Latest / Our Community, Our Mission / Ep #326- It Takes a Community: Volunteering, Partnership & Impact

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Ep #326- It Takes a Community: Volunteering, Partnership & Impact · Our Community, Our Mission

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Let's pray.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_00: Lord, thank you for today.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for uh another day where we can love each other, love people that we serve, um, and be loved on by one another as well.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: Lord, thank you for the Topeka Rescue Mission and thank you for uh just the many ways it is able to help take care of the community because the community helps take care of it.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, Lord, as we spend time this morning um talking to someone so dear to us, but also talking about a mission that's so dear to her and all of us and the people that make it happen.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: I just pray that the conversation would bring you glory.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: I pray that the conversation would truly express uh gratitude for the volunteers at the Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I also pray that this conversation would maybe challenge listeners who are um maybe contemplating getting involved in um work and looking at how they can give back.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_00: And uh Lord, I just pray that this time would uh maybe invite new people to become volunteers, whether it's at the rescue mission or somewhere else, uh just to recognize that there's a lot of hurt and need in our community, uh, but that there's also a lot of uh progress and solutions that can be made, um, and that it's made by you, Father, but also uh the people in our community that can be a part of the solution.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you again for just another day, Lord, and I pray that uh we use it uh for one another and use it uh according to how you want us to.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_00: In your name we pray.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_05: Hello, everybody.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you for joining us for our community, our mission, a podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission here on September the 15th of 2026.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_05: This is episode number 326.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_05: Hard to believe we've been doing it this long, but we are, and we're going towards 500, I think.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_05: That's right.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_05: Okay.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_05: Um I'm your host, Barry Feeker, here with Lamanda Cunningham, who is the CEO of Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_05: Good morning.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_05: Good morning.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_05: Good morning.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_05: Hey, we got the special guest kind of turb, you know, kind of gave us a clue in your program.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_05: It's going to be about volunteers.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_05: Uh-huh.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_05: But before we do that, Research and Development Department of the Speaker Rescue Mission says we've got to do these first to get everybody kind of moving in the right direction because these things are what's so important about September the 15th.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_05: So first thing that they came up with, it's dot day.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_05: Did you know that?
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: I can't say I've ever heard that.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_05: I I'm surprised.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_05: I thought you were an educator and you knew things.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_05: Womp womp.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_05: So it's everyone's encouraged today to make their mark.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_05: Uh-huh.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_05: So I don't know why.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_05: They probably do have a national make your mark day, uh-huh.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_05: But that wasn't good enough for the people to do that.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_05: That's right.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_05: We need a dot day.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_05: So grab some art supplies also and draw a dot and see where your imagination takes you.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_05: I'm sure you've got plenty of time for that, don't you, Laman?
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_05: I've never connected dots, Barry.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_05: That's the problem.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_05: We didn't say connect them.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_05: Just make a dot.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: Do you know my um that is kind of a big deal in my house, though.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: They're doing these dot paintings or dots.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_05: It's called paint by numbers.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: Is it no, that's what we have, Barry.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: We're we're still trying to do the paint by numbers.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but there's a real cute one right now that my oldest daughter's working on.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's actually when it gets all together, it's going to be like a rubber duck bath time type little canvas.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: Um and I see her sitting there and just doing it, and each dot is a different color, and she's putting it on there, and I'm like, I would have already tossed it up in the air and the dots would have gone everywhere.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_05: It's probably a good diversion away from the electronic stuff.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_05: It is, yeah.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_05: So well.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_05: It's a good little arts and so make your dot today.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_05: Your your make a mark.
• 3:47
  SPEAKER_05: So this one I think that we probably understand a little bit better.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_05: It's national double cheeseburger day, not cheeseburger.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, yeah.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_05: Double cheeseburger day.
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_05: So did you know that?
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I did not know that, but we should celebrate.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_00: You and I do not steer away from cheeseburgers.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_05: Okay.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_05: Miranda put the what are you saying?
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_01: Because we've had a couple of cheeseburgers over the years, Barry.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_05: Well, I I've had one this weekend.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_05: So past weekend.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_00: Was it from let me guess.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Did you have a frappe with it?
