Latest / Our Community, Our Mission / Ep #277 – The Rainbow After the Storm: Meet Nancy Johnson

Transcript

Ep #277 – The Rainbow After the Storm: Meet Nancy Johnson · Our Community, Our Mission

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you, lord, for this day and your blessings and provisions, and Lord, just this time to record this podcast.
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Lord, we thank you for our special guests we have on today and, lord, just pray that you would bless this conversation, father, and our listeners who hear it.
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: Father, we love you.
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: We praise your name, amen.
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: Hello everybody.
• 0:19
  Speaker 2: You're listening to Our Community, our Mission, a podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 0:23
  Speaker 2: Here on Tuesday, july 29th 2025.
• 0:26
  Speaker 2: And this is episode number 277.
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: I'm your host today, barry Feeker, here with the CEO of Topeka Rescue Mission, lamanda Cunningham.
• 0:35
  Speaker 3: Ooh you say that all in like one breath.
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: I'm reading it right here.
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: But generally it's all the same, except for the date changes.
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: That's right.
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so it's good.
• 0:43
  Speaker 2: Well, good morning.
• 0:43
  Speaker 3: LaManda, good morning.
• 0:44
  Speaker 3: Yeah, so it's good.
• 0:45
  Speaker 3: Well, good morning Amanda.
• 0:45
  Speaker 3: Good morning, how are you I'm?
• 0:46
  Speaker 3: You know, I'm good.
• 0:48
  Speaker 2: You're good.
• 0:49
  Speaker 3: You know we're juggling higher numbers of the shelter and heat for our sheltered neighbors back to school.
• 1:01
  Speaker 2: We've already had two Christmas meetings warming centers warming centers.
• 1:03
  Speaker 3: Christmas meetings.
• 1:03
  Speaker 3: That means cold and snow, but that also means we're rounding out July, so we start doing Christmas in July.
• 1:07
  Speaker 3: Yep, that's right.
• 1:09
  Speaker 2: So there's a special event that is coming up in September on a Friday night Josh, what's coming up Night of?
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: Praise.
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: Yay, what's Night of Praise.
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: Night of Praise, it is our one kind of I call it a fundraiser, but it's like our one event, the big event that we do here at the Rescue Mission.
• 1:28
  Speaker 1: This will be our third one, so we've been doing it for three years now.
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: He's smiling, amanda.
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: I know you used to talk about Night of Praise and it was like he was sweating.
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: Oh, I still do.
• 1:36
  Speaker 2: He does.
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: Yeah, a lot to be done with it, but it's such a great event because it really is obviously like we talk about it's worshiping God, not a praise and thanking him for all he's done in the community, sharing stories of what he's doing at TRM.
• 1:53
  Speaker 1: And I think the thing I love about it the most is seeing kind of the community of churches, as I think they should be, coming together as one.
• 2:01
  Speaker 1: It's not just, you know, it's hosted at FBC, but it's not FBC, you know, it's the body of believers coming together thanking God and praising him for all he's done.
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: So it's awesome.
• 2:11
  Speaker 1: It's going to be Friday, september 12th, 6 pm.
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: Okay.
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: And music and testimonies Yep music testimonies Talking about TRM.
• 2:19
  Speaker 2: It's kind of a big package, an opportunity for people to contribute.
• 2:27
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, it's not just a fundraiser, it is a night of praise, correct, and then people can also contribute in prayer for people and those kind of things.
• 2:30
  Speaker 2: It's quite an event.
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: Now, if you've never been to Fellowship Bible Church, it's a big auditorium, yes, and there's a lot of people that come to the night of praise.
• 2:36
  Speaker 2: So it's got, it's a great event.
• 2:42
  Speaker 2: But, yeah, it's not till September.
• 2:43
  Speaker 2: But get on your calendar Now, the 12th of September, which is Friday night, 6 30 PM, it starts for the night of parade.
• 2:51
  Speaker 2: Yeah, 6 PM, oh, 6 PM, okay.
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: Well, don't come at 6 30.
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: You miss some of it.
• 2:57
  Speaker 3: The theme this year is loving in the gap, so we don't want to share a lot to spoil it.
• 3:03
  Speaker 3: But all year, you know, we've been talking about in our newsletter and just this theme of not only how people have been loved in their own gaps but also how we love others while they're in the gap and recognizing that TRM loves in a big way, not because of our own efforts but because we're loved by a Lord and knowing that we're on a mission to share that Not everybody has to believe the way we do, but we're on a mission because we know the Lord loves us and we want to serve well and to share that love.
• 3:39
  Speaker 3: So I think we're all excited about it.
• 3:41
  Speaker 3: We're very thankful we already have, I think, six sponsors for this year's event.
• 3:48
  Speaker 3: So we started working on that about a month, month and a half ago.
• 3:50
  Speaker 3: Thankful for the people that have said hey, you know we'll be this level sponsor and this level sponsor.
