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Ep #304 – Moving Forward After a Challenging Year · Our Community, Our Mission

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Dear Heavenly Father, we just come before you asking that this podcast be uh communicative in a way that you want it to be.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: Lord, TRM belongs to you.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_00: We belong to you.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: The people do.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I just pray that our thoughts, our visions, our strategies, that they just completely align with what it is you have for TRM in 2026.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: Lord, we also take the time right now to just pray for our community.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: As we are a couple of months into this new year, Lord, we just pray that for all the leadership in our community, we pray for businesses and churches and nonprofits and organizations.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: Lord, we just ask that you be with everything that is occurring within Shawnee County and Topeka.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Lord, give everybody the strength to be courageous and to do what it is that you're needing us to do on behalf of serving others.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: We love you and we thank you for all that you do for us, Lord.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: In your name we pray.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_03: Hello, everybody.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_03: Welcome to our Community Our Mission, a podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_03: We're coming to you on February the 24th, 2026.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_03: This is episode number 304.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_03: I'm your host today, Barry Feeker with Lamanda Cunningham, Marion Crable.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_03: Good morning.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_03: So February is almost over.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_02: Where did this these first two months go?
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_03: I I think there was really cold weather, warming centers.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_03: WC word, yeah.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_03: Froze our brains, froze, froze our everything.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so we're uh yeah, it's just moving along really fast.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_03: We're gonna talk about some really important stuff today.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_03: We have John Ostenson, who is the board president.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_03: Uh welcome, John.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_03: Good morning.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you for having me.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, you betcha we've had you here before.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_03: We're gonna talk about some really good and important things uh uh today in regards to 2026 and kind of setting the tone of uh what's ahead and some accomplishments are hoping to happen, and also the power of prayer.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_03: So we're gonna try to cover all those.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_03: But of course, we have to honor the Research and Development Department who also has spent extensive amount of time since our last podcast trying to get set up for what's special about February 24th every single year.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_03: And so we have three main things that are important.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_03: Of course, uh one that's uh important to some of us more than others.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_03: It's National Tortilla Chip Day.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah, that that's good.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_03: That's a good day.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_03: So where did that originate from, Miriam?
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I'm talking about Taco Bell.
• 2:41
  unknown: No.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_02: No, okay.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_02: No, all right.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_02: I'm guessing not that.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_02: But I don't know.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_02: But you know, some things are just blessings right from the start, and this is one of those.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_03: So we think oftentimes as we think oftentimes as tortilla chips came from Mexico.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_03: They actually were originated in in one of the places close to where you used to be, Los Angeles.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_03: Los Angeles.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_03: So that's close to Mexico, sort of.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_03: So uh but uh close.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so National Tortilla Chip Day.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_03: And so I think, yeah, every day is kind of a tortilla chip day.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_03: You know, back in the day.
• 3:11
  SPEAKER_03: Back in the day, we only had one kind of tortilla chip, right?
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_02: I don't even remember tortilla chips.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_03: You don't?
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_02: From growing up?
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_02: No.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_03: Where do you get it?
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_03: Where where do they come in?
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_03: When do they first start?
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_03: Well, no, they were around since the nineteen forties.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, but apparently not in Mound Ridge.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_02: I know well.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_03: Those were called cow patties back then, right?
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, okay.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I remember them once I got to college.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_03: Uh-huh.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: But what exactly constitutes as a tortilla chip?
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: Like I'm a scoops person.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_00: I love scoops.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: Is that considered a tortilla chip?
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: The ones that are not a little bit more.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: Nritos.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: No, those are Fritos.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_00: No, no, no.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, yeah.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Because you scoop in the cheese dip or the bean dip.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: But it's so hard to be mini.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: But see, I don't even know if it's a tortilla chip.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: Well, a couple of things.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_03: Some of them are flat, some of them are triangled, some of them are curly.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_03: Fritos, are they a tortilla chip?
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_03: No, there's no.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, they don't have to qualify.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_03: That's a corn chip.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_03: So all right.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_02: So tortilla chips come because you cut up tortillas and fry them.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_03: So I don't know how they get that.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_03: Next year research and development department, if we happen to land on February 24th, we need a little more definition to it.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_03: So because there could be some real arguments.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_03: Well, we're going to get into the next thing.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_03: Talk about arguments.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_03: So today, John O, president of the board, take a rescue.
• 4:30
  SPEAKER_03: What is today?
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_03: National Well, Trading Card Day.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_01: National Trading Card Day.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_03: So uh Trading Card Day has been around for some time.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_03: You know, today with the Internet, um, with all the billion channels on television, cell phones, trading cards are still a thing, but not the thing that they used to be.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_03: So, John, you're kind of a trading card guy, aren't you?
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_04: I am, yeah.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 4:56
  SPEAKER_03: What kind of trading cards do you uh enjoy?
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_03: There's only one worthwhile trading.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_03: Uh-huh.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_03: Right, Alec?
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_03: Mm-hmm.
• 5:04
  unknown: I got one.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_03: So who what's the who's the best baseball player of all time?
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_03: We're just going to the best one.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_03: Alec, you don't have a microphone, so you can just kind of sign language to us over here.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_03: Best baseball player of all time.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_03: That'd be Babe Ruth.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_03: Babe Ruth, okay.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_03: Does anybody disagree with that?
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_04: No.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_03: It's a really good candy bar, but there's also the kind of the, you know, it's kind of like the Mahomes of baseball, the pitcher is the guy we look at as kind of the quarterback.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_03: And so um who, John, is the best pitcher of all time?
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_04: Well, no doubt, Nolan Ryan.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_04: And I know the audience out there all agree with me.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_04: And by the way, Nolan Ryan played in the National League also, and he would hit home runs.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, I forgot that makes a person a good pitcher.
• 5:51
  SPEAKER_04: He had to help himself out because some of the teams he was on could not generate any runs to help him get those victories.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: High demand.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_03: So, Alec, just remember this is the board president picaris professional.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_03: Excuse me, Your Honor.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_03: So you know, it exactly what you guys just did is what they used to do before all the tech we had.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_03: People sit around and talk about, argue, have fun with uh trading cards.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_03: And this was a um kind of a a good thing to get together around, right?
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_03: If you cared about baseball.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_03: Some of us cared more about other sports than baseball.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_02: Well, don't they have football cards?
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_02: Well, they do.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_03: But you don't think of football trading cards.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_03: No.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_03: You think of baseball.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_03: Baseball.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_03: Golf trading cards, figure scrating trading cards, you know?
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_03: Um distance running trading cards.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_03: No.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_03: Those are sports?
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: So all about perspective, I guess.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_03: Now, the board president of any organization has to be on the ball all the time.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_03: Excuse the pun.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_03: So this board president just happens to have right here on the table, you can't see it, but we can all verify it's a Nolan, what's his name?
