one, she went to her first doctor's appointment last week, I believe it was, and loved him. Great guy. They got along really well.

[A]

Psychiatrist.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay, got it.

[B]

And she, that was the first session that she had had in a very, very long time. Really, really liked him a lot. He's. He does not take her insurance or there's something with her insurance that doesn't provide for outpatient services. It only provides for inpatient services. So the only way that she can get help at this point is going to the mental health authority, hoping that she'll be able to find a doctor that will help her the way she needs to be helped.

[A]

Is it going to occur?

[B]

I have an appointment on Friday at 1, so I'm hopeful that it will work out.

[A]

But you also have a lottery ticket, correct?

[B]

Yeah. It's just sad that she can't. There's just, it just feels like she's behind the eight ball on everything.

[A]

Agreed. And then we're going to, as a society, okay. So as a society, be frustrated. Like not us, because we're trying, like. But here as a group, looking at this. Be frustrated.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Of why is she just sitting out in the street and she needs to get a job. Okay. And we're trying. And then our medical expenses are so expensive. These people are. Okay, whatever. I don't know what voice I'm using. That's the obligatory negative person's voice. And I don't know why it sounds like a gravely female voice. They got to do something about them. No, we ain't taking her. Ain't taking her. I got to laugh at that. But that's just what the negative voice, when I hear it comes in my head. But we look at that and we go, man, our. Our medical. Our. It's going down the hole.

[B]

When I. When I think about our people, that I think is the one thing that. That just gets me in the gut every time is just the barriers that are out there that I had no idea existed.

[A]

Agreed. So this is. We're not. I'm not attacking Scott and White. I'm just pointing these things out because, like, you and I, like, you're an interesting discussion because you were right so close to this world.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

You were right. Like, you were 90% closer than most of the people listening to this. That one tiny step looking over the fence, and then you get in the backyard, and you're like, holy crud. Yeah, look at the barriers seriously, that are in front of this and then out of this for everybody out there. Guess what? We don't have an answer right now. We are scrambling to figure out what we can do to figure out for Rachel or yr. And then for the record, anybody out there. I've already had the trip scheduled. I'm going out of Town on June 8th through the 9th. So I've already got that trip planned. It has nothing to do with any of the other conversations.

[B]

I need you to pick up another micro pig while you're in that.

[A]

Oh, I'm out of the micro pig business. Don't even want to go to the farm deal. And I had already been having some plans for my truck to get worked on, so I am renting a car. So actually, I'm flying to an airport in El Paso, and then I'm going to rent a car there and then go. And then drive it back to temple. That was already planned. This has nothing to do with. I'm just kidding. This is a joke. I am not doing that. So don't call the police on me.

[B]

Like, sadly, that is where we sit with it and. And not just with Yr, but you

[A]

know, go to scenario two. Okay, so this is one. We got that one. We've just put that out for you to ponder. If you've got an answer to it, please let us know. Yeah, please let us know.

[B]

So Sunday during the afternoon. So we had our big event on Saturday. Jeff and I were out like working on that till I don't even know what time it was when we finally with the rest of the team. And then Sunday we were supposed to have some downtime and then Monday golf tournament. But alas, he got a call from one of our police officers that they had found a lady in the backyard of a known meth house in Temple and she had been there long enough that the birds had pooped on her in the backyard. Wheelchair bound elderly lady and 68. Yes. So Jeff had met them over there and helped get her into a room at a local hotel and gave them my contact information to call and see, you know, if we could get them connected with or get her to connect with some resources. And so when I talked to the police officer, she was very, very upset and really worried about the lady.

[A]

68 year old lady in a wheelchair.

[B]

In a wheelchair.

[A]

Make sure we hear that.

[B]

Left in the backyard of this known meth house with open sores like all over her body and nobody, none essentially. She has a sister in Belton that really I can't handle her little bit of income coming in from Social Security and widow's benefits, but other than that, just the clothes on her back, literally and that's it, like she had nothing and nobody. So when I got over to the hotel, she said that she was hungry and that she needed help, you know, with, with food and water at that point. And I asked if she could walk at all because she was in the room by herself and you know, needed to take a shower and things like that. And she said that she could walk with a walker. So I came to feed my sheep, picked up the a walker that we had here and some food and took it back. And by the time I got back there, she had tried to make it to the bathroom and didn't make it to the bathroom and didn't have any clothes to change into. So I came back to feed my sheep, got the clothes and took them back over there to her and didn't really get into much of a conversation with her on Sunday just because of timing. And she was pretty distraught from not being able to make it to the bathroom and she just really wanted to like have some, have a moment. So I Left and went back over there this morning and just tried to talk to her about options, you know, like what, what is she would want to do? Does she have any, any plans, any options, any. Anything. And she could not stay awake long enough for me to really have a whole lot of conversation with her. I asked if she had been using or if she was using and she said no, because rehab would be a good option for her. I believe that she is using.