• 3:56
  Speaker 3: Thankful for Bill and Brody and just all of our good friends at FBC who really help us kind of mastermind the logistics of all of this and, of course, fbc for hosting Each year.
• 4:11
  Speaker 3: You know we've done it.
• 4:12
  Speaker 3: I think it's one of those things you know better, you do better, so we're doing that.
• 4:17
  Speaker 3: But then also we've been really driven on.
• 4:21
  Speaker 3: How do we do a fundraiser?
• 4:23
  Speaker 3: Because TRM needs the funds.
• 4:27
  Speaker 3: There's a lot of operational costs that happen because of the work we do, but yet how do we do a fundraiser?
• 4:35
  Speaker 3: That does not align with our mission.
• 4:39
  Speaker 3: And so a couple years ago had the idea of doing this worship night and we see God do the rest.
• 4:46
  Speaker 3: So we trust him with the finances that come in.
• 4:49
  Speaker 3: And you know, really, looking at, how do we really not just give God glory but how do we also come to him united as the church and not divided?
• 5:01
  Speaker 3: The church and not divided, but then also sharing what the Lord has done, but believing together as one unity of what he's going to continue to do?
• 5:10
  Speaker 2: So we're excited.
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: It's a great event and so plan to be there.
• 5:14
  Speaker 2: And if you also want to sponsor, you're still taking more sponsors, I assume.
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: We are People can get a hold of the rescue mission.
• 5:20
  Speaker 3: Yeah, the event is free, but we do ask, if you can, to bring some type of non-perishable item.
• 5:26
  Speaker 3: That's always a blessing too.
• 5:28
  Speaker 3: We also will have tables set up, like we did last year, for volunteer opportunities.
• 5:34
  Speaker 3: If you're interested in learning more about being a volunteer, we'll also have a table set up that.
• 5:39
  Speaker 3: If you want to become a reoccurring donor, that's a blessing.
• 5:44
  Speaker 3: That's really what we're needing right now when we look at our annual budget.
• 5:48
  Speaker 3: It would be so nice to say we have this many of this many of this much monthly sponsorships and donations, because if so, then we know we'd meet that annual budget every year.
• 6:00
  Speaker 3: So a lot of opportunities on the inside before we even get into the worship center.
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: Well, plan on coming.
• 6:06
  Speaker 2: It's a great event and we want to get to our special guest, but since we had Josh already Josh Turley he's the guy working the boards here and putting all this together been doing it now for 277 episodes now, don't think you've ever missed one, have you Maybe one?
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: I think I missed one and somebody else took it, okay.
• 6:23
  Speaker 2: But you had to stand in.
• 6:25
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 6:25
  Speaker 2: I did Somebody's got to produce it but also Josh and his team, Alec and his team are very, very proud of their research and development department of Topeka Rescue Mission, and so, while we want to get to our guests, we do want to honor you, Josh, because you do some extensive work to try to find out what's very important about the day that we're recording the podcast, which is the 29th of July.
• 6:48
  Speaker 2: So today is I'm sure most people weren't aware of this, but it's National Lasagna Day.
• 6:56
  Speaker 1: So, Josh, why was that important to you?
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: I mean, lasagna is fantastic, so I love Italian food, but I think everyone should know it's Lasagna Day day Also it was on the list and there wasn't a lot of other things.
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: So you wrote down here you don't have to be Italian or a fat orange cartoon cat To celebrate National.
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: Lasagna Day, garfield, garfield.
• 7:20
  Speaker 3: Man that takes me back.
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: Anyway, we do want to move on, but thank you, josh.
• 7:25
  Speaker 2: For all the work that you do to pour into these Solid 15 minutes, yeah, solid 15 minutes.
• 7:30
  Speaker 2: Well, that's precious around here, right, 15 minutes any time.
• 7:33
  Speaker 2: It's also National Rain Day and it's International Tiger Day, and so if you're interested in learning more about those, you can Google, like Josh did, and spend about 10 or 15 minutes doing that to be able to come up with these.
• 7:49
  Speaker 2: So, lamanda, we have a really special guest today who is a team member at Topeka Rescue Mission, who I know that has just been loved around Topeka Rescue Mission since she came on board, I think starting out as a volunteer, and eventually stepped into the place and I've known this lady for about 20 years as we've worked together on a number of projects.
• 8:09
  Speaker 2: So, amanda tell, and you said you didn't want to cry today, but I'm going to have you start out.
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: Talk about why Nancy Johnson, former director of the Community Resources Council, now is the administrative assistant here at the Children's Palace.
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: Talk about how and why she's so important to the people here.
• 8:28
  Speaker 3: Well, the first thing is because she's wonderful and not evil like you are.
• 8:34
  Speaker 2: Just for the listeners to hear.
• 8:35
  Speaker 3: I told him.
