Latest / Our Community, Our Mission / Ep #327- Upstream and Downstream: A Conversation on Growth and Homelessness

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Ep #327- Upstream and Downstream: A Conversation on Growth and Homelessness · Our Community, Our Mission

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Let's pray.
• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: Lord, thank you.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for another day to live with purpose.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Lord, life is hard, but it's also beautiful.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: And uh today is such a good reminder that you created us for fellowship and friendships and partnerships and collaborations.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and just fellowship with you, Lord.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for our guest.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, Lord, we just pray that you would be with her as she does a very important job in our community and just uh help us as we learn more about what they do and um just show TRM uh how we can be a better partner too, as well in our community, and uh let this just be a time of reflection, Lord, for uh just Shawnee County and Topeka and uh every person that's represented because no one should be forgotten.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: In your name we pray.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_03: Amen Hello, everybody.
• 1:02
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you for joining us for our Community Our Mission, a podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission here on September the 22nd of 2026.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_03: This is episode number 327.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_03: I'm your host, Barry.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_03: If you got that down by now, you're kind of exhausted after all this, aren't you?
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_03: We need to we need to breathe.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_03: Episode number 327.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_03: That was Marion Crable, who was always here to help me, and uh Lamanda Cunningham, who is her helper to help me.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_03: And so uh thank you both for being here today.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_03: So we kind of feel like fall today, don't we?
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, it's beautiful.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: It's just beautiful.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_03: About time.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: I actually wore a sweatshirt this morning on my morning walk.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: Did you?
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I was like, we may have made it.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: We may have made it to fall.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: We'll see.
• 1:46
  SPEAKER_00: We will see.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: We will see.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_03: You know what that means.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_03: Uh-huh.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_03: Get prepared for warming cards.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_05: I was gonna say, and then we're gonna skip fall, go straight to winter.
• 1:53
  SPEAKER_05: And then we're gonna complain that it's too cold.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_03: So if you've listened to this podcast before, you know we have to recognize the importance of the day with our research and development department who does great research to try to find out what makes September 22nd every year so special.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_03: So, Lamanda, Miriam, did you know today is n Elephant Appreciation Day?
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_05: I did not know that.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_03: Why not?
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_05: Because I apparently hadn't been on the podcast before.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_05: Um, I don't know.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_05: But I love elephants attitude.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_05: They're really pretty in there.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_05: Well, I've never seen any other kind other than in the zoo.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_03: Well, it's established, if you didn't know this already, that there's fewer elephants than there used to be.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so there's a need to recognize them and appreciate elephants.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_03: And there's a lot of people who have little elephant statues around.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_03: And uh yeah, there are Remember Libby?
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, yeah.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, yeah.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_05: She had elephants everywhere in her office when she was here.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_03: It's really interesting when Kansans have uh fish in their office or or elephants in their office.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_03: I don't know.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_03: Anyway, instead of wheat sticks or whatever.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_03: So it's also on September 7th marks uh Hobbit Day.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_03: Uh Hobbit Now.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_03: What's a Hobbit?
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: I know it's something with Lord of the Rings or something, but I don't I'm I don't watch it.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_03: What?
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: You've never seen that those movies?
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: Not one of them.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, Lamandy, you really should.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_05: I know, I haven't.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_05: They're really very, very good.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_03: So do you know some famous hobbits?
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, you're not even sure what we're talking about.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_03: Are you other than Bilbo?
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_05: Other than Bilbo baggins?
• 3:24
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_03: Do you know how how old Bilbo turns?
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_03: No, I d I actually don't.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_03: 111.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, it's been around.
• 3:31
  SPEAKER_05: Tolkien's been around a long time.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_03: What about Frodo baggins?
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_05: He's not as old, apparently, according to this.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_03: So they're reading from uh J.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_03: R.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_03: R.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_03: Tolkien's uh Lord of the Rings stuff here.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_03: He's 33, by the way.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_03: So I don't know how they do that.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_05: But we know Mike Shottle is almost an expert at this stuff.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, I know.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: I'm pretty sure every weekly touch base I do with him has some kind of reference to Lord of the Rings.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_03: So you both have appreciation for Elephant Day, yeah, Hobbit Day, kind of.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_03: And so, but you will definitely have appreciation for this day.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_03: National Ice Cream Cone Day.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_03: Uh-huh.
• 4:05
  unknown: Uh-huh.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_03: When it feels like fall.
• 4:07
  SPEAKER_03: It doesn't matter.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_03: It doesn't.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_03: It doesn't matter.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_03: It doesn't.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_05: But do you have a favorite kind of cone?
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_03: Uh yeah.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_03: Which is it?
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_03: Ones that hold the ice cream.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_05: Anything that holds ice cream until I'm done.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_05: I understand.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_05: I understand.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_03: Preferably just take the cone and throw it in a bowl.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_03: Chop it up.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_03: Don't have to worry about it.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_03: So uh so do you have a favorite cone?
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_05: I do.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_05: I like the sugar cones.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_05: This the skinnier ones.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_03: Uh-huh.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_05: Um that are really crunchy.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_05: I'm not a big fan of those old-fashioned ones.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_05: You know, the ones that you used to get as a kid.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_03: You and I used to get as a kid.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_03: Don't worry about it.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: I know which ones those are.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_03: The ones that taste like paper.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: But my I remember being little and my grandma, who loved those kinds of cones, they came out.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if they came out when I was little or if they were already out, I don't know.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: But I remember her switching over the box of those to colored ones.
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_00: And they came in green, red, and plain.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: And there was something about a green or a red ice cream cone that me mom made.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: That it tasted better.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 5:19
  SPEAKER_00: Even though it's because it's probably waxy and plastic particles everywhere.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, I mean, that is something that can instantly bring me back to being little.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: Is the colored ice cream cook.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_05: They taste about the same.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_03: That's right.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_03: They will survive the apocalypse.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_03: We have some other important things coming up this weekend.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_03: Um we will have what's called the Open Skies event.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_03: And that is going to be at Evergy Plaza, 6 p.m.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_03: to 9 p.m.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so it's going to have plenty of room for everybody to come.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_03: Uh praying that the rain holds off or goes away during that time.
• 5:53
  SPEAKER_03: But it's an evening of worship and community music featuring contemporary Christian group of Bethel Music, Jen Johnson, and uh then um award-winning Christian hip hop artist, KB.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_03: Isn't that incredible?
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_03: KB?
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_03: No, I don't.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_03: I don't think I do.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_03: Me either.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_03: So, but I'm gonna find out.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_03: So um, yeah, I'm still in the the Blackwood brothers and all that kind of thing.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_03: But uh anyway, uh and there's no charge.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_03: And so everybody come.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_03: Um it's one of those things that really continues to spot light downtown.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_03: And uh this one is one of those times that we can really come together and hear great things.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_03: I heard John Cantrell's gonna be speaking and giving his testimony and some others.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_03: So and we might find out a little bit more about that here in a few minutes with our guests.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, we might.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_03: So, Lamanda, uh, we also want to talk about October 11th.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_03: So, what's happening October 11th, 6 to 7 30 p.m.?