• 7:05
  SPEAKER_01: Ouch.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_03: That was a direct hit, too.
• 7:08
  SPEAKER_03: Trading card hit.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_03: And that thing's surrounded with protective vinyl on it.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_03: So uh John, uh you're ready to put up for bid, make a little money for the rescue mission.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_03: You want to sell this thing?
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_03: Where would you start?
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_03: Where would you start?
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_04: I love the rescue mission more than knowing Ryan, so I would put it up for like a two million dollar starting price?
• 7:28
  SPEAKER_03: That's true.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_03: So that's that would be sacrifice.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_03: I would it would be a great sacrifice, but I would do it.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_03: You probably got twenty more of those.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_03: So anyway, so anyway, so okay, getting into something.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_03: The last thing research and development hard.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_03: We give them credit for this one.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you for National Tortillo Chip Day.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you for National Trading Card Day.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_03: All right, controversial politically hot button here.
• 7:55
  SPEAKER_03: This is World Spay Day.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_02: It is controversial?
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_03: Well, for those people who don't want their animals spayed, yeah, let me tell you.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, interesting.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_03: So World Spay Day is a recognition of spay and neuter, your cats and dogs, goldfish, whatever, uh so that there isn't too many of them and they're not well taken care of.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_03: And so I have run into some people.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_03: You know, we we uh years ago we were part of starting what was called the Pet Assistance Network of Topeka.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_03: Still exists today.
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_03: Street Dog Coalition um came along after that, which works with our unsheltered homeless, and now those two organizations are joining together.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_03: So part of what they do is they try to encourage or provide services to help pets get spayed and neutered.
• 8:36
  SPEAKER_03: There's some people that aren't too happy about that.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_03: They don't ask the animals, but they ask the owners, and they're not happy about it either.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_03: So it is a little politically charged.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_03: But point of all that said, it's a good thing to do for the health, welfare, and taking care of these little creatures.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, for sure.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_03: So, but do we know who originated Spay Day?
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_02: I actually think I might.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_02: I think it's Doris Day.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_03: Doris Day.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_03: Amanda, who's Doris Day?
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know.
• 9:06
  SPEAKER_00: I've heard the name.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, okay.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_02: You're almost 40.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_02: Is she a singer?
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_02: She's an actress.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my gosh, I can't even believe it.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_02: Sometimes you make me feel older than I am.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: I told you I knew more about 80s rock and roll.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I can endorse toe-to-toe with you on KISS, but you don't know Doris Day is a little sad.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_03: So, Miriam, you uh you knew she was uh a singer and an actress.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_03: Did you know she was an animal welfare activist at the time?
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_03: I did.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_03: Did you really?
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_02: Her and Betty uh the other was Betty White?
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_02: Betty White.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_03: Uh-huh.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_02: Those are the two that I were very well, they were so vocal about it.
• 9:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_03: Well, they also uh who joined her in this uh endeavor um was um someone called Cary Grant.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, yeah.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_03: Remember him, huh?
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 9:48
  SPEAKER_03: Jimmy Stewart.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_03: Jack Lemon.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_03: And they uh they uh created what was called the um Animal Foundation, Doris Day Animal Foundation.
• 9:58
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, the DDAF.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_03: The D D AF.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_03: I didn't know that existed.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_03: That I did not know.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_03: So but uh that's pretty cool.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 10:04
  SPEAKER_03: That's pretty cool.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_03: So um uh Topeka Rescue Mission and throughout the community, we're very, very interested in the uh welfare of homeless pets as well.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_03: And of course, um, so there won't be more homeless pets, um, there is a way to kind of help that.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, absolutely.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_03: DDAF Day here on February 24th every year.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_03: So uh thank you, research and development department, Alec.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_03: I know you're over there kind of sulking because of the baseball card argument, but uh you don't have a microphone anymore.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_03: So sorry, bud.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_03: So, but thanks for these.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, so we again uh 2026, it seems like it just started, uh, but we're already almost to March.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_03: Um there's some uh really uh great planning that's gone into every year at Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_03: You've been planning for a long time.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_03: So Lamanda, Miriam, John, uh what's the tone?
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_03: What would you say setting the tone for this year would be, even though we're already into almost month number three?
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_03: Um for the listeners to say, what what's the plan?
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_03: And and knowing anytime in emergency services you set a plan, uh there's always pivot.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_03: And so plenty of those, aren't there?
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_03: There are.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_03: So what what is the tone?
• 11:16
  SPEAKER_03: Uh if people are saying you know, what's your what's your where are you headed this year?
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we talked about this a little bit a couple of weeks ago on the podcast when we were kind of unpacking things as deputies, and one of the things that bubbled up was um last year was a heavy year.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: Um and I think I have really been seeking the Lord on how to articulate the reflections of 2025 in a way that is authentic, um, but yet still so hopeful.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um and last year it was heavy.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we we talked about having um uh a brutal staff assault, uh, the worst one that that TRM has ever seen.
• 12:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um we had talked about external factors that were impacting people living on the streets, which then increase negative behaviors and desperation and and such.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_00: And we're on the front lines uh with that.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we also dove into um the difficulty in trying to be wise leaders um with financial stewardship, but also trusting the Lord to provide in his way on his time.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_00: And so that that was no easy feat in 2025.
• 12:44
  SPEAKER_00: And um, to be quite honest, especially being CEO and our leadership team, you have to face those things.
• 12:52
  SPEAKER_00: Uh you can't put your head in dirt and and look away.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: But what I really feel like the Lord has um challenged myself, and I think the team feels this way too, is despite that, are you still going to anticipate?
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: And that isn't always easy for me when when you're seeing the challenges, you're seeing the trouble, you're seeing people relapse again, uh, you're seeing things not hit budget and and you're not sure what that looks like.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um yet God is asking us to remain hopeful in what he's doing that's not seen.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: And so when I think about pivoting from 2025, we had great things happen.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_00: We had a beautiful night of praise, we had great back to school events, we had um God moments and our Christmas giveaways, like all of these things that were beautiful, filled with purpose that you can't explain.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_03: Not to mention lives taken care of every day.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_03: Every day, people having showers.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_02: And we saw the miraculous recovery of that employee that was so brutally assaulted.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_02: That's right.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_00: And being able to to walk alongside that employee's journey and healing and his family.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: Family, the treatment team.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_00: I still meet with them every month.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, there's so many good things.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_00: But then we have to um as authentically as possible reflect on the good, the bad, and the beautiful of 2025 and then say, God, what is our posture for 2026?
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: And what I think that pivot has come is despite the challenges, the Lord is asking us, are you still on this journey with me?