• 8:36
  Speaker 3: I said, barry, do not ask me about what she means to me, because I have a really busy day today.
• 8:41
  Speaker 3: I don't need to look bad at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: Kleenexes are right over there.
• 8:46
  Speaker 3: You can always have a little makeup break, so yes, you know, um, I think when I think of Nancy, there are a lot of of attributes that I could say about her, um, from just her, her warmth and her kindness, and, um, her loyalty, her discernment, all of those things are what I would just say is beautiful.
• 9:08
  Speaker 3: But, honestly, when I think about Nancy, what just comes to my mind is she is almost like the rainbow and the sun that comes after a storm, and there's just a beauty about that that I don't care who you are I'm not sure I have ever seen someone see a rainbow and that that sun peek out, that they don't stop and say look at that rainbow, or that they're acknowledging it.
• 9:37
  Speaker 3: And that's Nancy.
• 9:38
  Speaker 3: Um, there is something that is so beautiful about her that will stop you every time, and it doesn't matter if it's her hugs, if it's her laughter.
• 9:52
  Speaker 3: She's the one who plans our monthly Children's Palace parties here, that the lunches are themed and so much fun.
• 10:00
  Speaker 3: There is just something about her that, if you're going through a storm, or a storm has just finished, nancy is your sunshine and your rainbow, and I have seen that with myself and I've seen that with multiple staff, but, most importantly, I've seen that with guests, guests that come over for classes and they're greeted by her Unsheltered neighbors, who are very hot or very cold, and she is just a breath of fresh air that we've all needed.
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: Well, sunshine as well as rainbow.
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: Lady Nancy Johnson, welcome to the podcast here at Peeker Rescue Mission today.
• 11:03
  Speaker 2: You need clinics too.
• 11:05
  Speaker 4: I probably do.
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: Nancy, you and I have known each other a long time.
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: I want to talk a little bit about some of our past, but some things that we got a chance to do.
• 11:13
  Speaker 2: But, nancy, why did you come and start in kind of a retirement time in your life?
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: Come back to the Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 11:22
  Speaker 2: Come to the Topeka Rescue Mission and see if there was an opportunity for you to serve here.
• 11:27
  Speaker 2: What drew you to the Topeka Rescue Mission?
• 11:29
  Speaker 4: Barry Feaker.
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: Oh, okay, well, he was already gone, so but no, I'm serious, I was going through a.
• 11:36
  Speaker 4: Very, very Well, let me start at the beginning.
• 11:38
  Speaker 4: Barry and my daughter have the same birthday, and so I always text Barry.
• 11:44
  Speaker 2: Not the same year, by the way, just so you know.
• 11:47
  Speaker 4: But I always text Barry on his birthday and we always say, oh, we need to get together.
• 11:53
  Speaker 4: Well, this year we did.
• 11:55
  Speaker 4: Last year we did, and I was going through a very, very bad time of my life.
• 12:01
  Speaker 4: I had just gotten out of the hospital with septic.
• 12:04
  Speaker 4: This little bird over here was telling me life wasn't worthwhile.
• 12:08
  Speaker 4: And this little bird was saying your daughter would absolutely kill you if you did this.
• 12:14
  Speaker 4: And so it was going back and forth, and so I took the lead, I believe, and called Barry and said let's get together, because God brought me to him to get out of this just deepness I was in and I came in and talked to him and we talked for maybe, oh, we tried to catch up.
• 12:37
  Speaker 4: We hadn't seen each other probably in two or three years.
• 12:41
  Speaker 4: And when I came in here, barry said why don't you come here and volunteer?
• 12:49
  Speaker 4: And I went oh geez, you know I feel like I've volunteered all my life.
• 12:54
  Speaker 4: He said no, come here and do it.
• 12:56
  Speaker 4: Well, I have to admit that the minute I walked in here I knew it was at the right place.
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: How did you know that?
• 13:09
  Speaker 4: One were the people who I felt the love immediately and I think if nobody's worked down here, you can talk all you want, but they will never understand the culture of TRM.
• 13:26
  Speaker 4: I mean, I've worked a lot of places and there's backstabbing and gossip and everything like that.
• 13:35
  Speaker 4: We have none of that here at TRM.
• 13:37
  Speaker 4: I always say the ego is left at the front door, and it really is.
• 13:40
  Speaker 4: Is left at the front door and it really is.
• 13:43
  Speaker 4: And we love each other, we care about each other, we hug each other, we, you know, talk to each other off the cliff and I think that lured me here and I felt so good when I walked out and so I did the front desk for probably six months or so and the job was open and I talked to Josh about it and he said, well, apply for it.
• 14:20
  Speaker 4: And I said, well, the problem is, Josh, it's Monday through Friday.
• 14:23
  Speaker 4: I'm not doing Monday through Friday.
• 14:26
  Speaker 2: You like being here, but not that much.
• 14:30
  Speaker 4: I really like Tuesday, wednesday and Thursday and that's not going to work.
• 14:33
  Speaker 4: Not going to work.
• 14:34
  Speaker 4: I said well, talk about it.
• 14:36
  Speaker 4: First of all, tuesdays and Thursdays are our busiest day here because of class, and so I came in for an interview with Mr Josh.
• 14:47
  Speaker 4: How are you going to feel with somebody my age supervising you?
• 14:53
  Speaker 4: I don't know, I have no problems with that.
• 14:57
  Speaker 4: Do?
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: you.
• 14:58
  Speaker 1: Well, to be fair, given your you know your work history, I was, you know, maybe slightly intimidated at the time, oh, please.
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: How do you feel as a former CEO?
• 15:09
  Speaker 4: But you know, that's in my past life and I've shut the door of that and now I just want to be, I want to bring joy to everyone that walks in that front door.
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: And you do.
• 15:20
  Speaker 2: I hope so, because that's my.
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: It was like Amanda had said and she kind of pretty good intro there for how she sees you and other people see you as well.
• 15:31
  Speaker 4: Well, josh did an interesting thing.
• 15:33
  Speaker 4: He I guess it was the first couple of weeks.
• 15:38
  Speaker 4: He said now you know, this is really your job description.
• 15:42
  Speaker 4: You have to be nice to people.
• 15:44
  Speaker 4: I thought, geez, okay, I probably can handle that.
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: So how would you describe your work here the days that you're here Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday?
• 15:57
  Speaker 4: There, you know, I don't do that well at all.
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: So I mean just answer the phone.
• 16:01
  Speaker 2: You are the voice of Topeka Rescue Mission when people call during the daytime on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, so you field a lot of calls, you answer questions, Try to find the right person that's going to be able to answer a question.
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: That's one thing.
• 16:14
  Speaker 2: So keep going.
• 16:15
  Speaker 4: Well, this was really just to start with, and I'm to blame for this because I can't stand not to be busy.
• 16:25
  Speaker 4: It drives me crazy and you can only play so many games or look up so much stuff on Google.
• 16:32
  Speaker 4: I and I got handed the obituaries, because every Tuesday or every week we go through the obituaries to see if anyone had been a donor and we send a letter to them.
• 16:49
  Speaker 4: So that was the first big, big job I had, besides answering the phone and putting out the lunch menu.
• 16:56
  Speaker 4: And then I moved into helping Susie with volunteers putting together packets, doing name tags, driving her crazy because I wouldn't do, got the packets mixed up, but it's just the kindness of people here.
• 17:15
  Speaker 4: I mean, it wasn't like you idiot, you can't even put together a packet.
• 17:21
  Speaker 4: It was not a problem, let's just, and that's what I love about it.
• 17:27
  Speaker 4: And then I picked up calling references, which I love, and I also call potential people for orientation and turf.
• 17:38
  Speaker 4: That's Susie Holtz.
• 17:40
  Speaker 4: So, yes, I have turned it into the job I wanted.
• 17:48
  Speaker 2: And we needed but in the same time, hopefully, making somebody happy that day and just loving on them, and so the conversation you and I had a number of years ago is it's frightening conversation you and I had a number of years ago is.
• 18:09
  Speaker 2: That was you were the CEO of the Community Resources Council for a number of years, which is still a great organization today.
• 18:13
  Speaker 2: Mary Thomas and you work together.
• 18:15
  Speaker 2: She's the director of the CRC now.
• 18:16
  Speaker 2: I think the CRC has been in Topeka around 100 years.
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: And so you were CEO at that time and you you wanted to be um more engaged with people in need and have that office move into an area, um, where there was more um, um, tangible need, and not just a resource organization but actually a service organization.
• 18:37
  Speaker 2: I want to get to that in a moment, but you have a chance here in your position at Topeka Rescue Mission to engage with the guests of the shelters and, as LaManda said, people even walking in off the streets.
• 18:52
  Speaker 2: What's it like for you now?
• 18:55
  Speaker 2: You talked about kind of the culture here.
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: You talked about the people and the way they treat each other.
• 19:01
  Speaker 2: How is it with you and the guests?
• 19:04
  Speaker 2: Because sometimes as they come over for classes, the training programs, the care program, life skills, you're the first person they see.
• 19:14
  Speaker 2: What's that like for you?
• 19:16
  Speaker 4: I love it.
• 19:16
  Speaker 4: I love it.
• 19:17
  Speaker 4: I want them to see my smile and feel my love when they walk through.
• 19:22
  Speaker 4: And seriously, in the year I've been here volunteer work a year and a half I've only had one person really get angry at me and oh, by the way, lamanda was standing right next to me when the person got angry at me.
• 19:39
  Speaker 4: I handled that one very well.
• 19:42
  Speaker 4: I mean, it was like what have I done that?
• 19:46
  Speaker 2: lady was just having a bad day, huh Well, she was.