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: So on October 11th, doors will open at 5 30 is TRM's fourth annual night of praise.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it is going to be at Fairlawn Nazarene Church this year instead of Fellowship Bible Church.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_00: So we're really grateful for FBC the past three years for hosting us and really thankful for Pastor Jeff and his team at Fairlawn Nazarene Church to host us this year.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but the team has been working really hard.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: We're really excited.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's going to be um again, doors open at 5 30.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: We really encourage people to come then because there's going to be quite the experience before the program even starts.
• 7:23
  SPEAKER_00: Uh this year we're doing things a little bit different, and pretty much every part of TRM is going to be represented in the lobby.
• 7:30
  SPEAKER_00: So I'll just leave that at that.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_00: So we want you to come and uh check out the different departments and really ways that God is working at the Topeka Rescue Mission every day.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we've joked and said before that our slogan really should switch from faith with our sleeves rolled up to I had no idea because of the amount of times people, when they come for the tours, they don't realize the multifaceted areas of TRM.
• 7:56
  SPEAKER_00: So hopefully this will be a great time before the program starts.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_00: The program will consist of some pretty neat um uh sections.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want to say a whole lot, uh, but you're gonna learn about TRM, you're gonna hear about testimonies, but it's actually gonna be uh a way where the audience is gonna be participating as well and engaged.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: So looking forward to that.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um, the night will also consist of two different worship sets, and so it'll be a time for hopefully the whole night is worship, right?
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_00: Not just the singing, but we'll have two designated slots for uh singing worship as well.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: And uh then we'll wrap up around 7:30.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: So want everybody to come out.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_03: It's gonna be a mystery this year.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, yeah, you all want to come.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_03: So make sure you hit Saturday night, this Saturday night, and then also October 11th.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, and we are still uh taking sponsorships.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: So the Topeka Rescue Mission, this is our only fundraiser that we put on.
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_00: So it's our annual fundraiser, and um we are hopeful to gain recurring donors.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: We are hopeful um to really the the challenge that I'm gonna be giving is really to spend 2027 spreading awareness of the Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: So excited about that.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: But we do have a sponsorship goal of raising 20,000 in sponsorships.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_00: Um that's a way where we hope the night is a night of giving God glory, but it is too pronged because we do need it to be a successful fundraiser.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, but one of the ways where we're trying not to over-emphasize the money fundraising part is we said, you know what, our team's gonna work really hard to gain sponsorships.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_00: That's a way that we can still be utilizing this as a fundraiser, but also not overshadowing uh the faith piece and giving God glory the night of.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: So um we are about 55 to 60 percent of our goal.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: Uh we got a couple more weeks.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_00: And so uh if anybody's interested in sponsorships, they can go to our website, trmonline.org, or they can call the phone number uh 785-354-1744 and ask for Miss Miranda.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_00: She will help them with all of that.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_03: Very good.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_03: So a couple of great events um very soon, and so also on the night of praise.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_03: If you uh want to attend, it's free, but encouraged to bring a canned good um so that it can help feed our hungry and our community.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_03: Well, we have a uh quite a variety of people who are a part of our community or mission as our guests, and so uh we've had people who have uh living on the streets, to have been housed, to work at the rescue mission, work in our community.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_03: We've had leaders, uh police chiefs, fire chiefs, and so on and so forth.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_03: We're delighted today that we have the CEO of the Greater Topeka Partnership.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_03: The Greater Topeka Partnership.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_03: We're gonna learn about that.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_03: Molly Howie, welcome to our community, our mission.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks for having me.
• 10:51
  SPEAKER_02: I'm excited to have this discussions for you.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, so are we, so are we.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_03: So uh, Molly, talk about the Greater Topeka Partnership for those that um don't know what it is or how it got going.
• 11:02
  SPEAKER_03: And uh we've um heard about Chambers of Commerce and uh Go Topeka and different things like that.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_03: So, what is the partnership?
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_02: Well, the partnership is fairly new and is pretty unique in our structure compared to other communities.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_02: You mentioned the Chamber of Commerce.
• 11:18
  SPEAKER_02: Of course, we've had the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce um for a long time, a hundred plus years in our community.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_02: Um the other you mentioned is Go Topeka, that's the economic development organization for Topeka and Shawnee County, and that's existed since uh about 2000.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um those organizations were always kind of housed together and shared some back office operations and some leadership positions.
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um but then but then historically we had had the Convention and Visitors Bureau Visit Topeka and downtown Topeka that were partner organizations, um, but located in different facilities, had separate staff, separate boards, separate um everything.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_02: And um, gosh, uh about oh 10 to 12 years ago, the community um actually Go Topeka had commissioned uh uh an expert to come into town and talk about what the next economic development strategy should look like.
• 12:16
  SPEAKER_02: And during that time, a few days that uh that this this expert was in town, um, he gleaned some really, really interesting um information through communications with different community partners.
• 12:29
  SPEAKER_02: And some of you may have been part of that.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_02: I don't, I don't know.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um, that just we were overorganized.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_02: There were a lot of people that were doing some very similar things that could probably be more efficient and elevate each other's work if we if we came together um physically and and shared some resources too.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_02: So um the Greater Topeka Partnership was born, and those four entities I mentioned, go Topeka, the Chamber of Commerce, Visit Topeka, and downtown Topeka are the four main founding entities uh that make up the Greater Topeka Partnership.
• 13:01
  SPEAKER_02: So now in our community, when you become a member of what used to be being a member of the of the Chamber of Commerce or even a member of Downtown Topeka Inc., you just become a member of the partnership and you're you get all of us.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_02: Um so it's it's easier that way.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_02: Uh sometimes does create a little confusion from the outside of who's doing what, but really we don't care.
• 13:20
  SPEAKER_02: Once you touch that that web, you get in, we'll figure out who you who you need to get connected to.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_02: So we're trying to, you know, that's that's another way we're trying to simplify things.
• 13:29
  SPEAKER_02: But um, so each of those entities still is their own separate 501c6, separate boards of directors, separate dedicated staff, separate funding.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_02: But then the efficiencies really come in and sharing our space, sharing our back office operations of communications, marketing, admin, and finance.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_02: So instead of all those organizations farming that workout or partnering with an outside vendor or having dedicated staff in the office, we share that team.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_03: Still very much separate, but together.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_03: Um, autonomy of their own organizations, own boards, own directors.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_03: Um so you mentioned the word economic development.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_03: Uh-huh.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_03: And so some people know what that means.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_03: What's the value of economic?
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_03: What is economic development?