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_05: I did not.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so then it's not McDonald's.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_05: I won't say because this place I went, I was telling Susie, which we'll talk to here in a minute, about two weeks ago I went to this restaurant and it was excellent.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_05: Uh-huh.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_05: So I went back last Saturday.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_05: It was not excellent.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, it wasn't.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_05: I like consistency in my cheeseburger.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_05: You know what I'm saying?
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_05: So that particular place ain't gonna be my business again for a while.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_01: Goodness.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_01: But I'll still be on the hunt.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: I'm on the hunt.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_01: For a good double cheeseburger.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_05: So it's twice the meat, twice the cheese, gold, so on and so forth.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_05: So do you like double cheeseburgers or single cheeseburgers?
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: I usually just do single.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_00: And honestly, I usually leave the cheese off.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: Because I I don't I'm just more of a hamburger person with all the fixings.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: Like I love mustard and um ketchup and onions and tomatoes.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: So usually it's everything but the cheese.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm not a big cheese person.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_05: You don't like to mix your milk with your meat.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: No.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: No.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: No, I like I do like cheese and crackers.
• 5:10
  SPEAKER_00: I like cheese in other settings.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: For whatever reason, I'm not a big on my hamburger.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_05: I don't know.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_05: All right.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_05: Well, she's not into double cheeseburger day.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: But I'm not listening to be real, I'm not gonna complain.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_00: Somebody brings me a cheeseburger, I'm gonna eat it.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: That's right.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: I will eat it.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_05: All right.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_05: So I don't know why this is a national day.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_05: This is the last one here.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_05: Okay.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_05: So hang on, germ roll.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_05: Nationalgoogle.com day.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_05: Is it every day Google Day?
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_05: Recognizes the profound influence of the global technology giant every September 15th, from its origin as a search engine to its vast array of services, which totally reshape our lives and totally control us and make us do things we wouldn't otherwise do and buy stuff and uh all that kind of stuff, and believe that everything they tell us is true.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_05: That's that that's me editorial.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: I was gonna say that is not what was from our marketing department over here, research and development.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_05: So if Google has impacted your day in any way, shape, or form, then you are alive.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_05: Uh-huh.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_05: So that's right.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: That's why I would think Google is every day.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_05: Every day, yeah.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_05: But they needed a special day.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_05: So today is their day.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_05: So, Lamanda, we're gonna jump into um our guest.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_05: Uh, but before that, um, she does a very special service for Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_05: Um and uh talk about the value from your leadership position.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_05: Uh you've got a staff.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_05: Um, they've got various different roles here at Topeka Rescue Mission, but they can't do it all, can they?
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: No.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_05: No.
• 6:39
  SPEAKER_05: So you require people that are staff that aren't paid.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_05: They're called volunteers.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, talk about the value.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_05: VIPs.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_05: VIPs.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_00: VIPs.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_00: You know, the need, I say this all the time, but the need at the Topeka Rescue Mission is great.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_00: And usually people say, well, what needs are?
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, what need isn't?
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: You know, we have the need to um cook food, to prep food, to feed people, to serve food.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_00: That's just in one department.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and that's just a beautiful, big part of the Topeka Rescue Mission, but that's still just one prong of what we do.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and then you can think through, we also have the food distribution.
• 7:21
  SPEAKER_00: And so then in that aspect, we need people to donate the food, we need people to bring food, we need people to sort food, we need people to get the food bags ready, we need people to be here on those days.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: That in itself is full time, just that part.
• 7:37
  SPEAKER_00: And I could go on and on.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_00: And so when you look at the needs being great of the Topeka Rescue Mission, it's because the needs of our community are great.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_00: And so I know sometimes it sounds silly when I say it truly takes the community to take care of the community, but it does because even if I doubled our staff, we have um approximately 78 positions each year that we budget for.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: Barry, I've looked at this and I could double that number, and it still would not be enough to run the operations of the Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_05: So it's 150, 160 people that really takes to do everything Topeka Rescue Mission is doing.
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_05: Um and that's not 160 part-time.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_05: No, really full time around the clock.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: And because if you think about it, I mean, just our shelter alone is 24-7, and we have two of them.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: And so when you're running 24-7 shelters 365 days a year, um, and you think about the opportunities, not just what it takes to staff that, but how neat is that if we could have one or two volunteers every evening reading books to kids before the bedtime curfew?
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: If we looked at could we have one night a week where it's arts and craft time, the possibilities are endless if we have the volunteers to do it.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_00: And so um, yeah, the needs are great at the Topeka Rescue Mission, but also what's amazing is when we have needs, um, I see our staff do as much as possible to meet those needs.