• 19:49
  Speaker 4: And I've always run on the philosophy that just because you're having a bad day, that doesn't mean everybody has to have a bad day, so leave it at home.
• 19:59
  Speaker 2: Yeah, leave it at home, Take it back to the shelter.
• 20:00
  Speaker 2: They'll deal with it there.
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: One thing I got to say this real quick I can't tell you how many times I've had people come in on a Monday or Friday when Nancy's not here, and go where's Nancy?
• 20:11
  Speaker 3: They're disappointed.
• 20:13
  Speaker 1: And they'll be like well cause.
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: You know, normally it's Tuesday, thursdays, the guest classes and different things, and so sometimes some of them will come over just to see Nancy.
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: I'm like, I'm sorry she's not here today, like why?
• 20:24
  Speaker 2: She's off Monday and.
• 20:25
  Speaker 4: Friday.
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: And then they leave.
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: So yeah, but people love you.
• 20:30
  Speaker 4: And I love them, and I mean, I'm just a simple person that God has given me the gift I hope to make people comfortable and know how much they are loved.
• 20:41
  Speaker 2: Apparently, he is giving you that gift because that's what you do, nancy.
• 20:45
  Speaker 2: You're in this position now of answering phones and helping put packets together and engaging with different people who are coming in, who are kind of one of the most challenging times of their life.
• 20:56
  Speaker 2: This wasn't always your role.
• 20:59
  Speaker 2: As we mentioned the Community Resources Council, you and I met before around that time when we talked about a meeting at the library and then we started getting together talking about what could happen in one of our most challenged neighborhoods and we started envisioning this thing called Net Reach and we said, ok, who's going to do what part of that?
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: And I remember Julie Ford was the superintendent of Pico Public Schools.
• 21:30
  Speaker 2: They had a building in the Highcrest neighborhood that was one of the most challenged neighborhoods at the time, and so we began to visit with her and the Board of Education Larry Robbins, larry Robbins, yeah.
• 21:42
  Speaker 2: And they had a price to rent that building which was absolutely not affordable, and we cast the vision with them and they brought it down to one-twelfth of the price.
• 21:54
  Speaker 2: They said, let's give this a try.
• 21:56
  Speaker 2: That program was pioneered by you and you and well had a little bit to do with that and it was a division of the Topeka Rescue Mission and we got a lot of people coming in for about seven years and something over there took its place.
• 22:13
  Speaker 2: It's called SENT today, and so in many different I don't know how many, but at least three that I'm aware of what we call the CRC Resource Centers birthed out of that.
• 22:25
  Speaker 2: So talk about what you were thinking and what your experience was as you as the leader of the Community Resources Council, bringing people together to be able to start something that today is proven to be very transformational.
• 22:51
  Speaker 4: It started out as anger because I saw where all these non-profits were and I saw where the majority of our homeless people were, and I kept thinking how do they get to these services?
• 22:59
  Speaker 4: I mean, some of them aren't on bus routes, so how do you get people to get to these services?
• 23:05
  Speaker 4: I mean, some of them aren't on bus routes, so how do you get people to get to these services?
• 23:07
  Speaker 4: And that's when Barry and I started talking about bringing nonprofits together so that it was a one-stop shop.
• 23:16
  Speaker 4: And the main story that ever comes out of this was we had a committee Sally Zeller and Ron Miller and we talked about well, we're going to put in basketball courts and we're going to do this, we're going to do that.
• 23:33
  Speaker 4: And we asked the people my friends down there, what would you really like?
• 23:39
  Speaker 4: And they said we'd like a pay phone.
• 23:43
  Speaker 4: And it was like, wow, were we off on that one?
• 23:48
  Speaker 4: But they needed a phone that they could call, or a number that somebody could call them back at.
• 24:08
  Speaker 2: So that's probably one of my biggest loves that I did was to bring that CRC into a neighborhood.
• 24:18
  Speaker 4: One of the things that I recall when you first got into that building was.
• 24:19
  Speaker 4: Now people found out where you were, where we were.
• 24:21
  Speaker 2: Well, let me say we were in the top floor of the Ramada in years Very hard to get to, very hard to get to With a conference room, and it was mainly just the agencies.
• 24:27
  Speaker 2: But now we have neighborhood folks that are coming to you.
• 24:31
  Speaker 2: I remember sitting in your office about a month into it and it was like a little overwhelming.
• 24:37
  Speaker 2: There was all of these needs, and so how did you handle that?
• 24:40
  Speaker 2: And how did you then not just say, well, we've really made a bad decision here?
• 24:44
  Speaker 2: What did you do from there to say we've got to do something about this?
• 24:49
  Speaker 4: Well, we went to different nonprofits and we came to you and because we needed to get those nonprofits in there, or some simile of of them, and we didn't want to have to charge them an arm and a leg to do it, we provided the administration, the person that greeted people, that answered phones and um when the when the roof leaked or the toilet broke, you took care of that by calling the landlord, which is is Topeka Public Schools.