[A]

Many signs would point to that.

[B]

Yes, but she's not admitting to that nor seeming like she will accept any help. And at that point, if she doesn't have a medical problem. And I asked about her medical situation, if she had a medical problem, she said no. I asked why she can't walk around, like why is she in a wheelchair? And she said, well, it's probably because of my heart condition. And so I couldn't get a whole lot of information out of her from that either. But the bottom line is if she doesn't qualify for a nursing home because of a physical medical condition, I can't get her into a nursing home. If she will not admit that she has a problem with drugs or alcohol, I cannot get her into a rehab center. Most of the rehabs will not take her because she's in a wheelchair. She has to be pretty independent by their standards for insurance purposes, I'm sure. So that in and of itself was going to be a barrier if she did say, yes, Nancy, I am using, I have a problem. I need help. Finding a rehab that would take her as she sits today with would be very hard. The Salvation army shelter will not take her because she cannot take care of herself. They only have a top bunk available right now, and there's no way she could ever get into a top bunk. Even if they did have a weak moment of wanting to take her in today for that. Just because she's in a wheelchair. They do not take people that can't accomplish their. They can't take care of themselves.

[A]

So tell me that like, so that everybody out there who's keeping score. Okay, so on your scorecard, 68 year old lady.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

In a wheelchair, no family. And then the kicker, she was dropped off in Temple by the Belton Police Department.

[B]

Yeah. From. From Hondo, Texas.

[A]

From Hondo, Texas.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay, so not even from here. Another police department is using the model of solving the homeless problem by bringing them to another community.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

So that becomes Temple's problem.

[B]

Right.

[A]

You know, and Temple, you know, okay, so we got it. So not to go down that, that's a whole other route. But so now this scenario, totally different than YR's sorta we're at the same place. Okay. So then this one police call us because they have no option.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And the police officer, she is very kind hearted and a good person. Okay. So like this is not negative on the police. I mean like they are not that she calls. What do we do? We got, I mean we got this lady. Is there any way you can help? So we go, okay, so you. Because you can't. It'd be difficult, right? A 68 year old lady who's in the backyard. Weather coming in. Yes, she's in the backyard.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

Okay. Not able to take care of herself at all.

[B]

Right.

[A]

No facilities. Okay. You're left with in that scenario. Okay. Police say, hey, can you help? You go there. And I'm like, you can't not right. What you gonna do go, hey, stinks to be you. See ya. Okay, good luck. Okay, so we did. So then in it, do I believe this is the solution? Absolutely not. Okay. Absolutely not. We paid for a hotel for Sunday night and Monday night. We're now at Tuesday.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Because I know we would not be able. She needed a place to be able to go have a bathroom. We brought her food.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Okay. So this, I'm not saying that's the answer, but I know it's a decently safe place. I know the door locks, I know she can take a shower. I know she can sleep on a bed. She's at least safe. Where then now we go to have the conversation today of what are we going to do? And so keep in mind us here at Feed My Sheep. We ain't got no money. Okay. So a little bit, whatever we pay. I mean we don't not pay our bills, but we don't, we're not, we're not a big money operation. We don't have a whole lot of resources of that sort. $60 a night as the clock ticks, tick 60, tick 60, tick 60. Every day is $60.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

We're now at Tuesday. How many options do we have? So we've got to get there. They're going to let us slide because they ain't kicking her out just yet. But okay, as soon as we're done, I'll go over there. At this moment, how many viable options does she have for any sort of housing as we sit at this very moment? Nancy Glover, what are the two options we have right at this moment?

[B]

The one that I want to explore first would be potentially putting her at One of the apartment complexes nearby.

[A]

But let's go just today, the scenarios today, not what we're looking at in the future.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Today, anything.

[A]

She got two. Which are what?

[B]

Stay in the hotel.

[A]

We pay for another night in the hotel.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Or go back outside or. We're not paying for another night in the hotel.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And you are now on loop 363 in your wheelchair. Good luck to you.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

That's where we're at today. Okay, so then you go and. Yes. Are we looking long term options? Even short term, even medium term. Yes. We got to find permanent housing. Okay. We got to get adult protective service to do something. Anything, Literally anything would be a novel concept. Novel concept. Okay, so don't even go that discussion. But. So any of that, you're going to. The wheels of the machine move so slowly, and you're going. Okay, maybe in a week we could do something. Okay, that's $420.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

We ain't got $420.