• 9:10
  SPEAKER_00: And uh where we can't, we do a close second to the team, uh, which is our incredible volunteers to help that.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_05: So great need, great value in volunteers, but you can't just uh say, hey, you all come without there being some kind of system to be able to recruit them, to equip them, and to deploy them, and that's where Susie Pasley comes in, who is the volunteer coordinator at uh Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_05: Welcome back.
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_05: So, Susie, how long have you been uh coordinating the volunteer program here at TRM?
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_00: Not long enough.
• 9:42
  SPEAKER_00: Sorry, I thought you were asking me.
• 9:44
  SPEAKER_00: And just so you know, her contract goes until infinity.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well so when we start talking about time, I just wanted to insert that.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_00: Not long enough, and she can't ever leave.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_05: Susie, you believe in things eternal, right?
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_05: That's right.
• 9:56
  SPEAKER_05: But not that, right?
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_05: I'm not sure.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_05: So, Susie, how how long has it been now since you uh took on this assignment?
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_02: Um it's been a little over three and a half years um now.
• 10:07
  SPEAKER_05: So what have you learned in three and a half years when you came in here?
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_05: Well, first of all, why did you come here to say yes to this when there was a need?
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_05: Um Topeka Rescue Mission has had other people before you um who have been in the position of volunteer uh coordinator for for many, many years.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_05: There was a need now for you to step in.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_05: What did you know about Topeka Rescue Mission?
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_05: Why did you say yes?
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_02: I had no idea that the Lord was going to lead me to Topeka Rescue Mission, to be honest.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_05: Most of us never did.
• 10:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, I had the opportunity when I was a young woman, 23 out of college, to uh volunteer at a rescue mission in Tampa, Florida.
• 10:47
  SPEAKER_02: And um, I was a school teacher and uh saw folks and just said, man, I could go volunteer and do that.
• 10:54
  SPEAKER_02: So um it's always been on my heart to help people and uh um ways that are helpful and not just ways uh coming alongside organizations or uh ministries.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_02: And so uh when the Lord placed on my heart in January of 20 uh 23 that I should put my name in for a Topeka Rescue mission, um I was like, really?
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, I'd never I'd never really thought about working or I didn't even realize like there were jobs to work with volunteers in that way.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_02: And so um he just really burdened my heart.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_02: Uh in fact, I was heading out for a little uh girls' weekend and he just kept impressing on my heart, put that application in before you pack your suitcase.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_02: And um, and I did.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_02: And uh gosh, uh I I was just talking with a sweet friend, older lady yesterday about the rescue mission and the ministry here and just how incredible it is to see God's work in people's lives.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um and what I love about like orientations with folks is the completeness um of the ministry to the people.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um you know, coming alongside compassion strategies with the Moving Ahead partnership and helping our unsheltered neighbors and supporting even their animals, volunteer groups come and support that so that they know that we care about them and we want to help them with the things that are important in their lives.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_02: And then that connection to bringing um, if they would like to come and stay with us at the shelter, and then that support that our case managers give to them to walk from the very moment they step in the door until they move into their new home.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_02: And how the rescue mission also uh from the donations of our community, our generous community, uh in giving beds and furniture and pillows and blankets and um just anything that somebody would need.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_02: I I jokingly say with the volunteers when they come for orientation, do you like brownies?
• 13:05
  SPEAKER_02: I like brownies.
• 13:06
  SPEAKER_02: But to make brownies, I need a bowl, I need a stirring spoon, I need a measuring cup, I need a pan to put it in.
• 13:13
  SPEAKER_02: And um oftentimes when you talk to folks, they don't have any of those things.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_02: And so um, and those come through um sweet donations from folks um to our blessing door, is what we call it, um, where people bless us with the things that maybe uh has been something they don't need anymore because they're downsizing or they're moving or uh or they're blending households where we have double of everything.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_02: I can remember my husband and I got married, we had double of all these things because we were older.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_02: And um, so you know, those things are given to us here at the rescue mission, and then volunteers go through, help to sort, help to organize, help to load those on trucks to move folks into their new place.