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_03: Why is it important?
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_02: So, you know, every community looks at economic development differently.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_02: And um, the size of our community makes us um target economic development maybe in a different way as far as what our primary target is.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_02: But economic development really is wealth building in the community that then creates opportunities for access to that wealth.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and that's in the way of bringing in new employers, high-quality employers that that um can create opportunities for jobs for our citizens, and then also create people that then have disposable income to support those other um kind of tertiary employers that we don't really we don't really work to recruit, you know, fast food restaurants and stuff like that.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_02: We're we're we're focused on economic development really is focused on what's called primary employers, um, which create the the biggest multiplier effect in the economy.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_02: And that is employers that are bringing in the majority of their revenue from outside the community.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_02: So they're helping to grow the pie here in our community.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_02: Um, because we know that that induces uh the indirect effect of of the other um industries and employers that that are connected to those.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_03: So some of those uh bigger employers also need the smaller employers to be able to support some people that live here, work here, yeah.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_03: Uh have another thing to go to other than just the big the big organizations.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_02: Right, right.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_02: And we we know that that focusing on those primary employers helps to create the rest of the ecosystem.
• 15:47
  SPEAKER_02: Um and so not that those other pieces aren't important, but you know, getting down in the weeds.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_02: A lot of people think that GoTopeka is responsible for bringing in, you know, Kava or something like that.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_02: No, no, Kava came because they know that their business model will work here based on the economics and the um the customers that they need.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_03: So it does help them.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_03: Uh the smaller mom and pop shops or smaller chains or whatever to say this is a good place to invest because there's other things economically going on here.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_01: Right, right.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_03: So, okay, well, thank you.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_03: That's a good explanation of that.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_03: So who can be a part of the Greater Topeka partnership?
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_02: Aaron Powell Well, it depends on how you define a part.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I think our our goal is to create access to opportunities for all.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_02: Um that all is a really, you know, capitalized, bold, underlined word.
• 16:36
  SPEAKER_02: And and we understand that, you know, there's a lot of things that we don't see.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_02: You all see so many things that we don't.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_02: And so being a part could look like being a board member, could look like being a committee member, a volunteer, or um, you know, somebody that we just have regular conversations with.
• 16:53
  SPEAKER_02: And and it's really important that we keep our eyes wide open to who should be involved with the partnership and who hasn't had a chance and make sure that we're always looking around that table and saying, okay, these folks we're used to having around the table.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_02: Who are we missing?
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_02: Um so that we're having conversations about the community with the community members that we're we're trying to impact and trying to make improvement for.
• 17:19
  SPEAKER_03: So thank you.
• 17:22
  SPEAKER_03: That's that's a good explanation.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_03: So, Molly, yourself, you've been involved with economic growth and development for quite some time.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_03: And so um before the partnership, before you got into position you're in, you were involved in what capacity with the partnership, and then what does it mean to be CEO?
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_02: Okay.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so let's see, I have been with the the organization for just over 14 years, um, been the CEO for right out a year.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_02: So the previous 13 plus years, I was with GoTopeka on the economic development side.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_02: And um I held various roles and uh kind of started in the behind-the-scenes research and doing data analysis and website development and all the things and just kind of took on more and more.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um so when I became president of GoTopeka, I thought kind of I understand, you know, I I get what we're trying to do.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and and I did, but becoming CEO a year ago opened your eyes to how holistic the work that we do is and should be.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_02: Um because as I talk about economic development, that's the that is the kind of tactical approach to things, right?
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_02: But there's there's much more to what the Greater Topeka Partnership should be doing.
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_02: We have to be a good place um to attract those companies and to attract the workers.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_02: And that's not always um a black and white thing.
• 18:47
  SPEAKER_02: It's not always about the numbers, right?
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_02: It's about beautification, it's about um opportunities for belonging, it's about celebrating our culture, it's about so many other things that I didn't get to experience on the economic development side because it's it was so focused on the black and white numbers piece of it.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_02: So um just from the strategy perspective perspective, that's a little, a little glimpse into the difference.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_02: But of course, then you know, um CEO means that I don't get to, I I can no longer say, well, that's not econom, that's not legal aim, that's not my problem, that's not my circus.
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_02: Um it's it's it's really um, you know, there's not much in the community that goes on that that we don't try to learn about um or shouldn't be trying to learn about in in our organization, and that all comes um you know up to the to the leadership level and making sure that uh we're we're responsible and accountable to those partnerships and that awareness and uh the constant learning attitude uh that we need to have in our organization.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_03: Aaron Powell The Better Together model is what you've done.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_03: But you've also set some benchmarks.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_03: Um you've had a uh plan, uh I don't remember the years they're attached to.
• 19:58
  SPEAKER_03: So you went through one plan.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yep.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_03: Uh you're into the second plan, if I understand correctly.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_02: Aaron Powell, we're just getting ready to start the third.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_02: So we had Momentum 2022.
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_02: Um that was the first plan that was really um open to the community and really asked for the whole community to be a part of that.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_02: So it was really exciting, and everybody was, you know, it's a bright and shiny thing, and and lots of people wanted to be around that table and got a got a uh an opportunity to do that.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_02: And then we had Momentum 2027.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_02: That was a lot of like, we didn't get this done in 2022, let's work on it in 2027.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_02: A lot, you know, it takes a while to move the needle on some of those things.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_02: Now we're getting ready to start the next strategy, which does not have a name yet.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_02: It will not be momentum anything.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_02: And I don't even know if we'll put a number on it.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_02: We'll see.
• 20:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um and so we're starting that next five-year strategy work, and I really want it to feel like we have cleared the deck, we're starting fresh.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_02: And there may be some things that that get held over, but I want to reinvigorate the the community around dreaming about what we can be and get back to that spirit of when we first started Momentum 2022.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um, how excited, how excited everyone was to be a part of it.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um so we just started that work a couple weeks ago.
• 21:13
  SPEAKER_02: Um, Miriam was part of some of those conversations, and I'm sure she'll continue to be, and and um the rest of you probably as well.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_02: Um it's really about just dreaming and and and then we've got to get realistic about it too, right?
• 21:27
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, it's it's it's it's all fine and dandy to have these big visions and dreams, but then that those plans, we we have a full implementation plan with who's responsible for what and very transparent about the metrics and what's working well and what's not.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_03: What are you happy most about with the momentum 2022 and now the 27?
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_03: What what are those kind of things you say, man, we we got there?
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_02: Um You know, some of the metrics are are we're never gonna check the box, right?
• 21:52
  SPEAKER_02: We're never gonna be at the level of um GDP growth or reduction in poverty that we need to do.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_02: We can always, you know, change those metrics.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I think one of the things we made get great strides on that we're all very proud of, and everyone in the community had a part in, is we have made a a noticeable difference in our community pride.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_02: It some days it doesn't feel like that.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, we have to be honest with ourselves.