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm just proud of the board.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: I'm proud of, if I can say just myself, to continue to stand up after you you kind of get hit down.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_00: I'm proud of our leadership team that we can go, man, 2025 was a tough one.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_00: Yet we are so excited about what we're gonna learn, what we're gonna see, what we're gonna get to be a part of in 2026, along with our theme of the power of prayer.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_00: Because without prayer, we can't do any of this individually because it's out of our human strength.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: But then collectively, when we see the power of prayer work, it it makes those good things happen and it also helps us get through the things where we say, God, where were you?
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_00: And so I would say our posture right now is we've understood the best we can of 2025 and realized that some of those years are is that, but that doesn't change God's character.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_00: And in 2026, we want to stand firm in whatever God is doing, um, and we are believing in the power of prayer for Him to do it.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_03: John is uh board president and former law enforcement.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, there's a time to advance and a time to retreat.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes when the bullets are flying, it's time to retreat and kind of pull back or stand your ground or whatever.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_03: Um as uh and then there's times to, in spite of, um, in 2025 had some some difficulties, as Lamanda talked about a little bit, is that here we are in 2026.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_03: Is this a time to stand down?
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_03: Is this a time to retreat?
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_03: Is it just time to advance?
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_04: No.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_04: No, not at all.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_04: We're we're moving forward, and as I listened to Lamanda, I I just had this recurring thought that God just made us better.
• 16:38
  SPEAKER_04: He made us stronger through all of those very, very difficult challenges.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_04: And just as a result, this whole TRM team is stronger.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_04: We're just better.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_04: We're better.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_04: And so, no, um, we're not we're not gonna retreat, we're not gonna get complacent, we're gonna move forward.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_04: And and like and I agree with the Lamana, we stand firm and and um we're ready to face the next challenges.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_03: That's exciting.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_03: Miriam, you've been in leadership and nonprofits uh more than one place.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_03: Uh-huh.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_03: United Ways and and uh Chamber of Commerce and so forth.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_03: When you hear a leader like John just say what he says, what's that make you feel like?
• 17:15
  SPEAKER_02: Wonderful.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_02: Encouraged, excited about what the future holds for us.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_02: Um it's it's wonderful when leadership um and our board, whether it's staff or board, is not deterred by anything that happened in the past, that we're not looking in the rear view mirror, other than for the things that we learned and how it encouraged us and helped us move forward.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_02: And know that we made it through that and the Lord will lead us through whatever He has planned that we're gonna encounter in the future.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_02: So to me, it's just encouraging.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_03: So, Lamanda, CEO, you um obviously have to look at every single angle.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you have to look at what's going on internally, you have to look at what's externally in the community, you have to look at what the board is processing with you.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_03: So you just heard John say, you know, we've learned, um, we're better.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_03: We're moving forward.
• 18:08
  SPEAKER_03: I love it.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_03: So uncommon to so many different what we would call um uh organizations that feel like, man, it was a rough time.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_03: We just need to we need to rest.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_03: But we're here in advance.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_03: So from your perspective, um what is what does that tell you not only about this organization, but also the lord of this organization?
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_00: I think two things.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: One collectively, and when I say collectively, I mean the board, myself, leadership team, and just staff in general.
• 18:50
  SPEAKER_00: We are on assignment.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: And um that assignment is to spread the hope of the gospel in the fact of it doesn't matter what life is like right now, God can transform it.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: And to tell people about this God so they know change can come.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_00: And so, you know, Barry, you and I just had a conversation earlier this morning, and I said there's kind of twofolds here.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's what I feel as a leader, it's what I'm going through, it's what I'm processing, yet that's secondary to the purpose of TRM.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_00: And um, I think that is the same for all staff, all board members, myself.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: We're all on our own journey, right?
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_00: We we have our own lives, our own challenges, our own successes that we are working through with the Lord.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yet God brings that all together for this assignment and our own learning about ourselves, our lives, our family, our friends.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_00: That doesn't pause to do the mission of TRM.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_00: What God does, though, is he blends everything that we're learning about ourselves and the God of our own lives, that relationship, and he blends it all together and uses every one of us in different capacities to reach the one.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_00: And so um to hear John say, Yep, we might have had a rough time, but we're better because of it.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_00: Well, we're better because God didn't forsake us.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_00: He was with us in it and he taught us things.
• 20:30
  SPEAKER_00: So now we know we're going to face challenges in 2026 and they're not going to be fun.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_00: And individually, um, it can be taxing on all of us, but then that's when we lean together so that we don't lose sight of we are here every day because there's people all around us, sometimes people we serve, sometimes fellow staff members, and sometimes your CEO that are struggling, that are um going through things.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_00: And there is just this collective understanding that we love each other, this collective understanding that we don't ever want anyone to feel alone.
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_00: And um we in our own ways have experienced God's transformation and redemption in our own lives that I'm telling you, everyone at TRM, and I I know we're supposed to not say everyone or always or whatever, but I would I guess I can't say put money on it, but I'm gonna put money that there is not one staff member at TRM that is not truly here because they know what God is doing in themselves and they want others to be able to have that.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_00: And that to me is only God led.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_00: So that's one part of it.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_00: The other part is um, what does that tell me about the Lord?
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_00: Barry, I think you threw me that zinger on purpose.
• 21:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um Uh you know, the Lord and I um we're we're dancing right now.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_00: And sometimes dancing kind of feels like we're boxing.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_03: Um just very honest.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_00: And um I think that the Lord has shown me um in 2025, and I think he's he's gonna continue in 2026, that circumstances does not change his character.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I have been guilty, surely I'm not the only one, but maybe I am, that uh if things feel good, God seems great.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_00: When things don't feel good, budget, staff concerns, um, sickness, whatever else we face, warming centers, the challenges of all of it, then there are sometimes I've been guilty to say, God, where are you?
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_00: God, why aren't you working this out?
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_00: God, you have the power to change this, why are you not?
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_03: You can say guilty, or you can say, I'm talking to God, asking him, Where are you?
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 23:03
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, it's not a guilty thing.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_03: If you can't see him, you don't understand him, you don't know if he's involved.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_03: That's not a that's not a um a sin.
• 23:14
  SPEAKER_03: That's not that's that what that is is a reality check of saying, I need to check in with you to see where you are.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_02: Well, and there's this difference between we know things.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_02: We know, right?
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_02: We know God is always there.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_02: Our hearts aren't always all in on that.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_03: We know it intellectually.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_02: We that's what I'm saying.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_02: But sometimes we're told that, but sometimes we don't see it.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_02: We don't feel it.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_02: Right?
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_02: Because seeing sometimes doesn't yeah.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_02: It's just not as obvious sometimes.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_02: It's not it's where the faith and trust comes in, right?
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_02: That we know it's true.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_02: And so we may have to repeat it a hundred different times without actually believing it, but we're gonna keep going there because we know we know it is truth.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_02: But sometimes our hearts have to catch up.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_03: Well, and sometimes too, we can be in a spot or a place, or we're doing something, um, maybe a good thing.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_03: And we don't experience God in that.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_03: And so we go, God, where are you?