• 13:58
  SPEAKER_02: And then our case managers follow up with them, you know, after they move out, not just okay, bye, see you later.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_02: And so the beauty of taking folks from that step all the way through, and volunteers get to be a part of that with our staff.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_02: And um they love it.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_02: They love it.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_05: Sounds like an enormous job.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_05: Um to be the coordinator of of a number of those things.
• 14:23
  SPEAKER_05: You talked about a number of things here, different ministries of Topeka Rescue Mission, the feeding, the prep the equipping, the blessing um door that can help people to have things to get set up in their own homes.
• 14:35
  SPEAKER_05: You talked about um also um you mentioned compassion strategies and maps, so Topeka Rescue Mission coordinating volunteers or something that's not just Topeka Rescue Mission, so it's alongside Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 14:46
  SPEAKER_05: All those kind of things um sounds like uh a bit of a nightmare, it could be.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_05: Um so you came, you you didn't know you were supposed to be here, you didn't think about it much.
• 14:57
  SPEAKER_05: And so over three years ago, you were getting ready to go on a trip with some gals, and the Lord said put in that application before you leave.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_05: And so, how soon was it after you went on your trip?
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_05: I assume you went ahead and went with the gals, or maybe you didn't.
• 15:12
  SPEAKER_05: And uh, how soon did uh you get a call from TRM?
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: That morning when I was sitting in Kansas City Airport, what she didn't know is Miriam and I had like just latched onto her car, followed her as she drove to the No I'm joking.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_01: We just latched on until she came back.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_05: So we're like, Where are you going?
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_05: We're going with you.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 15:31
  SPEAKER_01: We'll interview you on your on your journey.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_02: I was like, I'll be back in a few days.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_02: Can I come in?
• 15:36
  SPEAKER_02: Yes, yes, that would be great.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_02: But yeah, and again, that was to me just an affirmation that the Lord was placing me here.
• 15:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um and um just the background.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_02: It's beautiful to watch how God takes your life.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_02: Here, 23, I went and volunteered at a rescue mission.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_02: At that point, I was a school teacher, wasn't thinking about that.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_02: I was gonna work at a rescue mission full time, but wanted to volunteer there.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_02: And I was at the front desk, so I got to meet everybody as they came in and direct them to wherever they needed.
• 16:05
  SPEAKER_02: But that was the beginning of what I had no idea that God was gonna take me to in my latter years of life, later years of life.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_05: Um eternal years of Topeka Rescue Mission now.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_05: Um yeah, so you you've learned a lot in three plus years now.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_05: Um Absolutely.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_05: What would you say was the biggest, if you can think back, that you go, man, I didn't know when you came to Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_05: You had volunteered already in a rescue mission somewhere else.
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_05: Here you are here.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_05: You weren't really thinking about it much.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_05: Now you did have a uh a very important person in your life, Clark Johnson, who was your pastor at one time, first Southern Baptist, who was also vice president of the board of Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_05: So you probably knew a little bit about it because he would talk a lot about the mission.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_05: Yes.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_05: Um, but still there wasn't that, man, this is what I'm gonna do.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_05: So what what was in those early days, what was those, what were those things that you can recall that were, man, I just didn't know.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_02: Well, actually, I had volunteered in the Hope Center for a little bit on Wednesday nights.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_02: I would help bring youth to come play with the kiddos so the mamas could have a break.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_02: And then uh me and a couple of my friends from Bible study would hang out with the ladies.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_02: And so I'd had that close contact um and really enjoyed that.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_02: Really enjoyed that.
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_02: We'd pray with the ladies, we'd paint fingernails, we'd bring cookies, we just had a great time hanging out.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_02: And so, but I think um some of the that just that continuity of um connecting with people when they're unsheltered or when they first come to us, and then um just that support all the way through.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_02: It's not just a place that people come and sleep overnight and get food.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_02: It's really an environment of love and care for them and listening to them so that they uh feel heard and seen.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_02: And that brings value to people so that they feel that they can accomplish something and move forward out of a spot that they feel stuck in at the moment.
• 18:14
  SPEAKER_05: So maybe like a lot of people think it's a shelter, people to stay there for whatever amount of time, and it's just a bed and um and something to eat.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_05: So so how many of your volunteers now come and they feel like maybe they want to volunteer at the rescue mission?
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_05: They've never done that before, and you do an orientation about the ministry.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_05: How many of them are like, man, we just didn't know?