• 22:19
  SPEAKER_02: But when we measure and look at the community and how many more defenders of the community we have and people that are willing to speak up about the positive stuff and willing to put, you know, uh put real time and energy and dollars into making our community better.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_02: I think that that really has changed over the past 10 years.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_02: And we're not um, you know, comparing ourselves to our neighboring communities as much anymore.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um and and we're proud about being, you know, our own unique selves.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_03: There's been some recognitions nationally about Topeka in regards to a place to live and some different things like that.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_03: Talk a little bit about some of those that outsiders have said this is a good place to go to.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_02: You know, some of the I'm a I'm a native, right?
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_02: I grew up in a a little town south of here, but Topeka's always been my city.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_02: And I think sometimes the natives take for granted the good things that we have.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_02: You know, our cost of living, our cost of doing business, the fact that we have friendly people and people that just want to talk to you and have a conversation in the grocery store, that's not that's not something that you see all around the country.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_02: And if you don't travel or haven't lived somewhere else, maybe you may not realize the value of that.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_02: And that God, it's just sounds a little, a little cliche and a little cheesy, but the American dream, even though we do have very serious issues with affordability compared to the rest of the United States, there's still a glimmer of hope for the American dream here in Topeka, Kansas.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_02: I think, I think we are not far off.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_02: We we need to make some changes, that's for sure.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_02: But um it we're a great place to raise a family.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_02: We have amazing school districts.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_02: And this is stuff that you know a lot of communities try to say, but we actually have the numbers and the data to back it up.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_02: Like we have we have really great resources here in our community.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_02: And we have a ton of um, you know, nonprofit partners that are really doing their part and trying to move the needle on um issues that maybe other communities just kind of say, well, everybody's dealing with that.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_02: And I mean, you guys are one of them.
• 24:24
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and so um just I think we really all do have a great passion for the majority have a great passion for for making our our city a better Topeka.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_02: Um not trying to be somebody else, just trying to be better every day, just one little, you know, incremental change every day.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_02: So I don't even remember what your original question was.
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_03: I've just got the celebrations, what are the milestones that you've really happy about?
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, yeah.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_02: I mean others are, you know, the black and white stuff like we talked about with job growth and and wage growth and things like that.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_03: But the the um identity, uh self-identity of this community.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_03: Um, like any community, can either be good or not so good.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_03: And I think there's been some things that uh from my perspective, being a native, um, there's many things we've had to overcome in our community.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_03: There has been some people have been very disappointed from years and years ago, decades ago, of things the way that their neighborhoods were treated were promised this, promised that, didn't happen.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_03: And so that passes on to generation, and to say, hey, hey, we're here to save the day, that's nobody just jumps on board with that.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_03: You have to prove yourself.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_03: And so I think you're right.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_03: I think that there is a progression in the right direction towards a better identity that we don't have to say, hey, you gotta go to this other town to do things.
• 25:42
  SPEAKER_03: Now, that said, still room to grow, right?
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_03: Always, always still.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_03: Still room to grow.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_03: I don't want to dominate this conversation.
• 25:48
  SPEAKER_03: Merriam, you're involved at a at a uh uh involvement level board level.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_05: Absolutely.
• 25:52
  SPEAKER_05: I'm on the DTI board, the downtown Topeka board, and it's been it's been fascinating.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_05: Um and I think it really comes though, you know, we we are also very active in Noto because of being the only uh emergency shelter for homelessness.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_05: Um we have an opportunity to help in those areas, right?
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_05: To help educate folks uh about what homelessness really looks like.
• 26:18
  SPEAKER_05: Um we have the opportunity to engage with those kinds of things.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_05: Lamanda has been really, I think, instrumental in making sure that we are able to recognize the impact that homelessness can have on businesses, both in NOTO and downtown, kind of all over with some of the policy changes that the city has made, that homelessness has kind of spread.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_05: Um people have been a little more scattered.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_05: Um and so it's been it's been really wonderful to be able to be a part of the conversation and to hear what that is.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_05: Uh the the work that um is done in Noto and downtown with business owners and trying to help them recognize situations and how to best handle those situations, I think is key.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_05: Um so it's been it's been wonderful to be a part that way.
• 27:12
  SPEAKER_05: And I think I've seen, so I came back to Topeka in 2008.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_05: Oh my gosh, it's that just kind of freaks me out when I say 2008 and go, that's a very long time ago.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_05: Anyway, I digress.
• 27:27
  SPEAKER_05: Um downtown is so different, Noto is so different.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_05: All of these things that I think are some of the outputs of Molly, what you were talking about with the pride people have or the pride that we're willing to express about um Topeka, I think is is really very evident.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_05: I think the collaboration with TRM is an effort that has come out of the momentum projects.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_05: I think, you know, and not necessarily directly and maybe not as tangible as job growth and some of those things, but I think there has been relationship building that has come out of the momentum work that is what helps carry other things forward, not just not just those very specific metrics that are easier to measure, um, but just in this bigger picture.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, one of the things we talked about in our uh strategy sessions a couple weeks ago was just the accessibility of one another and the accessibility of decision makers.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_02: So we're a a a small big city or big spot, however you want to say it.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and the fact that you can, you know, start that relationship, whether it's in a very targeted, you know, discussion or what, but then you know, next week you may just call that person or text the mayor and say, hey, we're talking about this.
• 28:43
  SPEAKER_02: And that doesn't happen in a lot of communities our size.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_02: The accessibility and just the willingness to just jump on the phone or meet for coffee and talk about things is something that's really awesome.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_03: That takes relationship build.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_03: And relationships just don't happen.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_03: They are cultivated.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_03: But you got to get in front of each other and have that opportunity.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_03: And not everybody wants to do that or has time to do that, or sees a value in that.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_03: But when you do that, then you can say, Hey, Miriam.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_03: Or hey Lamanda, hey Molly.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_03: Hey, we we need to talk about something, or can we talk about something?
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_03: So when we think about economic development and all the efforts that you put into this, and you mentioned about being the CEO, nothing's not on your plate.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_03: So everything is right, Lamanda?
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_03: Everything is on your plate.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_03: So when people are investing their resources, their time, their efforts to help grow the economic engine of Topeka, whether it's a small business or a large business or somewhere in between, um, there's a there's a lot of challenges in all that.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_03: Um just normal challenges in regards to is my product gonna sell?
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_03: Am I gonna get the right people?
• 29:45
  SPEAKER_03: You know, all that kind of stuff.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_03: Uh then there's things that happen economically we didn't plan on, and uh recessions and this is and that's and the other things, and wars and prices going up and whatnot.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_03: Um of the things that we find is that um many people don't want another thing to have to think about and another challenge and another problem.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_03: Um at the same time, uh we want to we want people to take care of problems.