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_03: And he may say, Um, over here.
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_03: And we may need to move where he is.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_03: We need to go do a different thing.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_03: So it's not always, God, come and do what I want you to do.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_03: Like it's never that at all.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_02: It's never that, yeah.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_03: But finding out what God is doing and joining him there.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_03: And so then we connect more.
• 24:32
  SPEAKER_03: And that's part of our learning experience is uh, whatever our position is here, is God, what are you doing?
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and may we join you, rather than saying, God, come join me in what I'm doing.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_02: And sometimes it's like, seriously, you want us to join you there?
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_03: Uh-huh, exactly.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_00: But okay.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_00: Can you give me the neon flashing sign so I know that's what you're telling us?
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, I think um just looking ahead too in 2026, um, I already see God doing it with the incredible staff.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um gosh, I love our team.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um love our team.
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_00: But one of the coolest things that I've really started to see, and I could go down the list and say names, but is um even in the last probably 24 months, myself included, you go to talk about the Lord, and it's like you want to get it right because that person in front of you, that may be the only thing that they're hearing about the Lord, right?
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_00: And so it's almost like subconsciously, we at TRM have almost put this unrealistic expectation of ourselves that like we never want to mislead somebody about the Lord, or we want to talk about all the good stuff about the Lord and the hopefulness part.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yet what I've seen is God is using really tough challenges personally with staff, but also professionally what we're facing to still glorify Him, but to teach really His character.
• 26:10
  SPEAKER_00: And so the more our staff become comfortable in talking about, hey, sometimes our prayer life isn't always, Lord, let me come to you in reverence, let me tell you all my problems, you fix them all in the same moment, and it's beautiful.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes prayer, it looks ugly.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_00: It is questioning, it's telling God you're hurt, it's um telling him that you don't understand what's happening, those kinds of things.
• 26:36
  SPEAKER_00: When our staff are comfortable in our own skin to say a relationship with God isn't perfection, when we are then able to say that to someone in the midst of addiction or in the midst of mental illness or someone who walked away from a lifestyle that was great because they just couldn't handle it anymore, all of these things, people go, Really?
• 26:59
  SPEAKER_00: Lamanda wrestles sometimes with prayer, or Mike Schottel and I talked about this the other day on the podcast, and Mike talked about sometimes our folks that we serve um feel like they have to get themselves together before they can go to God instead of realizing, no, many people are like that.
• 27:16
  SPEAKER_00: We go to God to get fixed, right?
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_00: And so I think 2026, um, but I think it's been happening for about a year or two, in my opinion, is the Lord is asking us to be vulnerable with what doesn't make sense about him, um, and what isn't always talked about in church as the pretty part of Christianity to reach people that sometimes feel like their life is too much of a mess or they are mess and that kind of thing.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_00: And um I see our staff talking to people on sidewalks, coming into the shelters.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_00: I see them doing it when they go to pick up donations and just this relatable thing of, hey, faith doesn't always make sense to me.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_00: Or no, God doesn't come through every month with excess for our budget.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_00: It's not always plenty, it's not always all this stuff that makes sense.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_00: And when we're able to authentically talk about that, but say, but I'm still following him, I can still trust him, we are still choosing for that to be our foundation here at TRM.
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_00: There's just power in that.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_02: And I think, and I think sometimes we're so concerned about seeing the big things God does.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_02: And yet yesterday, I am I am on a journey to to find where God is, where we get to see him in the things that aren't just big things.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_02: And it happened yesterday when we were doing the panic feed.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_02: Pancake feed.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_02: We weren't panicking.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_00: Well, we were panicking, we were panicking when it kept tripping.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_03: You had one day pancake, the rest of the days were panic and Freddy and Slip.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_02: Frody and Slipkill.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um anyway, so I'm listening to kind of a conversation where one of our facility staff is very concerned about one of our get one of our guests who had a stroke that isn't moving enough.
• 29:14
  SPEAKER_02: This is a this is a staff member that has struggled with a lot of things and has been um standoffish and reserved.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_02: And and here he is, he's sitting there talking about what can I do to help get this person up and moving?
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_02: And would it be possible to get one of those gate belts so I can then walk beside this person so we can help build up their strength so they don't have to stay here forever.
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_02: And I was so struck by that's where we see God, right?
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_02: In these little things where this staff person who has struggled with his faith, struggled with being able to open up and trust us, let alone the Lord.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_02: His was his heart was just that of a servant at every level.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_02: And I was just moved.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_02: And so I think, you know, sometimes we're looking for these big answers from God, and we're looking for the big, obvious miracle kind of stuff.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_02: And we just have to pay attention because the Lord is working and he's showing himself to us.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_02: But sometimes we just look over it because we want something big and flashy.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_02: And here was this beautiful little act that looked exactly like Jesus.
• 30:31
  SPEAKER_02: And just listening to that staff person was just like, oh my goodness.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_02: If we think the Lord isn't here, we've lost our minds.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I looked at Miriam.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I looked at Miriam, and both of us were like, because the staff member wasn't even really talking to us.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_00: We were eavesdropping.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we were eavesdropping, and I I got choked up that I had to walk out of the room.
• 30:55
  SPEAKER_00: She made me sit there.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, I made Miriam stay in there.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_00: And very confession time, I had to walk out because I have been so consumed.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_00: And and a lot of it's just my job.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm not saying well me, but I have been so consumed at everything that seems like God is not working out because every problem in this organization is mine.
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_00: And when I saw not only just who the staff member is, who is such a blessing, just him and himself, he's been on the podcast too.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_00: But to see this and that he wants to help this guest recover from a stroke, I walked out because I very clearly felt the Lord say, You have no idea what I am doing.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_00: And so I walked to my office and I said, Okay, God, I know you're here every day.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I know you bring in donations, I know that you bring smiles, I know that you plant seeds, someone may come to serve a meal and they leave knowing they've got to do more, all of those things.
• 32:12
  SPEAKER_00: But I said, God, I am the leader of this place, and what consumes me is constantly trying to solve everything that's needed.
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_00: And I felt the Lord very plainly say, or I'm already solving it, y'all just don't know it.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_03: Statement that says that people would rather see a sermon than hear one.
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_01: Uh-huh.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_03: And so I think what we're talking about here is not just telling people about the Lord, but watching the Lord reveal himself through what they see.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_00: And through our to ourselves, but then that same guy that's working on Lamanda is working on Miriam and is working on Barry and all of these things.
• 32:52
  SPEAKER_00: And then you bring all of that together and just to see the impact that happens every day through staff at TRM, volunteers at TRM, transformation of guests that that come back to us and say, I am a changed person because of what happened at TRM.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_00: Um I have got to figure out as a leader how to cling to those moments so that the stuff that doesn't seem like it's working out doesn't rock me.