• 25:23
  Speaker 4: That's right, that was wonderful, but it was just.
• 25:28
  Speaker 4: I look at it as a project built in love, because that's exactly what it was.
• 25:37
  Speaker 2: Nancy, there's been a lot of people helped in the High Crest neighborhood since.
• 25:41
  Speaker 2: I believe we started that about 2013, if I'm not mistaken, and maybe 2012, 2013.
• 25:48
  Speaker 2: The Net Center, NetReach, and now it's birthed out into these other areas.
• 25:54
  Speaker 2: How does it feel now and I know you love TRM and this is where you are now.
• 25:58
  Speaker 2: We're grateful for that.
• 25:59
  Speaker 2: I love TRM and this is where you are now.
• 26:01
  Speaker 2: We're grateful for that how does it feel to look back and see the growth of something that you pioneered, that you really didn't know the outcome?
• 26:09
  Speaker 2: What does it feel like to you?
• 26:12
  Speaker 2: Do you even give that any thought?
• 26:13
  Speaker 2: No, Okay.
• 26:18
  Speaker 4: I really don't, because it was such a joint effort and you probably know me well enough to know that I'm not a me person and it wasn't just me, it was a number of us coming together and many times it was a number, it was us talking for the first time.
• 26:32
  Speaker 4: You know that agencies weren't talking to this agency or that agency and it was bringing those people around the table.
• 26:42
  Speaker 4: And I was telling Amanda, we were instrumental in starting Noto because they were having, they were getting their 501c3 and it wasn't going as fast and they needed to get going.
• 26:59
  Speaker 4: So we took them under our umbrella until they got it so they could use our 5013.
• 27:05
  Speaker 2: Even that nonprofit status so they could get going quicker.
• 27:08
  Speaker 2: And, LaManda, you're a CEO significantly behind where Nancy and I have been.
• 27:17
  Speaker 2: And what does it sound like to you?
• 27:19
  Speaker 2: Because she's kind of understating her impact on this community and things that are going today and beyond.
• 27:28
  Speaker 2: What does that say to you about having Nancy here with you to have this kind of a person who's been there, done that and now serving in the way she's serving?
• 27:38
  Speaker 2: No cry.
• 27:38
  Speaker 3: No cry, I know.
• 27:40
  Speaker 3: Not only has he asked me what you mean to me, now he's asking me about your impact.
• 27:45
  Speaker 4: What the?
• 27:45
  Speaker 3: heck.
• 27:45
  Speaker 3: You know, I think there's a lot of her example that I think speaks out to a lot of us.
• 27:52
  Speaker 3: But from her perspective as a former CEO and me currently being a CEO, I think what speaks loudly to me is in order to lead, you have to know how to serve, and that doesn't mean that you don't lead from the front sometimes, and especially when times are challenging, or maybe in kind of what you've mentioned a couple of times about pioneering this idea that maybe wasn't going to work.
• 28:25
  Speaker 3: Um, so to me, I look at that as a risk taker Right.
• 28:29
  Speaker 3: Yeah and um.
• 28:30
  Speaker 3: So I think that there is also a part of Nancy that speaks to me as a CEO, and some of that is her courage.
• 28:37
  Speaker 2: Um yes.
• 28:39
  Speaker 3: And and it's not courage when you're doing something that everybody's in agreement with.
• 28:46
  Speaker 3: It takes courage when you're doing something that everybody says isn't going to work.
• 28:50
  Speaker 3: And so I learned a lot from Nancy's past, and sometimes it's on my worst days.
• 28:59
  Speaker 3: You know, nancy is the one that sees me um, in and out a hundred times and she's the one that knows I'm still here three hours after everybody leaves and like she gets it because she's walked in there, um.
• 29:13
  Speaker 3: And so I have to tell this funny little Nancy story, cause she's never just come out and said it's for me.
• 29:18
  Speaker 3: But you know I'm pretty sure it's for me, but you know I'm pretty sure it's for me.
• 29:22
  Speaker 3: She got worried about three months ago about the load that myself and I think some others are carrying, and so she has started and apparently I'm really fast when I'm in and out.
• 29:40
  Speaker 3: Maybe I look like I'm also multitasking and maybe sometimes I'm guilty of maybe not even looking up from my phone that I'm trying to disengage of issues and yeah, in other words, you're walking down the hallway, you're looking at your phone.
• 29:58
  Speaker 3: She says I run.
• 29:59
  Speaker 2: That's a good point, good yeah.
• 30:00
  Speaker 3: She says I run.
• 30:01
  Speaker 2: It's a run looking, looking at your phone.
• 30:03
  Speaker 2: Probably have my earpods in talking to them, Wondering if you're going to open the door or just smack into the door.