• 30:12
  SPEAKER_03: We want crime to go away, we want the homeless to go away, we want this to go away, we don't want to f face those things because we're too busy doing what we're doing for good reasons.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_03: What do you see from your position with the partnership and looking at the bigger picture of Topeka and how does the issue of a growing number of unsheltered homeless, what uh deemed oftentimes the chronic homeless, knowing that Topeka Rescue Mission is full almost all the time, um, that this issue since the pandemic has um increased significantly.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_03: And um, you know, people who are really trying to do their job have homeless individuals maybe around their business, around their neighborhoods, or whatever, and they feel uncomfortable and oftentimes they want somebody just to fix it.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_03: And when it's not just a fix.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_03: So in your world, what are you hearing?
• 31:02
  SPEAKER_03: And what are your thoughts and what do you think we can do?
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, look, my world is um is not your world.
• 31:10
  SPEAKER_02: So the things that I hear are are what you mentioned with, you know, gosh, so-and-so's, you know, outside my business and you know, deterring customers, or um, you know, we've got four shopping carts that are blocking the sidewalk and very, you know, um day-to-day issues.
• 31:28
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I don't what I don't hear is people talking about solutions that are upstream.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_02: I don't I don't get to be in the conversations that you all are sitting around the table saying, how do we how do we fix the root of this issue?
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_02: I'm at the other side of it where people are just saying, I don't know, we have this, this is what happened today because and and so I I don't I don't hear um people sitting around talking about, gosh, how do we how do we help that person so that they don't have four shopping carts, you know, and how do we make sure that there isn't another um you know episode of of s of someone outside of a business because they don't have the resources to to you know um gosh to to stop the the um issues that they may be dealing with, whether it's substance abuse or mental health, you know, um episode or or what have you.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_02: So um I wish that we, you know, had more time or that people would make more time, I guess, for those intentional conversations to get at the root of the issue.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um, because it's the biggest thing in the in you know in their day when something happens like that.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_02: Um But we are like you mentioned, we're busy people, so that's not an excuse, but I'm just the reality of it is is that like anything in your day, right?
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_02: It's sometimes the proactive or the the maintenance and the the um the assistance that needs to happen before it gets to um a visible issue, people don't make time for that.
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_02: And um I don't know how to fix that issue.
• 33:12
  SPEAKER_03: Well, I'm not sure anybody does, but I think I think to your recognition of not just focusing on the problem that's found itself downstream right now, that that has to be addressed.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 33:23
  SPEAKER_03: But what are we doing about going upstream to say what's happened here?
• 33:28
  SPEAKER_03: Um people don't normally choose to be homeless.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_03: People never choose to be mentally ill or addicted or or or the case might be.
• 33:38
  SPEAKER_03: So what has happened that those particular situations have occurred in their lives, then because we don't have systems for everybody for everything, then sometimes they end up on a doorstep for a business or in a neighborhood or something like that.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_03: And so that's encouraging that you recognize that um and recognize also that somehow, some way we need to go upstream.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_03: So that's not your lane, so to speak, with the economic development.
• 34:04
  SPEAKER_03: It's Topeka Rescue Missions Lane, it's United Ways Lane, it's compassion strategies, number of different organizations.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_03: It's a lane.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_03: In your opinion, how do we bring that together so that it's not it's almost kind of like well, the partnership has come together to drive the economic engine in a more efficient way.
• 34:22
  SPEAKER_03: So the nonprofits are working together to do kind of the same thing in different realms of coming together on frequent um levels, uh to say the least, around the homeless issue.
• 34:32
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and also send some benchmarks to try to achieve certain things by a certain time.
• 34:37
  SPEAKER_03: So that there is, and obviously you got a Miriam involved, and then you know, and she's involved with downtown and and and no-toe and Lamanda's out there all the time.
• 34:45
  SPEAKER_03: In your opinion, how do we help the economic folks to be a part of this and realize they can't quit their day job?
• 34:53
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 34:55
  SPEAKER_02: That's a hard question.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_02: That is a hard question.
• 34:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um gosh, you know, I think most people recognize that somebody's working on that.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_02: And you you named off the organizations that are working, and that, you know, I think people's excuse maybe, and I think it's a somewhat valid one, is that we don't know.
• 35:15
  SPEAKER_02: We don't have the expertise to do that work.
• 35:18
  SPEAKER_02: But maybe it's more of an open conversation with just saying we don't we don't do what you all do every day, but help us understand how if there's anything that is in our wheelhouse that can affect your work or elevate your work or remove a barrier, what does that look like?
• 35:36
  SPEAKER_02: And so I think it's, I mean, uh this is this is just step one, but just more regular communication and awareness of what each other are doing.
• 35:45
  SPEAKER_02: I believe just that that that will organically just help us understand one another.
• 35:52
  SPEAKER_02: And I know that sounds really squishy, so I'm not trying to dodge your question, but I I don't think that's a squishy answer.
• 35:57
  SPEAKER_03: I think it's a realistic answer because it goes back to relationship again.
• 36:01
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it does.
• 36:01
  SPEAKER_03: Who do you know that you can talk to that's not just a superficial relationship with that you can understand each other's responsibilities, your goals, your hopes, your ambitions, and how do those intersect with each other, just like you've done with the partnership, to bring that together?
• 36:17
  SPEAKER_03: Um, how can we do that also with this area that a lot of people really don't want to have to deal with?
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 36:22
  SPEAKER_03: You know, and so some of us are um very um sure this is our assignment while we're here on the earth uh to do this is um different than your assignment.
• 36:34
  SPEAKER_03: How do we then complement those assignments?
• 36:36
  SPEAKER_03: Right so that we help all of our neighbors so that it really is a prosperity for all uh in our community.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 36:42
  SPEAKER_03: And so that takes relationships.
• 36:45
  SPEAKER_03: So it's not a squishy answer at all.
• 36:46
  SPEAKER_03: I think it's just realistic.
• 36:47
  SPEAKER_03: Lamanda, come on, jump into this.
• 36:50
  SPEAKER_00: Which part?
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I think back, so I've been at the Topeka Rescue Mission for five years and been in this role four and a half, and not to digress so much about the history or where we've started, but we've come a long ways in that four years.
• 37:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, at one time, Molly, I'm not sure if you're aware, but TRM wasn't at the table.
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 37:17
  SPEAKER_00: And we were excluded from significant um economic development.
• 37:24
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, process, meetings happening, consultants coming in, and and to the point where plans were released that removed TRM from it.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_00: Yep.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_00: And then I'm being contacted by media.
• 37:36
  SPEAKER_00: What's my comment that to speak a rescue mission is not included in the no momentum plans?
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 37:42
  SPEAKER_00: So I say that to say, to encourage the community that things were rocky, very rocky.
• 37:50
  SPEAKER_00: Lots of distrust, a lot of what I would say is not professional, definitely not these authentic relationships that you talk about.