• 33:25
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm on my own journey with that.
• 33:28
  SPEAKER_00: And that that is not easy.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_03: You mentioned the word authentic.
• 33:33
  SPEAKER_03: Um, there's a contrast between authentic and hypocrisy.
• 33:38
  SPEAKER_03: And oftentimes in religion, what we see more is non-authentic hypocrisy, people utilizing God for control, God for an excuse.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_03: Um sermon I heard on Sunday says hypocrisy blocks people from God.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_03: Hypocrisy manipulates holiness, hypocrisy focuses on the outward instead of the heart.
• 34:07
  SPEAKER_03: And so it is so common demand that we um see all of these things that are challenging, like a 2025, and then we try to control them.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_03: Um whether it's a board president or a director of strategic development or whether it's the CEO or others, to think that we've got to really do this perfect, and we need to shield people from seeing the real thing because the real thing is hard, it's ugly, whether it's a budget shortfall or we don't have enough food, or or or or um we had an assault on a staff member, whatever, we try to sugarcoat it, which is hypocrisy.
• 34:49
  SPEAKER_03: Authentic is to say, here we are, we can't do everything.
• 34:53
  SPEAKER_03: God again, where are you?
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_03: And then find him in that kind of situation right there.
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_03: Right there.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_03: John is board president.
• 35:02
  SPEAKER_03: Um uh you obviously have these volunteers coming in um every time you guys get together and meet, which is not just once a month, and uh looking at the bigger picture here.
• 35:16
  SPEAKER_03: And there's a lot of reasons to say, I don't know how we're gonna do it.
• 35:20
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know how we're going to raise all that money.
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know how we're gonna take care of all those people, I don't know how we're gonna expand services or we're gonna adjust those services.
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_03: You personally, John, um, as a professional, trained um uh servant, um, former law enforcement with Shawnee County Sheriff's Department, uh, where everything's pretty much just uh kind of cookie-cut.
• 35:43
  SPEAKER_03: You're gonna do it this way, you're gonna follow the law, you know.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 35:47
  SPEAKER_03: This is not quite as easy as that.
• 35:50
  SPEAKER_03: How do you balance that personally as a person who is law and order, um, gonna follow the rules, and yet sometimes that doesn't make sense in leadership at your level?
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_04: Well, a day I've heard it said, a day without prayer is a boast against God.
• 36:06
  SPEAKER_04: And so we we talk about being prayer warriors.
• 36:11
  SPEAKER_04: That didn't happen overnight for me.
• 36:13
  SPEAKER_04: You know, you uh, you know, as a as a as a young believer, you know, I was a dabbler in prayer, trying to figure out what is prayer even like, and then you know, you get married and then you find out more.
• 36:25
  SPEAKER_04: You have children, you find out even more.
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_04: And um, and for me, um entering into this role um of being a volunteer at Topeka Rescue Mission has really expanded uh my prayer life.
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_04: So in answer to that, uh Barry, it is it's prayer, and it's really just predetermined and recognizing that you know when we say we wear a shirt that says faith with the sleeves rolled up.
• 36:50
  SPEAKER_04: Well, I I gotta I gotta have faith and I gotta have trust that God's gonna meet our needs.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_04: And our the daily manna that we need, and we rely on him every single day.
• 37:03
  SPEAKER_04: Um in my professional life, um, if we needed money, we petitioned three people on the county commission.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_04: You know, and we set a budget and we work from that budget.
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_04: Well, here we're petitioning our community and beyond our community.
• 37:21
  SPEAKER_04: I'm not sure who I'm talking to right now, how far this goes out.
• 37:25
  SPEAKER_04: But that's but we have to um we have to rely on donors and uh and kind gifts and volunteers.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_04: And that's to me, it's it's just all through prayer.
• 37:38
  SPEAKER_04: And um I it reminds me too of when we were earlier talking about, you know, is this a time to rest?
• 37:44
  SPEAKER_04: I I recall uh something I learned from Tim Tebow not long ago, and he said, you know, when you when you die, he said you you want to hear uh enter into your rest.
• 37:55
  SPEAKER_04: And he said that really hit me.
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_04: That's when we rest, not now.
• 38:02
  SPEAKER_04: We don't we we we gotta stay in the battle.
• 38:06
  SPEAKER_03: So we've kind of set a foundational what it's about uh here.
• 38:10
  SPEAKER_03: It's not about us, um it's about the God of the universe who's called, and you mentioned the word assignment, authentic assignment, walking it out, um, and saying, God, show us where you are.
• 38:23
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes saying, God, where are you in that?
• 38:26
  SPEAKER_03: So looking ahead for 2026, what's some of those things you would like the community to know that are going to be those things that are gonna be continued on and maybe some new things?
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_00: So a couple of things.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um we can't say a whole lot yet, but we do have dun da da a press conference coming next week.
• 38:48
  SPEAKER_03: Want to tell us any more about that?
• 38:50
  SPEAKER_00: Um not not a whole lot, but uh stay tuned uh for uh Monday, March 2nd.
• 38:56
  SPEAKER_00: Uh yes, our tagline is more to come.
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_00: 1:30 p.m.
• 39:00
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we're gonna be having a a press conference here at the Children's Palace for just an exciting um announcement on uh some things that have been in the inner workings to help better serve people.
• 39:11
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so that will be unpacked in future podcasts, but that would be um a new thing, but also kind of a same thing that we've been doing.
• 39:20
  SPEAKER_00: So we're excited about that.
• 39:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, looking ahead too, um we are really diving into a new team called our restore team.
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we have been for about four or five months now merging our housing department, our guest management department, and our street outreach department to form one team.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's quite the task.
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_00: So we knew it would be a seven to eight month rollout.
• 39:47
  SPEAKER_00: Um, because what we've had in the past, and I don't think it was a bad thing, it's just a different season now.
• 39:54
  SPEAKER_00: We had designated people who were specializing in case management, specializing in outreach, specializing in housing.
• 40:01
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and what we realized is that kind of created disruptions for the people we served.
• 40:08
  SPEAKER_00: They would build a relationship with someone on the streets, and then they would come in and they'd have to learn new people in the shelter.
• 40:13
  SPEAKER_00: Then they would do guest management, reach a certain level, and then a new person for housing, and then with that housing person until 12 months after being housed, and it it was just a lot of transition.
• 40:25
  SPEAKER_00: And so um we have been working uh since late last fall to really start helping everyone in those departments learn um different abilities so that we are forming one team, so that when people come into the rescue mission, they're with one person until twelve months.
• 40:43
  SPEAKER_03: What's that important?
• 40:43
  SPEAKER_03: Why is that important?
• 40:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um you had a system to where people were uh kind of becoming experts in area of maybe outreach, and then uh somebody with shelter management, and then somebody else that was going to uh do guest management, somebody else with housing.
• 40:57
  SPEAKER_03: So that all makes sense.
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_03: It's kind of a continuum.
• 40:59
  SPEAKER_03: You hand that person who's in need off to the next level, the next level, the next level.
• 41:04
  SPEAKER_03: Why is that why does that not work as well?
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_00: Because relationships are key.
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_00: And uh relationships are not something that for any of us, even if we have strong mental health, we have good alliances, those kinds of things, relationship takes time to build.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_00: And so that can even be more challenging if you have lived in a traumatic brain state for a long time, if you um have other factors that um really limit um your trust factors and things with people.
• 41:35
  SPEAKER_00: And so what we found was it was good in the fact that we had great people in place, but then sometimes the people we served were three, four, five different people working with.
• 41:46
  SPEAKER_03: So we have to establish a new relationship when trust is kind of a big issue for all of us, but especially maybe if you've had compound trauma, you've been unsheltered, you've been disappointed, and so forth.
• 41:56
  SPEAKER_03: So you gotta kind of re-establish a relationship with the next person, then the next person now we're talking about maybe everybody working together and it's one main person.
• 42:05
  SPEAKER_02: Aaron Ross Powell Well, and think about it, is is the model you described in the beginning, which gets handed someone off four or five times, really client-centered, really guest-centered?
• 42:15
  SPEAKER_02: Or is it system centered?
• 42:17
  SPEAKER_02: It's a system-centered.
• 42:19
  SPEAKER_02: And so now it's about pulling this back to who belongs at the center of our work, and it is the people that we serve.
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_02: So we should be setting everything up so that we are serving them the best we possibly can.
• 42:32
  SPEAKER_02: Not what's logical for staff or easiest for staff.
• 42:37
  SPEAKER_02: This is about what is how are we going to function that will get the best results possible for the people that we serve, recognizing that each of them is very individual.
• 42:49
  SPEAKER_02: Each person, you know, there is no cookie-cutter kind of situation here.
• 42:53
  SPEAKER_02: Everyone has different goals.
• 42:55
  SPEAKER_02: Everyone has different capacity to reach those goals.
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_02: And so, how do we form the work that we do with them at the center, not us at the center?
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_03: What you're asking, though, of staff and volunteers and the whole system is to relearn what we normally do, and that's to focus on our main thing.
• 43:13
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 43:14
  SPEAKER_03: Just like you mentioned the perch person in facilities who has got a lot of big jobs here to take care of six properties.
• 43:21
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I think, and uh there's and not a big team to be focusing on that, yet stop for the one in front of them and say, I wonder if we could help this person move more.
• 43:32
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, we we tend to be a little concerned about people getting out of their quote unquote lane.
• 43:39
  SPEAKER_03: But what you're talking about is bringing the lanes together so it is guest centered and not us centered, which is a big risk.
• 43:47
  SPEAKER_03: That's why you're taking a little time to build it, right?
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_00: It is, yeah.
• 43:49
  SPEAKER_00: And it's not something that we can just roll out.
• 43:54
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, we've had to be very intentional with our manual, we've had to be intentional with recreating job.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_00: Descriptions, writing those, getting the right people in place, getting the right leadership, uh, waiting on the Lord's timing when some things move forward, some things move backwards, and we're trying to align that.
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but really hopeful that it changes the experience for the person who has the bravery to come into our shelters.
• 44:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, on the hills of that, I do not know if this is going to come to fruition, um, but I would love for it if it is.
• 44:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um, when we're talking about guest experience and really this internal focus, we have got to move towards um a step-up bed system.
• 44:39
  SPEAKER_00: And so just to kind of explain that right now, we have um a combination in in both shelters of bunk beds.
• 44:47
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes the bunk beds are truly a top and bottom bunk setup, a combo.
• 44:52
  SPEAKER_00: Uh sometimes we just have the bunks separated at the hope center because we put a lot of single females um into some of the rooms.
• 44:59
  SPEAKER_00: One level, one level.
• 45:02
  SPEAKER_00: Um and the step-up bed system in a nutshell is um it just is more aesthetically dignified.
• 45:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it's it's not a bunk bed system, and there's actually steps that go into an area that has a bed and it has like a little kind of like a nightstand area.
• 45:23
  SPEAKER_00: Um, there are some drawers so that people's items are in that.
• 45:28
  SPEAKER_00: And it's just um from an aesthetic point of view, more trauma-informed and um more homey uh friendly um approach.
• 45:38
  SPEAKER_00: You just feel more comfortable.
• 45:39
  SPEAKER_03: Your space.
• 45:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, yeah, um, but it's still functional in a congregate setting, those kinds of things.
• 45:47
  SPEAKER_00: So we are um currently getting uh quotes on having those units built for our space.
• 45:55
  SPEAKER_00: There would have to be um even changes in um the ceiling type and and all of those.
• 46:01
  SPEAKER_00: So it would be a very lofty um miracle to happen in 2026.
• 46:08
  SPEAKER_00: But I do mention that because everything that I think we do stands on the shoulders of stuff that you all did before us, Barry.
• 46:17
  SPEAKER_00: What's happening right now, and one day, me and my leadership team, we're not gonna be here.
• 46:23
  SPEAKER_00: And people that come after us will be doing what's best for people in that time.
• 46:28
  SPEAKER_00: And I do think we are in this I want to say awkward, but that sounds negative.
• 46:34
  SPEAKER_00: Beautiful, maybe I should say.
• 46:36
  SPEAKER_00: This beautiful transition in what has worked and what worked well, but in current times, physical limitations, just you know better, you do better, more trauma-informed knowledge, those kinds of things, our shelters are really in need of a transition to these step-up systems and all of that.
• 46:56
  SPEAKER_03: Well, there's a safety issue here too.
• 46:58
  SPEAKER_03: Those step-up beds are built for helping people to get in and out of bed a lot um easier, a lot a whole lot safer.
• 47:06
  SPEAKER_03: And they didn't have those years ago.
• 47:08
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 47:09
  SPEAKER_03: Um and so if you see the population of Topeka Rescue Mission and homeless in general today, it's an aging population with um mobility issues.
• 47:19
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 47:19
  SPEAKER_03: And so sometimes you'll have a person come in, you've got an available bed space, but it's up on a bunk and they can't get up there.
• 47:26
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 47:26
  SPEAKER_03: And so really there's no space for them because you can't really break it down and put it somewhere else.
• 47:30
  SPEAKER_03: The step-up bed is that next great invention that can help people to be safer, it's more accessible, and to your point, it's doesn't look institutional.
• 47:40
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 47:40
  SPEAKER_03: It looks like a little cubby hole where you get to be and your stuff can be in there and those kind of things.
• 47:45
  SPEAKER_03: So I know when I saw them here, what, two years ago, when we went to Shelter KC in Kansas City, it was like, where have they been?
• 47:52
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 47:52
  SPEAKER_03: And you know, they were what around when I was around, but I'm glad that you're looking at doing that.
• 47:57
  SPEAKER_03: I think they're gonna be expensive.
• 47:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 47:59
  SPEAKER_03: But the ability for the guests to come in and rest safer and rest better and to leave here healthier is gonna be a game changer.
• 48:08
  SPEAKER_03: And I think once people see it and they can then understand it, they'll see the value of it and they'll contribute to it.
• 48:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 48:16
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, we're we're not at a place yet where we can dive into the data.
• 48:21
  SPEAKER_00: Miriam and I are close.
• 48:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and probably in the next 60 to 90 days we will once the annual report comes out next month in March.
• 48:30
  SPEAKER_00: But one of the things that Miriam and I are on to is people are staying longer at TRM.
• 48:39
  SPEAKER_00: And some people, I think, in initially hearing that will go, oh, that's a negative thing.
• 48:44
  SPEAKER_00: They're they're not accessing services, they're not getting out quick enough, those kinds of things.
• 48:48
  SPEAKER_00: But actually, it is because uh guests are working the program, guests are working with housing, um, and our housing navigators are doing a great job finding the right fit, not just a fit for them.
• 49:03
  SPEAKER_00: So, what that says to me, too, is we know that TRM is not someone's home, but it is a temporary home for people, and we want them to feel that way.
• 49:16
  SPEAKER_00: And so if we have people that are accessing our classes, our programs, the partnerships that we have, getting the medical care, those kinds of things, and they're here longer, it it just makes sense too that while they're here, it's the best stay possible.
• 49:32
  SPEAKER_00: And currently the way we have bunk beds and such and and climbing up the uh vertical ladders that would be difficult for me sometimes.
• 49:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it it's just not the way we need to remain yet.
• 49:46
  SPEAKER_00: There is a financial barrier and we know that we can't just change this.
• 49:50
  SPEAKER_00: And so I do think 2026 will be the time we start talking about this more.
• 49:56
  SPEAKER_00: We had a representative out uh two weeks ago to give us some of the initial specs on it and and those kinds of things.
• 50:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I would love to pilot it.
• 50:04
  SPEAKER_00: I would love to take one dorm, uh be very intentional with that, um, maybe even get donors to sponsor one of the units, um, those kinds of things.
• 50:13
  SPEAKER_00: So more to come on that, and we may be talking about it for a while, or God could come through and and provide.
• 50:19
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know, but that is the direction we need to go.
• 50:22
  SPEAKER_03: So, some pretty significant restructuring of the way that guests are taken care of in regards to guest centering, helping them to move through their program while they're here towards another place.
• 50:34
  SPEAKER_03: Someday this is not their forever home, but it needs to be a good home while they're here.
• 50:38
  SPEAKER_03: Um, maybe some um physical changes with some some step-up beds and so forth.
• 50:43
  SPEAKER_03: Anything else?
• 50:44
  SPEAKER_03: Because I do have one last question for each of you, so um uh about 2026, so it's coming.
• 50:50
  SPEAKER_03: So, but anything else specific you want to share with um with our listeners?
• 50:54
  SPEAKER_00: The last thing that's really on my radar is staff support.
• 50:57
  SPEAKER_00: You know, Miriam and I have been talking for four or five years now, just of um how God has really impressed on our heart to um really shepherd your first flock.
• 51:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and that's our staff.
• 51:09
  SPEAKER_00: And so we know that we need to do the best we can to take care of our staff because they they just pour so much out of themselves and and thin themselves to serve.
• 51:21
  SPEAKER_00: And so um we started dabbling in supervisory training, different onboarding strategies, really what I would call some HR-focused type things, um, but not just policy and procedure, culture and and staff development.
• 51:37
  SPEAKER_00: And I am so incredibly proud of Kim Turley, who has uh pivoted into that position and done more than what I could have ever imagined.
• 51:47
  SPEAKER_00: Her and Miriam have really put their heads together on um a lot of different and specific training types.
• 51:54
  SPEAKER_00: And they also do a really good job showing me all the gaps that we have.
• 51:59
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so that that's why we chose the power of prayer and praying through a lot because of Miriam and Kim.
• 52:05
  SPEAKER_00: But um really looking at this saying, hey, how if we can't do this for staff, what can we do?
• 52:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I think 2026 is going to really continue some of the things that we piloted in 25 for staff.
• 52:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I think training is gonna be on point.
• 52:22
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's going to be um both logical but also encouraging.
• 52:28
  SPEAKER_00: And um, I think that 2026 is just a year where staff are gonna know they are really supported on their own journey, their own development of whatever that looks like skill set-wise, but also that we're pouring into the heart of them being here as well.
• 52:44
  SPEAKER_03: I think if uh my guess is that unless somebody just stumbled across this podcast, um, most listeners are really gonna be happy when they've heard about the direction that we've talked about today, about the the purpose, the reason, the foundation, some specific things.
• 53:00
  SPEAKER_03: Because whether you're a listener and you just are very interested in helping people, or maybe it's a little closer to home than that.
• 53:06
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe uh you've experienced homelessness yourself, or there's been a child or a parent or somebody you really care about, a brother or sister, or just a good friend, you want to know that there's a place in this community that takes care of people well and so also takes care of the people who are taking care of the people well.
• 53:22
  SPEAKER_03: So this is uh I'm gonna go Miriam, then John, then Lamanda.
• 53:26
  SPEAKER_03: 2026, Miriam.
• 53:28
  SPEAKER_03: What is your personal goal for the ministry that God's called you to?
• 53:40
  SPEAKER_03: You know me.
• 53:41
  SPEAKER_02: I know, and it's kind of annoying.
• 53:44
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
• 53:45
  SPEAKER_03: I take that as a compliment.
• 53:46
  SPEAKER_02: Um okay, ask me the question again.
• 53:50
  SPEAKER_03: So you are um uh deputy director here at Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 53:55
  SPEAKER_03: And uh you um you've got uh you've heard the goals corporately.
• 53:59
  SPEAKER_03: What's your personal goal for Topeka Rescue Mission for 2026?
• 54:05
  SPEAKER_03: Not that it isn't part of the other, but yeah personally, what really is your personal goal you want to see?
• 54:11
  SPEAKER_03: And it could be, you know, something about yourself too.
• 54:14
  SPEAKER_02: Well, and I think if this is the goal for the organization, it it has to be for myself as well, but that we persevere, that we um continue to be excited about changes that are coming, that we do not get sidetracked or deterred by naysayers, but that we just persevere and know what we know, right?
• 54:37
  SPEAKER_02: I just want us to know what we know because there is a confidence that we can have even in the uncertainty, um that this this isn't ours and we'll be okay.
• 54:51
  SPEAKER_02: We'll be okay.