• 30:09
  Speaker 4: Correct, yes.
• 30:11
  Speaker 3: And so she gives out this little gentle nudge of a reminder when we were all together as a staff.
• 30:17
  Speaker 3: And then a cute little email comes out.
• 30:18
  Speaker 3: Cute little email comes out and the next thing I know there is now an encouraging piece of paper that is held on that door that I go in and out of, that has magnets to the door and it's just this reminder.
• 30:34
  Speaker 3: Sometimes it's one that's just literally like breathe, and then other times it's talking about your importance and things like that, and then other times it's talking about your importance and things like that.
• 31:08
  Speaker 3: So why do I share that?
• 31:08
  Speaker 3: Because I'm not only sees what I'm doing, she not only feels what I'm facing, but she cares about my experience as a CEO, and that's not often talked about.
• 31:24
  Speaker 3: I've got a great leadership team that serves.
• 31:28
  Speaker 3: I've got excellent directors and assistant directors, and the volunteers are impeccable.
• 31:35
  Speaker 3: The donors are great, right, but Nancy is probably the only person that has had a conversation with me that says I want you to enjoy being a CEO.
• 31:47
  Speaker 3: And so, knowing that she did it, knowing that what she did was hard, knowing she did it anyways, and then you fast forward all these years later where she could really be doing anything, and she chooses to not only serve in a time where homelessness is very controversial, but she chooses to see me as a CEO and uses her past the good and the hard that she faced as a CEO to even make my experience different hard that she faced as a CEO to even make my experience different, and that's something that is so humbling to me and definitely something that I don't take for granted.
• 32:30
  Speaker 2: So Well, Nancy, you thought you were coming here for you and when we first started talking, but it's been way beyond that.
• 32:37
  Speaker 4: Well, and let me tell you one of the really fun things I'm really proud of starting was Christ talked about eating around a table, how important that was sharing love and stuff like that.
• 32:51
  Speaker 4: So I couldn't just do an eight-to-five job.
• 32:57
  Speaker 4: I had to add more things.
• 32:58
  Speaker 4: So I have not.
• 33:01
  Speaker 4: I.
• 33:09
  Speaker 4: We have a committee now that organizes different potlucks once a month, and we've had Christmas cookies, we've had barbecue, we've had hamburgers and hot dogs.
• 33:17
  Speaker 4: We usually have a theme.
• 33:18
  Speaker 4: We had a luau this month and next month is a submarine party, and so it just— I want to come back.
• 33:28
  Speaker 4: Tailgating, tailgating, yeah, and I mean it just brings us around the table, and probably the one thing that just blew my mind was at one of them.
• 33:41
  Speaker 4: I brought rocks, flat rocks, and I gave everybody, got the paint that will go on them and everything like that.
• 33:52
  Speaker 4: And I sat back and I looked at this and I thought this is God working.
• 33:59
  Speaker 4: This is God working.
• 34:02
  Speaker 4: I mean, they loved it.
• 34:05
  Speaker 4: It was a simple, simple thing, but they loved it and it took them away from, I think, their reality and let them go back and just have fun, because so oftentimes we get in here and it's so overwhelming and I worry so much about LaManda because she takes everything on and that's the reason I put the stuff on the back.
• 34:32
  Speaker 4: I have to protect her and I have to protect most of the people here Because, much like me, they don't know how to say no and they've got to learn to do that.
• 34:49
  Speaker 4: But our potlucks have just turned into pure fun for an hour and a half.
• 34:59
  Speaker 2: I think, amanda, it's already been kind of stated how valuable you see, nancy to you and, I think, nancy's decision to come here.
• 35:08
  Speaker 2: Nancy, how valuable it's been to you and others.
• 35:11
  Speaker 2: What would you say to somebody who's listening to this right now, who maybe wasn't a CEO or maybe is and getting ready to retire or whatever?
• 35:21
  Speaker 2: What would you say to them if they're really wondering about what's next?
• 35:29
  Speaker 4: Well, I would encourage them to sign up to be a volunteer first, because I think what happens well, I know what happens with the public is that you say Topeka, rescue Commission and they automatically think, oh, those homeless people.
• 35:45
  Speaker 4: And I mean, you know the story.
• 35:48
  Speaker 4: I was before the city commission one time and it was about bus passes for our friends or transit friends or transit, and the subject before that had been a new pond at Clarion Woods and the absolute chamber was packed with big donors, big names.
• 36:18
  Speaker 4: After that passed, they took a a break and the bus was next and there were four of us left in the room and I had somebody say to me, as we were addressing it well, those people and I said so, and so they're not those people.
• 36:44
  Speaker 4: Each of them is an individual, each of them is a person.
• 36:49
  Speaker 4: Each of them have their own story.
• 36:50
  Speaker 4: So I would encourage the people to come and volunteer and see what it's like, because you will never go to any place that is as loving and caring as TRM is, and we always, always have space for volunteers.
• 37:12
  Speaker 2: I think we all need that in our lives because it doesn't seem to be a really super caring, loving world out there and sometimes people would be surprised, like you were, of coming here, amanda.
• 37:25
  Speaker 2: Any other thoughts today with our special guest?
• 37:29
  Speaker 3: I would just say, regardless of what your perspective is right now, if you're someone who is walking through some challenges and you're being served in some way, just don't walk in that with guilt or shame.
• 37:45
  Speaker 3: Know that we too have been helped, and that's why there's so many people at TRM that are so devoted to helping people have that hand up because we've been given it, and so you know.
• 38:02
  Speaker 3: I think if you are listening now and you're someone who is constantly helping someone, just know that your work is not unnoticed, not just by your friends at TRM that are thankful for the many nonprofits and the many business owners and the other agencies that are doing hard stuff right now.
• 38:24
  Speaker 3: You know the economy has got challenges right now and there's just strife, and so I know that there's a lot of other incredible organizations that are doing work that are being impacted right now.
• 38:36
  Speaker 3: And just know you're being prayed for by those of us at TRM and we know that we couldn't do serving our community without you.
• 38:45
  Speaker 3: And then, lastly, I think you know I would like to address the leaders in the community, and especially any that are transitioning into retirement.
• 38:57
  Speaker 3: Just remember that there are other generations of leaders that are up and coming and that leadership isn't all about the individual legacy of the person, it's about the legacy of the work.
• 39:12
  Speaker 3: And so the leaders that are outgoing into retirement, those of us who are newer leaders, we are craving wisdom.
• 39:20
  Speaker 3: We are craving wisdom and we're craving the realistic stories of the previous ones of you that have been CEOs, to know, oh, it's not always been the awards or the accolades, or the new buildings or the new pioneering stuff, like there were times that you all faced too, that were bleak, that were people in opposition, those kinds of things.
• 39:44
  Speaker 3: So I would just say, if you are a leader that is looking at retirement, really figure out how you can still pour into the next generation, because there's a lot of us who are soaking it in and want to continue the legacy of the work, because we too know one day it won't be us, it'll be someone else leading, and we want that to trickle down.
• 40:06
  Speaker 3: So there's just, there's a place for all of us.
• 40:09
  Speaker 3: And then, lastly, I would just say remember what I just mentioned can also be a cycle.
• 40:15
  Speaker 3: So those of us who are leaders can also be people that need to be served and are also team partners with all the other organizations, and that sometimes that can be a rotation, so it's also okay if there's leaders out there that are needing help right now, needing to have their hands held up, because it's a lot right now and it's beautiful work to do that of nonprofit work, but it's also very challenging right now, and so I just hope that those of us that are in the leadership positions welcome the Nancys in their lives, instead of trying to have a facade or keeping the struggle from the people, like Nancys, that are pouring into us.
• 40:54
  Speaker 2: Well, well said.
• 40:55
  Speaker 2: Nancy, thank you for saying yes, and thank you for not just saying yes to coming to the Peak of Rescue mission, not just being the director and leader in so many different ways in this community, but thank you for saying yes to this podcast because we knew that this was not the easiest thing for you to want to do.
• 41:11
  Speaker 2: It was begrudgingly Right.
• 41:14
  Speaker 3: She was voluntold.
• 41:17
  Speaker 4: Josh just finally remarked to me are you going to say no to LaManda?
• 41:20
  Speaker 4: And I turned around and went yes.
• 41:22
  Speaker 2: So we promise we will take those restraints off of you as soon as this is over, and I want to just say one final thing is that there's a real misnomer that you have to.
• 41:34
  Speaker 4: I mean, we're a Christian organization, but that doesn't mean, just because I believe something that's different from you, that we accept that because it's a loving Christ organization that accepts everyone and we don't care where you are in your journey.
• 41:50
  Speaker 2: That's correct Absolutely Well.
• 41:53
  Speaker 2: You've been a blessing to many people, me especially, for many, many years.
• 41:57
  Speaker 2: I'm glad you're still with us and the impact that you are continuing to make, I'm sure has not only spoken to people who work here, volunteer here, who are guests of the peak of rescue mission, but people listening to this podcast today are probably going to think Hmm, maybe I'm that person too.
• 42:13
  Speaker 2: So thank you, nancy, welcome.
• 42:14
  Speaker 2: So thank you for listening to our community, our mission.
• 42:17
  Speaker 2: You've really listened to the former CEO of the community resources council.
• 42:21
  Speaker 2: Now we might call her the CEO of kindness and love of Topeka Rescue Mission for many, many people.
• 42:28
  Speaker 2: And if you'd like more information about volunteering or contributing to Topeka Rescue Mission, you can go to trmonlineorg.
• 42:35
  Speaker 2: That's trmonlineorg and mark your calendars for September the 12th for Night of Praise.