• 18:37
  SPEAKER_02: It's my favorite thing to hear at the end of the orientation.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_02: I had no idea all of this came together like this.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_02: And just that um greater understanding that they have and that personal um connection that they feel because most people who come to volunteer want to help.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_02: They want to help someone and they're seeking, how can I help?
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_02: What can I help?
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_02: And a lot of times they is the only thing you have to do is to serve a meal.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_03: No.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_02: One of the favorites right now um is riding along with our case managers.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_02: So our case managers uh transport folks um at different times to maybe the DMV or the Topeka Housing Authority or a doctor appointment uh or a dentist appointment, um, just all different kinds of times that they have to need to transport someone.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_02: And so um one of the newer options this year that's grown is um a volunteer rides along with that transport.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_02: And so they get a chance to really visit closely with the guest, um, have some fun, have some conversation.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_02: And that's a beautiful experience not only for the volunteer because they do get to help.
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_02: They get to just be that person present, listening and engaged, but they also that guest is is appreciated and poured into by someone outside of our staff that cares about them.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_02: And so um that growth and their understanding on both sides and their understanding that people care and care about me.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_02: And um and that I and that the volunteer has that opportunity to offer care and support to someone.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_05: So it takes it to another level versus just packing a food basket, which which is good.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, that's important.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_05: It is.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_05: But for some people, they actually get to engage with the volunteers.
• 20:27
  SPEAKER_05: Well, man, I know uh um from your position that trying to help the community to understand everything Topeka Rescue Mission does is a uh never-ending opportunity challenge.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_05: Uh-huh.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_05: Um when you when you hear Susie talking about um just some of the in-depth components of Topeka Rescue Mission, a kind of a continuum of a you're coming off the streets, you have no place to be, and yet people come around, which is a combination of staff and volunteers helping that person on their journey through.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_05: What comes to your mind?
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_05: What what do you how do you feel about hearing one of your staff members talk about the value of that?
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I think if there was kind of a phrase that could summarize Susie, I mean there's a lot that I could say, but what keeps coming to my mind, especially the last several weeks, is love and logic.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_00: Love and logic.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: Susie is a God has really gifted her with this beautiful ability to understand logically what the rescue mission needs from the logistical side that we have so many departments.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_00: And um, what are the department needs?
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_00: Can that really be met with a volunteer?
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_00: Can it not?
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_00: Um, she's very good at looking at what are uh potential liabilities, what are potential huge successes, all of these things.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_00: She just has a lot of logic to her thinking.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um, she also, you know, really, there's only, in my opinion, Three staff on staff that are somewhat responsible for every department here.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_00: And that's myself, human resources with Kim Turley and Susie.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_05: Well, that's a big one.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_00: And the reason I say that is how can Susie recruit for something she doesn't understand?
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_00: How could Susie have innovative ideas if she doesn't understand the framework of that department and the people, the personalities, all of those things?
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_00: So there's just this high level of logical understanding that Susie has that, in my opinion, surpasses what is even her requirement, right?
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_00: But then mixed in this in such a beautiful way is love.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_00: So you don't have just the logic, you have the love.
• 22:57
  SPEAKER_00: And I see Susie over and over and over again, in my opinion, going above and beyond to whether it's the recruitment of volunteers, the training of the volunteers, the follow-up with volunteers, um, every now and then, just these kind of crucial conversations to make sure we're on the same page of what we can do, what we can't do.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and it starts with even just her demeanor.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_00: Like for instance, um, a week ago, I was able to directly connect someone who reached out to me to volunteer.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I was able to say without a doubt to this person, hey, I'm passing you on to Susie and I know she's going to take incredible care of you.
• 23:39
  SPEAKER_00: That's not me just saying it.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_00: That's not me just marking off an easy email.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_00: I know then what happens when I give that person to Susie.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_00: She's analyzing what are the person's needs, what are their giftings, what maybe are their struggles for an area that wouldn't be good for them to volunteer.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_05: With Kim Turley for staff.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 24:01
  SPEAKER_00: And so that's where this love piece goes in.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_00: She loves the Lord, she loves the rescue mission, but then she automatically has this love for this volunteer that she may have not ever met, and she wants to get to know him or her so that they have the best experience, whether that's one time at TRM or if that's a hundred time at TRM's.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_00: And so when I think of Susie, it's just constantly this um beautiful mosaic mixture of this love, the father's love, how she loves her job, how she loves other people, how she knows sometimes loving the work is not easy because it's not pretty work.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um, yet she also has this logical understanding of what do we need, what could be an issue, the timing of things, um, the bigger picture of it all.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_00: And that's something that to me is such a gift as a CEO that Susie gives me and the ministry every day is just that beautiful understanding.