• 54:52
  SPEAKER_02: And not to succumb when people are negative or constantly bringing up things from the past and that kind of thing.
• 55:02
  SPEAKER_02: But just that we persevere with hope.
• 55:05
  SPEAKER_03: Good.
• 55:06
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 55:06
  SPEAKER_03: John, board president.
• 55:08
  SPEAKER_03: Personal goal 2026 as board president for TRM.
• 55:16
  SPEAKER_04: Wow, that that's a that is that's a hard one because I can I can think of many, many things.
• 55:20
  SPEAKER_04: Uh the thing that really comes to mind, I think, because I I pray for uh TRM leadership here.
• 55:27
  SPEAKER_04: Uh that that's just a foundational prayer of mine.
• 55:30
  SPEAKER_04: But I need to be more intentional to pray for me.
• 55:34
  SPEAKER_04: You know, sometimes I forget to pray for me.
• 55:37
  SPEAKER_04: And um so pray for John and for Greg, our entire board.
• 55:45
  SPEAKER_04: Greg and Mike and Shelly and Leno and John, another John, and my missing one.
• 55:54
  SPEAKER_00: Dr.
• 55:54
  SPEAKER_00: Gray, Dr.
• 55:55
  SPEAKER_04: Gray, and to be very sp and I'm sorry, Kelly.
• 55:59
  SPEAKER_04: And Kelly.
• 56:00
  SPEAKER_04: You know, and and that reminds me too.
• 56:02
  SPEAKER_04: Okay, so uh to pray for our board members, because I'm so thankful for them.
• 56:07
  SPEAKER_04: And um a little side note, a little goal of mine is to uh to have another board member soon.
• 56:15
  SPEAKER_04: And uh a follower of Christ, maybe somebody young.
• 56:18
  SPEAKER_04: Now I know that's relative.
• 56:20
  SPEAKER_04: Young is younger than me, I'm 59, but I somebody who has um just unique skills and that has a desire to be a volunteer and serve at the most amazing board in Topeka.
• 56:35
  SPEAKER_04: And I say that not because we're amazing, but because we're doing amazing work with people that need the Lord so desperately.
• 56:43
  SPEAKER_04: And so if you're interested, please contact us.
• 56:46
  SPEAKER_04: I would love uh to talk to you.
• 56:48
  SPEAKER_03: And we're gonna let people know how they can do that here in just a minute.
• 56:51
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
• 56:51
  SPEAKER_03: But John, I we you do pray.
• 56:53
  SPEAKER_03: And uh you know thank you for being transparent about even praying more.
• 56:57
  SPEAKER_03: Um I love your quote.
• 56:58
  SPEAKER_03: Uh a day without prayer is a boast against God.
• 57:01
  SPEAKER_03: A day without prayer is a boast against God.
• 57:05
  SPEAKER_03: Um Wow, makes us sound like we don't need him, you know.
• 57:08
  SPEAKER_03: We're we're boasting.
• 57:09
  SPEAKER_03: And so I don't want to be self-sufficient.
• 57:11
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 57:12
  SPEAKER_03: So you can't be in this ministry.
• 57:14
  SPEAKER_03: Um I mean, you can own it, you can own your responsibility, your assignment, and persevere in it, but you can't do without him.
• 57:22
  SPEAKER_03: So persevering, uh praying more specifically, Lamanda, your personal goal for TRM, which I know a CEO, like we don't want to do another hour of podcasts, but you know, just what is what does that say to you?
• 57:38
  SPEAKER_00: I I think um when I think of everything that um should be and could be a focus of myself personally, I I think it can all be just chiseled down to I want this year to be a year where my faith is strengthened, not shaken.
• 58:00
  SPEAKER_00: And that is a um uh a pretty consistent tug of war um in what I see, what I experience, what I feel, uh, the level of responsibility, the level of devotion I have for here, uh often feeling misunderstood, not knowing when to uh push courage.
• 58:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um that looks crazy.
• 58:29
  SPEAKER_00: I also never want to be the reason why TRM is harmed in any way.
• 58:33
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's just this I don't think anybody, maybe you, Barry, because we've talked about this a lot, but it's really hard to understand um what all happens in my head and in my heart with this.
• 58:47
  SPEAKER_00: And uh TRM has such a a powerful impact that allows you to experience the Lord in a way that's almost indescribable.
• 58:57
  SPEAKER_00: Uh yet you also are on the edge of a lot of darkness and a lot of heartbreak and a lot of stuff that doesn't make sense.
• 59:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I just want my faith to be strengthened through that.
• 59:10
  SPEAKER_00: I don't ever want my faith to be shaken.
• 59:14
  SPEAKER_00: And and last year shook me.
• 59:16
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and I want to share that so that people know faith isn't always something on a mountaintop.
• 59:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yet I got to a place where it was it was pretty negative with the Lord and dark, and I've never been in that place my whole life, and I don't want to be there.
• 59:34
  SPEAKER_00: So my personal goal is regardless of what we face at TRN this year, I want my faith to be strengthened, um, not shaken in the ways that it has.
• 59:43
  SPEAKER_03: As John said, 2025 has made you better.
• 59:46
  SPEAKER_03: It has made you better.
• 59:48
  SPEAKER_03: And so um to all of you, um, and anybody else who's listening, God knows what he's doing.
• 59:54
  SPEAKER_03: He knows where he's placed you, he knows what he's done in your lives, and he knows what he's gonna do in your lives.
• 59:59
  SPEAKER_03: And so, this ministry of Topeka Rescue Mission, the people come through the doors, in spite of the mess, and it gets messy, uh, God is in the middle of the mess, and uh he's brought us good news that we're not alone.
• 1:00:12
  SPEAKER_03: And uh that uh we'll never, ever be forsaken or forgotten when we trust his son Jesus Christ.
• 1:00:19
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you all for this, and thank you for listening to our community, our mission, a podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 1:00:25
  SPEAKER_03: If you would like more information about Topeka Rescue Mission, you can go to the website at TRMonline.org.
• 1:00:31
  SPEAKER_03: That's TRMonline.org.
• 1:00:34
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, John had mentioned looking for another board member, so maybe you're that person.
• 1:00:38
  SPEAKER_03: There's a place where you can go to the volunteer section, sign up for that, and uh maybe you're the next board member or maybe the next person helping in the kitchen or somewhere else where you can touch people's lives in such a profound way and have your life touched as well.
• 1:00:53
  SPEAKER_03: Uh join us March the 2nd, that is next Monday, 1 30 p.m.
• 1:00:57
  SPEAKER_03: at the Children's Palace, the West Parking Lot, uh, March the 2nd, 1 30 p.m.
• 1:01:02
  SPEAKER_03: to learn more about um how we can come together as a community to help our unsheltered neighbors to one day in chronic homelessness.
• 1:01:09
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you for listening.