[B]

Nope.

[A]

Okay. And then you're going realistically, in a week. What can we do?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Options are about zero for her because she will over and over. I don't have a drug addiction problem. So all your drug addiction facilities now off the table.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Okay. Family won't take her back. That's off the table. Husband's left, so I'm pretty sure if you leave and you have left your wife, you're pretty much out of the. I'm going to take her in business.

[B]

Right. No kids.

[A]

No kids, no family. Sister in another town that we have spoken to that is. Will not take her back. So that option gone. Nursing homes. Okay. Doesn't have enough income. And she is not quite bad enough.

[B]

Right.

[A]

That she could necessitate, I. E. Living on the streets in a wheelchair. Is. That's not bad enough.

[B]

Not bad enough.

[A]

Not bad enough.

[B]

Nope.

[A]

You know, maybe we could get her. We can call some favors and get this. And get this. And maybe into a. Into an apartment, but you got to get this turned. You got to get water turned on. You got to get this turned on. We got to get this. There's a lot of. If you could get that knocked out in a month would be a miracle. And she doesn't have enough income really, to pay much.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

So if you are out there, this is scenario two.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Scenario two. Scenario one is you got somebody that you could get off the street. I believe this with certainty. Long term.

[B]

Long term.

[A]

Long term. Long term. Okay. In a place that is safe, that is hers, that has all the Necessities that somebody could live. Okay. For finding a way to fill her medicine prescription. Okay. June 11th. Maybe not on the 11th. It'll take a little bit for the medicine to wear out of her system completely. But I would say June 17th.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

We'll do a follow up podcast on this one. And to go and here's the update. And you go, man, Jeff can predict the future. No, I can't. It's not hard to see.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

So that one tell me how everybody out there. This is this scenario for this person who's on the street. This, this other one. Okay. Where can she go inside? Like where could she have a place to live? 68 year old lady

[B]

and I know everybody will say initially what about her sister? Why can't her sister take her in? And as we talked about with yr initially and what I'm learning the hard lesson with is family doesn't equal good all the time.

[A]

No.

[B]

In this world it looks very different. Often it looks very different. Very different. It's not always the viable option. I wish it were agreed that would be great. But it's just not. We can't just automatically assume anything. No care.

[A]

So mine for everybody out there. This is just two.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

This is just two of the stories. Some of the others that we are navigating are a little bit more choice centered.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, so we won't go on those that somebody, hey, if you keep doing this, you're going to die in this alley.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then you speak to that person and they're like, I don't care.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That's choice based. Like that person is choosing to stay exactly there in their addiction. Okay. I don't understand why different. These other two I'm pointing out is to show you the op and then keep in mind both of these have numerous people that are advocate. Well, the new one only has you. Well, Officer Garcia, a police officer. Okay. Advocated for her and contacted us on her behalf. She wouldn't know how to contact us. You are advocating on her behalf. Why are you are advocating and helping her? Getting to the doctors. Advocating, how do I find this medicine? Making calls that she would not be capable of making. So they do have an advocate and somebody who's trying to work on their behalf. So they're head and shoulders above many of our people. Even with that. It's to point out for everybody out there to see. Even with that. So if you go, hey, just give them an advocate, somebody that can go help them both have it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It's for everybody out there. To hear and to see. There is some serious, serious, serious obstacles that are almost. Almost insurmountable.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Where you're left going. What do we do? Yeah, what do you do at the end of the day? I mean, the big machine. Either we figure out how to get why are 2,500 bucks for the next injection and she has another good month, or we don't.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The machine ain't catering to her. And she'll go to the er and she'll go to the ER and. And she'll go to the er.

[B]

Yeah. And I think the saddest thing is just the difference in her personal. Like she's. She will get so depressed and will cry and sleep all day and just be.

[A]

Stop bathing, stop eating.

[B]

Yes. The quality of life just goes into the toilet. I mean, is that. Does that come into play at all with anybody?

[A]

I. I'm. I'm of the opinion, like, dealing with these bigger entities, basic human goodness and kindness. They're gone.

[B]

I agree.

[A]

Let's just talk business sense here. Like this. Just. Okay. Make it okay. I don't care about people. Well, I don't. What this oath. I forgot about that little thing y' all took. But that's Whatever. Neither here nor there. But I guess the pharmaceutical industry did not take the same oath. Okay. They're straight economics. So forget that then. Let's just talk straight business. This is terrible business sense. Terrible business.

[B]

It really is.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And taxpayers are picking up.

