Tabitha Zeigler hosts a fiery, truth-packed podcast filled with people doing the work in the trenches for autism and neurodiversity advocacy.
These everyday heroes are leading the way for the next generation. At a time when so much is at stake, ordinary individuals rise up to fill the inequalities in our society.
Join us in our struggles and triumphs while trying to provide resources, access, and programs for all.
We welcome you to the fight.
Learn more at https://staringdownthestorm.com
Tabitha Zeigler hosts a fiery, truth-packed podcast filled with people doing the work in the trenches for autism and neurodiversity advocacy.
These everyday heroes are leading the way for the next generation. At a time when so much is at stake, ordinary individuals rise up to fill the inequalities in our society.
Join us in our struggles and triumphs while trying to provide resources, access, and programs for all.
We welcome you to the fight.
Learn more at https://staringdownthestorm.com
The word gratitude gets thrown around a lot. But gratitude without action is just a performance. In this episode, I sat down with KT White and Brenda Killeen of Allies for Humanity to have an honest, necessary conversation about what real service actually looks like — especially when it comes to our unhoused neighbors. This isn’t a feel-good discussion. It’s a reality check.
We talk about trust, trauma, and the exhausting truth of showing up every day while watching institutions offer words instead of solutions. Why are grassroots organizations doing the deepest work constantly in crisis mode, while larger systems continue to get funded for surface-level efforts? Why do we keep criminalizing homelessness instead of confronting the systems that create and maintain it? And why is faith so often preached instead of practiced?
KT and Brenda challenge the idea that help should come with conditions — sermons for sandwiches, compliance for compassion. That isn’t love. That’s control. We get into trauma-informed care, indigenous wisdom, and the necessity of boundaries in service work. You don’t need a title, a building, or institutional approval to show up with dignity and integrity. You just need the willingness to do the work.
This episode is both a call-out and a check-in. Because homelessness isn’t unsolvable — we’re just avoiding responsibility. So I’ll ask you the same question I had to ask myself: if everyone has something to give, why aren’t we giving it? And what does gratitude really mean if it never turns into action?
Find more info on Allies For Humanity here:
To learn more about the Empowerment Plan, click here.
Chapters
00:00 Thanksgiving Reflections and Community Support
02:55 Pivoting for Community Needs
05:46 Building Trust with the Unhoused
08:35 Addressing Naysayers and Community Challenges
11:31 Volunteer Opportunities and Community Engagement
18:33 Personal Stories of Service
20:30 The Reality of Service Work
23:24 Grassroots Action vs. Surface-Level Work
26:05 Innovative Solutions for the Unhoused
29:09 Crisis Mode in Nonprofits
38:05 Empathy and Compassion in Advocacy
40:56 The Role of Media in Social Issues
43:41 Indigenous Wisdom and Community
46:59 Spiritual Warfare and Human Connection
56:30 Understanding Trauma and Its Impact
01:00:25 The Complexity of Healing and Support
01:07:53 The Role of Faith and Community in Service
01:15:07 Navigating Boundaries in Nonprofit Work
01:21:49 Call to Action: Community Support and Involvement
Contact Tabitha: