Sheboygan Stories: Unhoused and Unheard

Scott LaBonte
  • 5.0 (4)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Real people. Real stories. Sheboygan Stories: Unhoused and Unheard is a raw and honest podcast sharing the voices of those experiencing homelessness in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Hosted by Scott LaBonte, co-founder of Sheboygan Area Pay It Forward, each episode amplifies stories of survival, struggle, and strength from the streets, shelters, and systems that often forget the people they serve. No filters. Just truth.

  1. Meeting People Where They Are

    JAN 25

    Meeting People Where They Are

    In this episode, Scott reflects on the unexpected connection between special education and homelessness. Drawing from his experience as an elementary special education teacher and his work alongside people experiencing homelessness, he explores shared themes of vulnerability, unmet needs, and systems that weren’t built for everyone. This isn’t a comparison — it’s a realization. One that challenges how we judge behavior, define accountability, and offer support. Episode 20 asks an important question: What if the problem isn’t the people… but the systems around them? Chapters (00:00:24) - Unhoused and Unheard Of: IEPs(00:10:50) - Language matters in special education(00:12:47) - In the Fight for Homeless People(00:15:29) - How to Adapt the Homeless to Our System(00:16:48) - Pay it Forward: Ending(00:23:49) - The homeless in the library(00:27:21) - The challenges of treating people with disabilities(00:28:27) - Paying it Forward: This Episode

    30 min
  2. What people don't see: Why it feels like nothing changes

    JAN 11

    What people don't see: Why it feels like nothing changes

    Homelessness is often judged by what we can see — but most of the struggle happens in the moments no one notices. In this episode, Scott and Kathleen pull back the curtain on the daily realities of life without stability and explore why real change can feel so slow and invisible. From constant exhaustion and survival mode to system barriers and quiet wins that rarely get recognized, this conversation offers an honest look at what progress really looks like when you’re unhoused — and why compassion and consistency still matter, even when outcomes aren’t immediate. This is a reflective, real-time conversation about perspective, patience, and seeing people beyond the surface. Chapters (00:00:22) - Unhoused and Unheard: Homelessness in Sheboygan(00:01:00) - Confessions of a Combat Veteran(00:01:57) - What People Don't See About Homelessness(00:03:59) - Tom Clancy on Homeless People and Their Consequences(00:06:14) - On the Nextdoor App(00:07:18) - "How Do You Know They're Homeless?"(00:12:00) - Homeless People's Day-to-Day Life(00:14:30) - What Do Special Ed Students Need to Do to Survive?(00:17:04) - How to Get Out of Survival Mode(00:21:26) - The dignity of the addicted person(00:25:02) - Why Does It Seems Like Nothing Ever Changes?(00:29:30) - Why Progress Takes So Long(00:33:59) - Jimmy Gets His Keys Back(00:38:08) - Volunteer Burnout, turnover(00:40:40) - Wonders on the Streets: Progress(00:46:52) - Clear Boundaries and Consequences(00:51:09) - What Kind of Compassion Is That?(00:51:33) - No Home For Homeless People?

    53 min
  3. Inside the System: Therapy, Treatment, and Second Chances

    12/28/2025

    Inside the System: Therapy, Treatment, and Second Chances

    In this episode, Scott sits down with Morgan, a Drug Court Coordinator, and Sam, a therapist with the Department of Health and Human Services, for an honest look at how recovery, mental health, and accountability intersect. They talk about what drug court really looks like, the challenges people face while navigating substance use and trauma, and why support systems matter just as much as structure. This conversation offers insight into the work happening behind the scenes — where compassion meets responsibility and real change begins. Chapters (00:00:00) - Unhoused and Unaccounted in Sheboygan(00:01:03) - What led you into this line of work?(00:02:24) - Getting it together in the court system(00:03:13) - What Led You Into Work at Health and Human Services?(00:04:43) - In Treatment Court, Sam and Andrea(00:07:03) - How Often Are You Two Working Together in the Treatment Court?(00:08:13) - Mental health and addiction(00:09:43) - How early do you often see the struggles in people's lives with(00:11:01) - What is Treatment Court in Sheboygan?(00:15:40) - What Does the Drug Court Team Look Like?(00:19:23) - How Homelessness Impacts Recovery or Treatment Court(00:23:22) - "They Didn't Choose This Life"(00:29:27) - How to Protect Your Mental Health While Working(00:34:30) - What Keeps You From Getting Burned Out?(00:36:47) - What Does Success Look Like For Someone Who Graduates Drug Court?(00:40:37) - What would you both want to see happen for substance abuse and mental