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_00: And yet, in four and a half years, look how far we've come.
• 38:02
  SPEAKER_00: That ship changed to now being invited to have people on y'all's boards.
• 38:09
  SPEAKER_00: And um, we have group mees now for downtown and Noto that the Topeka Rescue Mission is a part of.
• 38:16
  SPEAKER_00: And then what business owners in both areas might not know is then when there are concerns that merchants have, I'm either able to deploy a team or I'm the bridge to Astra or to the CIC or TPD's MOU with us, the co-responders, those kinds of things.
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_00: And so to see how far we've come where there was a time where a huge part of our economic development in the work that we do wasn't even acknowledged to now your organization and DTI and Noto and all this stuff, having us not only be able to understand the problems that y'all face, but for the most part, not all, but for the most part, merchants realizing that we are trying to be a part of the solution and we're trying to help them be a part of the solution too.
• 39:09
  SPEAKER_00: To me, that's why it's so important that um, I'm gonna speak to leaders for just a second, that all of us leaders are authentic because we don't need to stay rooted in the past dysfunction, past hurt, past whatever, that when we acknowledge, hey, we gotta do better, I'm sorry for this part, I'm sorry for this part, and we do it.
• 39:31
  SPEAKER_00: To me, that's authentic leadership.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_00: And so from DTI leadership, GTP, um, NOTO, all of that, it was like, okay, we have to do things differently.
• 39:41
  SPEAKER_00: There's so much misunderstanding.
• 39:44
  SPEAKER_00: I would read stuff that I allegedly said, I never said, all these things.
• 39:48
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm really proud of our community in how much we have then moved forward.
• 39:55
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I think we still have a long ways to go, but I think that should always be our spirit.
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_00: I think we should always be driven to do better than the day before.
• 40:04
  SPEAKER_00: And so I'm thankful because now, even through the group meetings to gain an understanding of what a merchant feels, I take that as that's then my responsibility to see what is TRM's part in helping that.
• 40:20
  SPEAKER_00: But I also have to have the respect of merchants that when I say, this is not something I can assist with, or this is not something that's in the scope of TRM, that they understand, okay, nine out of 10 times she is able to help us.
• 40:34
  SPEAKER_00: She is listening, she is that.
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_00: But then it doesn't stop there.
• 40:38
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I'm messaging, I mean, Barry, I think you've gotten three messages from me in the last seven days of concerns about individuals and all of that.
• 40:46
  SPEAKER_00: So even if I'm not able to assist in that moment, the people that are doing these proactive solutions and trying to go upstream, I'm trying to be y'all's voice so that they hear the concerns that merchants are facing.
• 41:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 41:00
  SPEAKER_00: And so to me, there's power in just kind of being that bridge to I don't have all the solutions and sometimes I can't deploy a team.
• 41:08
  SPEAKER_00: Or sometimes a merchant might be wrong.
• 41:11
  SPEAKER_00: You know, it's not illegal for someone who appears dirty to sit on a bench.
• 41:17
  SPEAKER_00: That person's able to sit there just like I could in my heels in a dress, right?
• 41:21
  SPEAKER_00: So this understanding of man, I care about what merchants face, and I'm trying to help move TRM in a way that blends with that and is collaborative.
• 41:34
  SPEAKER_00: But then there's also some times where I have to be able to be honest with those stakeholders and be like, people sitting on benches is happening everywhere, right?
• 41:44
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so I'm proud of how much progress we've made in the last four and a half years, excited to see what that looks like as trust continues to be built and for us to not have to have fluffy conversations, but that they can be honest, but they can also be respectful and they can be collaborative and with a spirit of I'm gonna be honest with this issue so that we can somehow be unified in the approach we're gonna take.
• 42:13
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm proud of our community and I'm proud of TRM's role in that.
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, I think you know, uh we all want somebody to fix a problem.
• 42:22
  SPEAKER_03: And uh, you know, that's where I'm even guilty of that.
• 42:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_03: That's why they created 911.
• 42:27
  SPEAKER_03: I got a cat in a tree, come get my cat out.
• 42:29
  SPEAKER_03: That's not our job.
• 42:30
  SPEAKER_03: But um one of the maybe the things that has been a positive and a negative, and uh Miriam, you can attest to this.
• 42:38
  SPEAKER_03: Um there was a time when you came back to Topeka that you didn't see too many homeless folks out on the streets.
• 42:44
  SPEAKER_05: Well, it I n the yes, that was part of it.
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_05: But what was so stunning to me coming back to Kansas from California in particular was nobody knew where the homeless were.
• 42:55
  SPEAKER_04: Right.
• 42:56
  SPEAKER_05: Like maybe under a bridge, maybe I mean it was just so fascinating in 2008 to be having a conversation where people had no idea where the homeless were.
• 43:05
  SPEAKER_03: Aaron Ross Powell And the numbers were more manageable, and there was a place called Topeka Rescue Mission that they could kind of be over there in Ordineka.
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and that was uh just fine with everybody, but that didn't changed.
• 43:16
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it changed the the the pandemic and things that we talked about.
• 43:19
  SPEAKER_03: Where awareness grew.
• 43:20
  SPEAKER_03: Trevor Burrus, Jr.
• 43:20
  SPEAKER_03: Awareness, but there's a bigger number.
• 43:22
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, there is more.
• 43:23
  SPEAKER_03: The shelter can only hold so many, and there's more people here.
• 43:26
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, when we look at what happened prior to 2019 when they cleaned out Tent City, there was 130 people in one spot that were unsheltered.
• 43:34
  SPEAKER_03: Rescue mission's full, it's pretty close to them.
• 43:36
  SPEAKER_03: And so that was an indicator that, you know, mm, we've got some problems here in the community.
• 43:42
  SPEAKER_03: Make it go away.
• 43:43
  SPEAKER_03: And so, sorry, it will go away from here, but it shows up over somewhere else.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_03: And so I think the exciting thing that that that I'm gleaning before this conversation, even, is that there is a desire for this community of people who become aware and developer life.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_03: Relationships to say we want to be part of something that is good for everybody.
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_03: And so we'll never see the time when there will not be another homeless person.
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 44:13
  SPEAKER_03: We will see lots of obstacles to that.
• 44:16
  SPEAKER_03: To Lamanda's example of this woman or this person who may be on a bench and uh they need a shower.
• 44:24
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, maybe they're can legally do that.
• 44:26
  SPEAKER_03: Why do they need a shower?
• 44:27
  SPEAKER_03: Why aren't they have a shower?
• 44:29
  SPEAKER_03: Maybe, you know, finding out those kind of things, going upstream, maybe they're housed, maybe they don't have any running water, those kind of things.
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_03: So if we look at those things together, we will painfully become a better community together.