• 24:59
  SPEAKER_05: So did you know all that, Susie?
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_02: Kind of speechless right now.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_05: But I think the Lamanda's correct.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, what you are doing, um, and is absolutely essential, but it's very complicated, is understanding about every in and out of the ministry itself.
• 25:16
  SPEAKER_05: Because when somebody comes as I'm interested in volunteering, you have to know the organization they're volunteering for and where to deploy them, you know, where to equip them, how to how to um um hear what their skills are.
• 25:29
  SPEAKER_05: You've got some people that um maybe have never volunteered before in their life, uh, some have maybe never worked in this population ever before in their life.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_05: You have some professionals, uh whether they be doctors, nurses, whatever, coordinate, you have the whole mix.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_05: So talk about your process.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_05: Somebody um like you goes, hmm, I think I want to get involved with the peak and rescue mission.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_05: So where does it start?
• 25:53
  SPEAKER_05: Where do you then determine where you're going to um plug them in, so to speak?
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_05: And then how do you make sure everything's going okay?
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_02: One of the things that I try to do is um get them to come to a volunteer orientation because then that gives me a chance to meet personally.
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_02: Um sometimes that doesn't always work for everybody's schedule, but I do um a morning, usually I do an afternoon and usually an evening each month to get it.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_05: So is that a requirement for the volunteering here or just uh suggested?
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_02: It is something that I really want people to do.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_05: Highly encouraged.
• 26:30
  SPEAKER_02: Uh highly encouraged, yeah.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_02: You know, there's some unique situations where um sometimes it's a phone call and it's a phone conversation.
• 26:39
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I really do like to meet people in person because there's a lot that I can learn um about them and about what they're really uh wanting to do when you're let me digress on that.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_05: How many different volunteers do you coordinate?
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_02: Well, um last year we had uh over 3,000.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_02: That's a lot of people meet with so in that situation, like um like our upcoming Nancy Perry Day of Caring, uh, we're having um a large group of folks come in to serve.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_02: Um and so I'm honestly not going to get to meet everybody.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_05: So it's probably a coordinator of that group, and that's the person you want to make sure you have connection with.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_02: And so um, in that particular situation, they're coming through United Way to us to volunteer.
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_02: So that's a really unique one.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_02: But you know, like uh Washburn University brings their nurses.
• 27:32
  SPEAKER_02: Um and so I have an opportunity to meet with the professors and the directors of those departments and really just talk about what is their goal for their students and uh what are they hoping uh for them to be able to engage more directly or um just to be near our unsheltered neighbors so that they can learn more about that, so that they can develop compassion as they are working with them potentially in ER situations or health situations in the future.
• 28:03
  SPEAKER_02: And so looking at what is what does that volunteer really have on their heart that they're wanting to um wanting to do?
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_02: And sometimes they come um, as you mentioned earlier, Lamanda, and they just say, What's your biggest need?
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_02: I just want to help.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_02: And I love that um because uh, you know, we do have big needs in certain areas, but I always pause and say, it's it's everywhere, you know.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_02: Um I think we've talked about this before.
• 28:29
  SPEAKER_02: There's 90 positions on Tuesdays and Thursdays that if every one of them were filled, it would be 90 volunteers on site.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_02: Now we don't have 90 volunteers on site every Tuesday.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_05: But that's the need.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_02: That's the need, yeah.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_02: And if we look at a regular Monday, Wednesday, Friday, just looking at a work week, um, we're looking at 70.
• 28:49
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, and that's so our kitchen is covered so that the food is sorted, as Lamanda mentioned earlier, and organized for the food distributions on Tuesday and Thursday.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, clothing, we get to lots of clothing given to us.
• 29:03
  SPEAKER_02: That all has to be sorted by size and by whether it's a kiddo or a dad or a mom or a male or a female, you know, and what season, because we live in Kansas and the weather can change, and so we have to have all those different seasons.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_02: And so there's so much that goes into each part of a department that the need is great.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_02: And so um I I usually focus more unless they're really like honestly, anything.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, we need help tonight serving dinner or we need help tomorrow at map, you know.