    46 min
  4. When Helping Gets Complicated

    12/14/2025

    When Helping Gets Complicated

    In this episode, Kathleen and I talk openly about being approached regarding a proposed new day center — the miscommunication that followed, and why clarity and honesty matter so much when serving our unhoused neighbors. We also share what it really takes to run a day center: consistency, boundaries, accountability, trust, and a deep understanding of the people being served. Helping is important — but how we help, and how well we communicate, makes all the difference. Chapters (00:00:23) - A Day Center Talk(00:02:24) - Another Day Center Being Proposaled(00:09:02) - Punishment For Putting Everything Out There About The Salvation Army(00:16:14) - The Pay it Forward Center Fight(00:20:37) - Paying it Forward: What the Church Did(00:25:26) - Kathleen on the Pastor's Letter(00:29:55) - Responding to the Michigan Suicide(00:34:55) - Reasons for a Code of Accountability(00:39:41) - Leaders Need To Own It(00:44:14) - Volunteers Speak Out About the Crisis(00:49:50) - A message about the election(00:50:30) - Sam Kinsey on the stigma of suicide

    53 min
  5. Questions We’re Asked & Conversations We Need to Have

    12/01/2025

    Questions We’re Asked & Conversations We Need to Have

    In this milestone episode, Scott and Kathleen take a step back to reflect on their journey and respond directly to questions from listeners. From the role of faith-based organizations, to the realities of housing, systemic barriers, and community support, this conversation goes where most podcasts don’t. We discuss: • Barriers for people who don’t follow traditional religions • Why nontraditional spiritual or community helpers are shut out • Where funding goes — policing vs rehab and mental health • What housing options exist beyond the Salvation Army & Warming Center • Community spaces now that Pay It Forward is gone We also revisit past episodes — compassion, business, church leadership, transitional housing, recovery, and lived experience — and celebrate a major milestone: 500+ Spotify downloads. Chapters (00:00:22) - Sheboygan Stories in Housed and Unheard(00:01:47) - Paying it Forward: The Homeless People(00:07:06) - Non-Religious Organization(00:13:50) - Reasons You Didn't Get Help(00:15:44) - House of Spiritual Vibes Denied Participation In Overdose Awareness(00:20:25) - Don't worry about what people say(00:21:48) - Homeless Police encounter fines, courts warrant jail release(00:24:58) - Don't Judge Others' Weight Loss(00:30:31) - Has There Been Any Progress Finding Shelter Beyond Salvation army or the W(00:36:46) - Kyla on The Real Story(00:37:39) - Pay it Forward: We're Still Here(00:41:39) - Comments on the Previous Episodes(00:46:34) - Pay It Forward: When we decided to dissolve the non-profit(00:51:36) - A No November for the Homeless(00:56:02) - Transitional Housing: A Step Forward