• 44:42
  SPEAKER_03: And so I think uh to Lamanda's point, there's been a lot of forward progress in what you guys are doing at your partnership level, uh, your leadership now uh stepped into this role.
• 44:55
  SPEAKER_03: You're very transparent about what it is and what it isn't.
• 44:58
  SPEAKER_03: That's really refreshing.
• 44:59
  SPEAKER_03: And um I think authentic relationships is what w can make the difference of people who are in these particular areas.
• 45:05
  SPEAKER_03: Right, right.
• 45:06
  SPEAKER_03: So from your perspective, what uh what do you think those that are working with the populations that we're talking about, the the chronically homeless, the people who are really struggling on the edge, what more or different can be done to be working together better with the economic development engine of Topeka?
• 45:32
  SPEAKER_02: I feel like I gave somewhat of this answer a minute ago.
• 45:37
  SPEAKER_02: I reframe it, would you?
• 45:41
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 45:41
  SPEAKER_03: So you mentioned relationships.
• 45:43
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 45:43
  SPEAKER_03: Um getting together.
• 45:44
  SPEAKER_03: Um you're getting feedback from a lot of people because you're Molly the CEO.
• 45:49
  SPEAKER_03: And so fix this, Molly.
• 45:51
  SPEAKER_03: Um what are people telling you that needs to be done um other than just make it go away?
• 45:56
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 45:56
  SPEAKER_03: Um and what can we do, not just in the relationships, that's where it begins.
• 46:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 46:01
  SPEAKER_03: And uh this is part of why you're here today.
• 46:03
  SPEAKER_03: It's relationship.
• 46:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um how do we not just build on that, but actually proactively help you and the people who are invested heavily in trying to make Topeka what it can be, what it is, what it can be, um, to be able to help you all be successful.
• 46:22
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I think a piece of it is is probably education.
• 46:24
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, Lamanda speaks to it a bit of of people understanding what you can affect and what you can't affect.
• 46:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um and and then understanding where the resources are and how to get to them.
• 46:38
  SPEAKER_02: And and I agree.
• 46:39
  SPEAKER_02: I I've heard numerous times over the past year, gosh, call Lamanda, she'll figure it out.
• 46:44
  SPEAKER_02: She'll and and that's great.
• 46:45
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, that's awesome that people know we want that.
• 46:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um so so knowing what the who to get a hold of for certain issues to to provide support and what needs support.
• 46:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I think more people uh just willing to have conversations about what they what they need and what they see and what they don't know.
• 47:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I mean, we've three we've thrown around the word authentic and authenticity a lot today, and I think that has kind of become a buzzword, which bugs me because I I I love what that word means.
• 47:22
  SPEAKER_02: Um But I think it's it's being able to just not take things personal and say, hey, this is really hurting my business, and I don't know.
• 47:35
  SPEAKER_02: So what can I do?
• 47:37
  SPEAKER_02: Or and and and then for the response to be able to be something like well, you know, that person can be there.
• 47:44
  SPEAKER_02: Let's talk about how to get them the resources, or let's maybe you need to come do a tour of DRM, or maybe you need to understand what you know resources don't exist in our community, and can you help affect wherever there's a gap?
• 47:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um so that probably doesn't answer your question, Barry, other than I feel like um you know, I think we all want the same thing.
• 48:08
  SPEAKER_02: I really do.
• 48:09
  SPEAKER_02: I we may not all think we can get there in the same way, but I think we all want to see all the citizens in our community have what they need to live a productive life.
• 48:21
  SPEAKER_03: I I think you have answered the question as best that we can right now, but I think that maybe as as you're talking, I'm thinking about from the partnership, you created with community input um a momentum plan.
• 48:35
  SPEAKER_03: You had benchmarks in order to do that, to get from where we are to where we need to be.
• 48:39
  SPEAKER_03: And then being sorry, authentic, uh, about what you achieved and what you didn't and what we need to carry over.
• 48:45
  SPEAKER_03: So you got momentum 2027 that's getting ready to wrap up here.
• 48:49
  SPEAKER_03: You're gonna have the next thing that's gonna go forward to that.
• 48:52
  SPEAKER_03: So people can see that.
• 48:54
  SPEAKER_03: They can, whether they believe it or not, they can see it.
• 48:56
  SPEAKER_03: Here's a direction, and then you have people working on that direction.
• 48:59
  SPEAKER_03: I think that uh there is also a momentum, um, a a an effort to do the best we can to put an end to chronic homelessness.
• 49:08
  SPEAKER_03: And so as we know your plan, it might be good to understand the plan that there is that's not just isolated within the nonprofit arena, but that we then say, okay, how do those plans line up?
• 49:19
  SPEAKER_03: How can we fine-tune those plants?
• 49:20
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 49:21
  SPEAKER_05: And you know, Barry, I think too, and and I recommended this to some folks from Jump, right?
• 49:26
  SPEAKER_05: Because they're working with this effort for the half of one penny, one-tenth of one penny sales tax thing that originally had both the um housing trust fund benefiting from that and homeless services.
• 49:44
  SPEAKER_05: And then the homeless services piece was removed.
• 49:47
  SPEAKER_05: And so one of the things that I think we all can do together is I recommend it to Jump.
• 49:53
  SPEAKER_05: Don't come after the nonprofits to be advocating, go after downtown business owners because they see the impact that homelessness has on their business.
• 50:03
  SPEAKER_05: And business can have a different tone with city council, right?
• 50:10
  SPEAKER_05: They have a different voice because they're seen as uh property tax contributors, they're seen as sales tax contributors kind of thing.
• 50:21
  SPEAKER_05: Um I think there are all those ways that we see with the folks that don't do our work every single day.
• 50:29
  SPEAKER_05: How can they still make an impact on it?
• 50:31
  SPEAKER_05: Because it's not just the right thing to do, it benefits them too.
• 50:36
  SPEAKER_05: So I think this having these conversations and that kind of thing is is critical and it's what all of us can do.
• 50:44
  SPEAKER_05: So I think the fact that I could recognize it's downtown businesses or any businesses, but I was focused on downtown just because of what we know.
• 50:56
  SPEAKER_05: Um get them involved in these things, even though nobody wants more taxes, right?
• 51:02
  SPEAKER_05: But if it could help with resolution of a situation that could be negatively impacting them, it's different.
• 51:09
  SPEAKER_05: And it's sales tax, right?
• 51:12
  SPEAKER_05: It's so anyway.
• 51:13
  SPEAKER_05: I think it's about all of us and how we work together versus just what can we do for downtown or the business community, the economic development drivers in some way.
• 51:24
  SPEAKER_05: Um, but it's also how do we more effectively work together on issues that impact both of us in in positive ways.
• 51:32
  SPEAKER_05: I think that's hopefully not negative ways.
• 51:34
  SPEAKER_03: I think is a really good perspective.