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_02: Um uh, but I really try to hear what is their story, what are their experiences, what's on their heart that they really want to do?
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_02: Do they want to be close?
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_02: Because some people will be like, I don't think I'm ready to be really close.
• 29:51
  SPEAKER_02: And that's okay.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_02: We have lots of options for that.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_02: And then um, you know, like the folks that are doing the ride-alongs.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_02: In fact, one gentleman long time volunteered in our distribution center, and he called me and he said, you know, I can't really do as much of that, but I'd like to get closer to the guests and really be able to talk with them.
• 30:10
  SPEAKER_02: And at that point, we were just kind of developing this new opportunity.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_02: And he loves it.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_02: And the case managers love it.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_02: He is amazing, just chatting away with folks and uh caring for people.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_02: So it's really, you know, listening to what the departments need and then helping folks find out where they're at and connecting them to that department.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, it's not always a win every time.
• 30:35
  SPEAKER_02: Um, sometimes people come and I'm encouraged, I can tell they're really unsure.
• 30:40
  SPEAKER_02: And I just say, try lots of things.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_02: You know, what's your schedule?
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_02: If you're open Monday through Friday, hey, we've got this and this and this and this and this and this.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_02: This, you know, jump into some of those.
• 30:49
  SPEAKER_02: Try all those different things.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_02: Some people ask, am I committed?
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_02: Like, do I have to show up every week?
• 30:55
  SPEAKER_02: No, you do not.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_02: You're a volunteer.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_02: And that's the beauty of volunteering.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_02: You can choose the time that works for you and the spot that you want to be.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_02: But it doesn't mean um that you have to come every week.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_02: Although we do have people that come every week, sometimes two or three times a week.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, sometimes some people come in and serve eight hours a day for a couple of days a week, which is incredible blessing because they really learn that area.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_02: But then we have so many that come in and serve, you know, a few hours here, a few hours here, a few hours here.
• 31:29
  SPEAKER_02: And that works great too, because it's a team.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_02: It's just a really huge team of people that are uh were looking for the spot that they enjoy and that they can serve in.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_05: And some of those team members, uh volunteers, they actually take ownership of their responsibility, don't they?
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, yes.
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_02: And uh yes, and they think about it outside.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you know, they'll go uh find clothing for map.
• 31:53
  SPEAKER_02: Um they'll go look for a deal on food because they know we're get running low on green beans or peaches, and they'll find them and they'll bring in a whole stack of them of canned goods.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_02: Um or underwear is very popular and needed around here.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_02: And so, you know, some people will some people will be like, you know, they'll hit all of the discount stores and and catch the bargains and bring those in.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_02: And those are all things that aren't even on the on the scheduling, but are much needed uh for the ministry to be successful in caring.
• 32:27
  SPEAKER_02: You know, we have space for 300 people.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_02: And um, if you think about in your home, you have two or four or six people, and uh uh it takes a lot of your time and your energy and things to take to care for them.
• 32:42
  SPEAKER_02: And so that's the volunteers they come in and and fill those gaps that as 78 people cannot fill for 300 plus folks that we love and care for.
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_05: You know, man, it's uh complicated enough to um have paid staff positions, uh, deploy them in the right places, make sure that the job's getting done, and know that they're probably gonna show up tomorrow because they get a paycheck.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_03: Uh-huh.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_05: Um that's not the only reason they show up, but that's one which is incentive.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah, volunteers over here don't get a paycheck.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_05: Um, yet there's as many needs for volunteers as there are paid staff and sometimes more.
• 33:20
  SPEAKER_05: And it's such a um uh i it's a little harder to define it.
• 33:27
  SPEAKER_05: Um they're not all full timers, uh, but uh that kind of a system to be able to manage that kind of system, be able to understand it, number one.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_05: Here's 90 positions on a Tuesday and Thursday, and sometimes it's critical to fill those positions.
• 33:43
  SPEAKER_05: Very critical.
• 33:44
  SPEAKER_05: Sometimes not so much, and trying to determine which is and which isn't.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_05: And uh my gosh, I'm getting overwhelmed.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_00: That was actually the comment that I was gonna make.
• 33:54
  SPEAKER_00: Um the other thing that I love about Susie is we can tell when Susie's feeling the pressure, right?