[A]

We're. We're paying the bill. Yes, that's. Wake up. We're paying the bill.

[B]

The reason why it's $600 for an injection of what you could get down there for $3 is because we're covering this cost.

[A]

We've got to figure it out. And so like that. The quality of life. It's not. That's. Leave that off the table. Which you shouldn't because it's unbelievable. Economics just trait. What in the world.

[B]

Yeah. And just. Just human dignity and human like decency. I mean, you. When. When Officer Garcia called you on Sunday, I'm sure you were doing something that wasn't feed my sheep related. Trying to relax and have a good time on Sunday.

[A]

I was actually up here working on

[B]

the computer for the.

[A]

No such luck.

[B]

Oh, dang it. Any other agency wouldn't have answered the phone, though. Jeff.

[A]

No.

[B]

Well, like, they wouldn't have even answered. And even if they had have answered the phone or by chance she was able to get one of them, they would never have opened their doors. They would never have met her. Over there to buy a hotel room. It would have been a shrug of the shoulders. There's, you know, we just, we can't handle that one. Sorry. So I have to find something else.

[A]

Well, all of that because maybe some smart people out there listening to this. We're not the solution, every one to point it out. I think it is intriguing. So that's why we're keeping on this course a little bit for Nancy and to see things that she is learning quickly. That was so close. Didn't know. It's so complicated. It's so complicated. And then mine is at least all of this discussion is just simply people I believe are smart. Okay. In people that have good information, pertinent and relevant information are more apt to make good decisions because they are good for sure. If you do not have good information, if you have misinformation, if you do not have all the information, it is about impossible to make good and right decisions on anything. This is about sharing information. This is going on.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And maybe you're going, huh, Dang, I never would have thought of that. And then for me, I would like to say in the same information is let's just pretend why are in your decision making process. Let's pretend that one is your daughter. I guarantee you scrape up 2,500 bucks when you see how much different this person's life is.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I guarantee how you handle the decision is very different. If you have that level of love and you're going, you go, you know, no matter where you're at, on upset with your daughter or this or that. And she calls and says, hey, I'm in a really bad way and I need a place to stay tonight. Okay, I guarantee you're going. Okay. We can't stay here. We got to figure out what we're going to do. But I can't let you stay like this because you are a human.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I found it interesting. This is irony will end on this. Okay. This one always drives me. Many things drive me crazy, whatever. Today outside of Feed my Sheep, there was utter concern, utter concern. And oh my gosh, because we had a Chihuahua dog that was running around in the street that was unowned and we were worried about the safety. We being our society or people, whatever. Yeah, okay, here. It took absolutely nothing for the dog pound. The catcher, dog catcher dude came in, caught the dog, bringing them into a safe place, going to get checked out by a vet, going to get the medicine, going to get into a new, new home, a good environment. They're going to check out who's going to even get to possibly take this said dog?

[B]

Yep.

[A]

And they're going to discern. Yep. That's safe enough for us. It's going to go to a new home. And that was, let me see an hour, one hour solved. What was funny for me is, and it's not the dog catcher's job to take care of people. He walked where they caught the dog. He probably walked by eight of the same people that we have discussed that are in very difficult, terrible, terrible situations. Way worse than that dog was going through. And nobody even looks up, can't find no help. Where's the call? I get it, okay. Humans are supposed to take care of themselves and they have, you know, whatever. But as a society, I'm just pointing out how off things are at the moment.

[B]

Agreed.

[A]

They're just off. And I'd love. Okay, ready? I would love it. You are out there, you listen to it. Come on, come sit here and help me, enlighten me and show me how wrong I am in believing that things are amiss. Show me the scenarios and the situations to solve some of these things that we are not looking into. I want to be proven wrong. Come show me I'm wrong. Tell me I'm wrong. I'm not going to argue. You show me solutions that we haven't thought of. Show me options out for these people that we have yet not contemplated. Show me things that we could do in temple that we have not done. Prove to me how ignorant I am on this topic and we all win.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Game over. I won't argue one bit. Show me what we can do. Show me what we are missing. Show me how we can address all these things for people. Get these obstacles out of the way and let's be done with this.

[B]

Yeah. And if you could do it for yr before the 10th of June, that would be fantastic.

[A]

The 9th. Let me know before I buy the plane ticket because it's non refundable. But I'm already going on that trip. The trip is not. That's a joke. So whatever. Oh my. It's a joke. But I wish it wasn't. And so we're just saying that. Help us out.

[B]

Yeah, please.