    1h 1m
  6. From Shelter to Stability: Corvid’s Story

    11/16/2025

    From Shelter to Stability: Corvid’s Story

    In this powerful episode, Corvid shares his path from living on the streets to finding stability at Home Inc Transitional Housing. Through honesty and vulnerability, he opens up about the hardships, choices, and life events that led him to homelessness — and the courage it took to step into a new chapter. We talk about what transitional housing is really like from the inside, the challenges of rebuilding your life after years of instability, and what hope looks like when you’re finally given a chance to breathe, rest, and start again. This is a raw, human, and deeply important conversation about resilience, recovery, and what it truly means to come home. Chapters (00:00:00) - Transitional Housing: Stories on the Need(00:01:45) - What Was Life Like Before Home, Inc.?(00:06:39) - Homeless man on the streets of Sheboygan(00:12:20) - Tom Brokaw on the election(00:16:20) - Pete Walsh on Kyla's Homeless Program(00:22:08) - Kyla on Her Battle With CPTSD(00:27:31) - Homeless People Get the Help They Need(00:31:42) - Homeless woman who saved her life(00:34:51) - Paying it Forward: Kyla's story(00:41:53) - Home Inc.(00:47:03) - The Stigma of Being Homeless(00:51:21) - "I Don't Think I'm Ready to Get Back On The(00:55:27) - Sheboygan Homeless Man on Threatening the Future of Pay It(01:00:42) - "I Did Not Come on a Colombian raft"(01:05:26) - Christian activist on Sheboygan County's problems(01:12:17) - "Ease Up on the God Thing..."(01:18:46) - Tom Barrett on Helping Strugglers(01:25:38) - Korvid's story of transition and Pay It Forward

    1h 27m
  7. Art in Recovery: From Surviving to Creating

    11/02/2025

    Art in Recovery: From Surviving to Creating

    In this powerful episode, Scott sits down with Crystal Matthews, a woman whose journey from hardship and incarceration to healing and hope is nothing short of inspiring. Once a familiar face at our Sunday lunches, Crystal has turned her life around and now leads Art in Recovery, a program that uses creativity to help others find peace, purpose, and self-expression. Together, they talk about how art became her lifeline, what keeps her grounded, and how she’s now helping others rebuild their lives — one brushstroke at a time. Tune in and be reminded that sometimes healing begins not with words, but with color, movement, and the courage to start again. Chapters (00:00:22) - Sheboygan Stories: Art and Recovery(00:01:07) - One artist's art to help others in recovery(00:05:51) - Philip Glass on Art and Recovery(00:06:51) - The John Michael Kohler Art Center(00:09:07) - I Think I Can...(00:13:45) - Paying it Forward Art(00:17:39) - How's It Unheard?: Crystal Her

    19 min
  8. A Step Between: Inside Transitional Living

    10/19/2025

    A Step Between: Inside Transitional Living

    In this episode, Scott talks with a local advocate who recently opened a transitional living space in Sheboygan. They discuss the process of getting in, the importance of accountability and structure, and the ultimate goal of helping residents move toward permanent housing. It’s an honest and hopeful look at what “a second chance” really means — and the effort it takes to make stability possible. Chapters (00:00:00) - What Inspired the Opening of a Transitional Living House?(00:06:37) - Paying it Forward(00:07:39) - A home for the homeless in Chicago(00:12:24) - What is Transitional Living?(00:13:38) - Beyond a Room: The Community Center(00:16:37) - What Needs to Be Accepted Into Your Program?(00:20:52) - Transitional Living: Help Residents Gain Their Own Independence(00:23:01) - How to Get Out of the Residue(00:27:47) - One group helped one homeless person get off the street(00:29:31) - The transitional living center's first week(00:32:34) - What's been the hardest part about opening and running this kind of(00:33:25) - Recent success stories at the homeless outreach(00:35:41) - One Voice for the Homeless(00:38:02) - Volunteers are needed at Home Inc. Transitional Housing Unit(00:42:06) - Unhoused and Unheard

    43 min
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Ratings & Reviews

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out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Real people. Real stories. Sheboygan Stories: Unhoused and Unheard is a raw and honest podcast sharing the voices of those experiencing homelessness in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Hosted by Scott LaBonte, co-founder of Sheboygan Area Pay It Forward, each episode amplifies stories of survival, struggle, and strength from the streets, shelters, and systems that often forget the people they serve. No filters. Just truth.

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