• 51:35
  SPEAKER_03: And and we don't none of us wants to do anything more than we're already doing unless we really enjoy doing something different, or we have to.
• 51:42
  SPEAKER_03: And we're really at that point if we want to make a change and we want to see things improve for the business community and our neighbors, they have an opportunity or need an opportunity to be able to be a part of that.
• 51:54
  SPEAKER_03: By the way, that's not a resolved issue at the city council level yet.
• 51:58
  SPEAKER_03: It's still open for discussion.
• 51:59
  SPEAKER_03: It is in last Tuesday night helped that a lot.
• 52:02
  SPEAKER_03: So But it's not resolved.
• 52:03
  SPEAKER_03: It's not resolved.
• 52:04
  SPEAKER_03: It's not resolved, and it may never happen uh either way, but the point of it is but that that what is what is our priorities in our community that we are uh passionate about?
• 52:15
  SPEAKER_03: How is it affecting us and what can we do to get us together on this?
• 52:19
  SPEAKER_03: And it's back to education, but also yeah, I think that there is a plan.
• 52:23
  SPEAKER_03: Uh it's not a fine-tuned plan.
• 52:25
  SPEAKER_03: I got a call from a city council member yesterday um for about an hour about can you help us understand better what the plan is if we do have four million dollars a year um out of the sales tax increase and half of it would go to homeless.
• 52:39
  SPEAKER_03: What would you do with that?
• 52:40
  SPEAKER_03: I said, Well, I'm not the one that decides that, but I said, here's what we're talking about, and here's some perspectives.
• 52:46
  SPEAKER_03: And that city council member ended up saying, Oh, I get it now to the point that you're saying, let's get in the same room, best that we can, find venues, um, that it's not going to go away on its own.
• 52:58
  SPEAKER_03: And it's not just a pick up and call Amanda all the time, she can't solve it all.
• 53:01
  SPEAKER_03: Right.
• 53:01
  SPEAKER_03: It's what we do together.
• 53:02
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 53:03
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, I think one of the things that I appreciate about kind of this season that we're in is there is just starting to be a clear understanding of whether it's from the business side, um, regardless if it's downtown, NOTO, wherever.
• 53:19
  SPEAKER_00: But I think there's starting to be a little bit of trust and understanding there that Lamanda and our team at the Topeka Rescue Mission, we really do want to understand what merchants are facing for our own purpose, but also because we are a part of these vision castings and all of this stuff of what we could potentially do if there's different revenue.
• 53:42
  SPEAKER_00: Or, I mean, even like myself, we've changed some stuff that TRM has historically done.
• 53:48
  SPEAKER_00: And we've changed it not because it fit into our plan, but because of the direction the community went, right?
• 53:54
  SPEAKER_00: TRM's plan is not centered around TRM.
• 53:56
  SPEAKER_00: One, first and foremost, we do what God asks us to do to the best of our ability.
• 54:01
  SPEAKER_00: And two, my plan for TRM shouldn't trump what's best for our community.
• 54:07
  SPEAKER_00: And so what I am thankful for is I think there's starting to be a little bit of trust in that that the merchants realize I need to know what they're facing because I can't make changes or advocate for that if I don't know and I'm just being talked about.
• 54:24
  SPEAKER_00: The other side of it is I appreciate because I'm starting to trust merchants, whereas before I didn't because of things being said and done.
• 54:33
  SPEAKER_00: And so because that trust is being built, I think we're gonna see that carry on, whether it's because of the sales tax or just because of vision casting of the groups doing this work.
• 54:43
  SPEAKER_00: But I think we're gonna start seeing this more natural blend of representation where people don't say, well, TRM is only about the person and they're okay with my business shutting down because they're concerned about that person in the mental illness crisis.
• 55:00
  SPEAKER_00: Well, no, that's not the case.
• 55:02
  SPEAKER_00: We care about the dignity of that person, but what people don't know is we're also advocating for significant changes to happen because it's not fair for the merchant as a business owner to be handling a mental health crisis, right?
• 55:16
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm excited at kind of where we're at because I think this understanding that if I do push back, people understand why.
• 55:25
  SPEAKER_00: And then when I receive pushback, I understand why.
• 55:28
  SPEAKER_00: And tension can be good as long as it's rooted in trust and um respect.
• 55:34
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm excited to kind of see what comes up, whether it's through y'all's plan or our plans.
• 55:40
  SPEAKER_00: I think there's actually should be the plan for our community that reflects everyone's level of expertise per se.
• 55:49
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm excited about that.
• 55:50
  SPEAKER_03: I think that uh the template is there.
• 55:52
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 55:52
  SPEAKER_03: Uh the the desire is there now.
• 55:54
  SPEAKER_03: How can we make it happen?
• 55:55
  SPEAKER_03: Molly, thank you for joining us today.
• 55:57
  SPEAKER_03: Is there anything else you'd like to share with us today?
• 55:59
  SPEAKER_02: No, just I mean, thank you.
• 56:00
  SPEAKER_02: You guys are you guys do work sometimes behind the scenes, sometimes on the front lines, and people see that.
• 56:06
  SPEAKER_02: And um I just, you know, I can't even I I I don't know where we would be without the resources that you all deploy.
• 56:15
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I from back when I was a little kid, I helped serve food, you know, during holidays.
• 56:20
  SPEAKER_02: And I I think that just if anybody has, if anybody listening hasn't had um some sort of experience with TRM, volunteer, do something.
• 56:30
  SPEAKER_02: Company you talked about warming centers, those are coming up.
• 56:33
  SPEAKER_03: That's right.
• 56:33
  SPEAKER_02: There's plenty of opportunities.
• 56:35
  SPEAKER_03: Those are fun.
• 56:36
  SPEAKER_03: Well, Molly Howey, uh CEO of the Greater Topeka Partnership, thank you for spending some time with us today.
• 56:41
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you for just sharing a more about what the partnership is, and then also obviously this conversation we've had here today.
• 56:47
  SPEAKER_03: So thank you very much.
• 56:48
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you all for listening to our community, our mission.
• 56:51
  SPEAKER_03: If you'd like more information about Topeka Rescue Mission, you can go to the website at trmonline.org.
• 56:56
  SPEAKER_03: That's TRMonline.org.
• 56:59
  SPEAKER_03: Don't forget about this Saturday with the Open Skies event at Evergy Plaza starting at 6 p.m.
• 57:05
  SPEAKER_03: Bring your umbrella and then leave it in the car because you're gonna pray it's not gonna rain.
• 57:08
  SPEAKER_03: And uh then uh great gonna be a great evening, three hours there, and then also on October 11th, go ahead and make plans to be at the fourth annual night of praise for TRM, which is a great event.
• 57:19
  SPEAKER_03: Every year it's gonna be even greater this year.
• 57:20
  SPEAKER_03: Thanks for listening.