[A]

Because I'm breaking this to you. Okay. If you are listening to this, you are not the solution but you are part of the solution. And if you have knowledge, if you have knowledge and you understand the hurting that is going on with people and the things that are occurring in our society in Temple Texas and you are hearing this and you have the Knowledge and you have some of the information and you understand some of the scenarios. I'm not saying you are the solution. I am saying if you choose to not look at it, you are making a choice. And just simply ignoring the topic does not make it go away. Right. I'm saying you are part of the answer. Help be part of the solution. It's that simple. It's that simple.

[B]

Yeah. And I mean if you have time, come eat lunch with me and yr.

[A]

Agreed.

[B]

Meet her.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You fall in love with her. She's just the most precious thing.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then you'd.

[A]

If you can tell me if you can come. Come do. Ready? It's nancyedmysheeptemple.org you want to come tell me how wrong I am? Okay. Great. Jeff at feed my sheep temple.org I'd love to have a discussion about how we're missing all the things that we could be doing here. We're not. Have everything figured out. Tell me what I'm missing. Okay. Please do.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Please do. And come meet. Okay. Because I'm one. Like what Nancy just said, I'm a big believer. You come meet the people here. It makes it real hard to just think of this as a topic. It becomes a person.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And everything we are about is treating people with dignity and worth.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Not always easy. Sometimes the decisions we have to make are not very easy and they're difficult. Sometimes treating with somebody with dignity is not even something they want. Whole other discussion.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, and so everybody out there. There's another. Okay. And it should. It's not depressing. It's just perplexing if you do not understand. It's just perplexing to look and go. Dang. Never would have thought about that.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What do you do with the lady at the hotel? I'll go pay another 60 bucks today. Buy me another 24 hours to try to figure out what to do.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Because now, unfortunately, here's how it works. And I again, I think putting people in hotels is a terrible solution to this problem. What else are you going to do? So then at the end of the day, now whatever the day, it's coming. Hey, we can't afford this anymore. Then we're the ones who put her out on the street.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

It's coming. Maybe not.

[B]

Maybe not.

[A]

So hope everybody out there has a. Has a great day. I hope you do understand. And we're just showing these are just discussions to just look because you can't really appreciate all that goes on in the different stories until you maybe hearing them, maybe that would have been helpful to go. Dang. It's just not simply enough here to solely provide only a plate of food.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

That is great. That is good. We will have an excellent meal today. That's not solely enough. Truly feeding a person is far deeper and far more difficult. But we're learning every day. So hope everybody out there has a great day. Hope you get an email. That'd be neat.

[B]

That would be.

[A]

Tell me I'm upsetting you. Great. Tell Nancy I'd love to come meet yr. Yeah. Not to look at a circus animal, but just to meet a wonderful, kind young lady. Have lunch, come watch her work.

[B]

She's precious.

[A]

Yeah, she really is. She's also very sick.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And the sad thing is there's medicine that can treat her.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Almost more painful to know that truth.

[B]

It really is.

[A]

It's honestly like I would have been. I don't know. Not knowing that, not seeing her this way makes it a little bit easier just to go, huh? That's just how it is. That's just how our life's going to be. No, it doesn't have to be like that. And we're only one month into getting well.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Can you imagine six months of this being normal?

[B]

Game changer.

[A]

Game changer.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Six months for her mind to adjust to the new world, the new reality, the new truth of what well could look like. Game changer.

[B]

Yeah. 100% game changer.

[A]

Six months is what, 15,000 bucks? Mm. Not quite. Two visits to the ER that are going to come when the medicine is stopped, right? Okay. We won't end. We won't keep going. Drive me crazy. So, everybody, I hope you realize we always say that we do everything because people matter. If you are listening to this, you are a person and you matter in several different ways. You matter because God created you and he believes you are wonderfully created. You are a masterpiece that matters in this world. And you also matter because you have a voice. Okay? And you have an ability to love others. You matter in that way, too. You are part of the equation of difference. The days of staying in neutrality and just. I'm going to do nothing and pretend it doesn't occur. They're gone. It does not work. That is an ineffective and wrong way. So you matter also in being part of the solution. You are not the solution. You are part of the solution in a microscopic way. But many, many microbes come together and they create a bigger organism. Change. Change. And the last thing. And we'll get on out of here. If you happen to be going to Mexico anytime between now and June 10th, don't send it emails. They trace those pretty easy. Don't text it either. But if you could pass a smoke signal, I don't know what somebody would do that. Oh, but don't let the data center see it because. Oh, like, whatever. So, yeah, that's it. This is just humor. So I hope you have a great day. I hope you are contemplating the many barriers that go in to so many of the different stories.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And what we could do. So that's it. Have a great day and we will talk to you later. Sam.