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_00: She she is human.
• 34:02
  SPEAKER_05: Um turn her desk over.
• 34:06
  SPEAKER_00: Not yet.
• 34:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I've never seen her not pleasant.
• 34:11
  SPEAKER_05: I've never seen her not pleasant.
• 34:12
  SPEAKER_05: She's worried.
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_00: I can tell when she's like worried about something, or I can tell if she's kind of like, this is getting a little too close for my comfort of us not having this done, or us not whatever the case may be.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um but what I love about that is she is so honest about, hey, this this may not get done.
• 34:31
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, still believing that the Lord can do it, but also giving um John as her supervisor, giving John a heads up of like, hey, um, we're changing this system and this may not go well, or hey, I really think we need to move to this and I need help communicating this.
• 34:47
  SPEAKER_00: So sh it's not always where she's talking about all the pleasant stuff, but she's also still really pleasant through the stuff that isn't.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_00: And that's one thing that I value with her is I can tell she's stressed, or I can tell she's worried about it, or I can tell she's wanting me to make a different decision.
• 35:03
  SPEAKER_00: But even in all of that, she's just authentic.
• 35:05
  SPEAKER_00: She's very honest with what she shares and she's receptive when I am able to say, yeah, let's do that, or hey, I don't think it's the right time, or whatever the case may be.
• 35:17
  SPEAKER_00: And I love that about her too, um, because uh in a in a role like hers, she could have the opportunity every day, if not every day, multiple times a week, where she could be overwhelmed and then that could bleed over into a lot of other people because she interfaces with so many people every day.
• 35:38
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but I wouldn't say that it comes out in being overwhelmed.
• 35:43
  SPEAKER_00: It comes out in authentic, like, this is a rough week, or we really need extra help.
• 35:48
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, there's times where sometimes we'll put something out to all staff of does anybody want to help with this?
• 35:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um, it's gonna be kind of all hands on deck.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_00: So I appreciate that about her.
• 35:58
  SPEAKER_00: Another thing I wanted to share, um, and I hope this comes out because I haven't thought through how to say it, but long story short, I'm going through um, I do this once or twice a year, but it's a week that's devoted to guided prayer.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_00: And um, I'm sure there's different forms of it, and it kind of depends on who's leading it.
• 36:18
  SPEAKER_00: But long story short, uh, the passage that I was given is in Luke.
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_00: And um, in guided prayer, however you're doing it, sometimes the person who's leading it will have you try to imagine what is it like if you were a certain part in that passage or in that story.
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_00: And so uh the passage that I was given was um in Luke, where um Jesus comes across the blind man and then basically asks him, What do you want?
• 36:48
  SPEAKER_00: And the blind man tells him, you know, I want to be, I want to see again.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_00: And Jesus heals him.
• 36:54
  SPEAKER_00: But the the person that I was given was not, Lamanda, how would you feel if you were the blind man?
• 37:00
  SPEAKER_00: Like what would you ask Jesus for or anything?
• 37:02
  SPEAKER_00: It was if you were someone in the crowd, what do you think your experience would be?
• 37:09
  SPEAKER_00: And so I walked through that the last 48 hours.
• 37:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um, what would I be thinking if I just saw that?
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_00: What would I feel?
• 37:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um, what would the senses be like, you know, especially in crowds?
• 37:22
  SPEAKER_00: And I thought of Susie.
• 37:24
  SPEAKER_00: And um, the reason I thought of her is I know God works miracles in Susie.
• 37:31
  SPEAKER_00: I know sometimes she might be praying about something so small or maybe even silly, and he's he he he does that for her because he does it for all of us, right?
• 37:43
  SPEAKER_00: But I also know that there's big miracles that God is working in Susie's life, and so sometimes Susie could be that blind man receiving it, but more often than not, Susie is a bystander, she's someone in the crowd watching Jesus interact with someone.
• 38:07
  SPEAKER_00: And so, as I was putting myself in this role of if I was, if I just witnessed Jesus heal a blind man, what would my experience be?
• 38:17
  SPEAKER_00: And what came to me is so often we are the bystanders witnessing the miracles.
• 38:26
  SPEAKER_00: Do we stop long enough to acknowledge how do we feel with what we just witnessed?
• 38:32
  SPEAKER_00: And with Susie's role, yes, there's the logical stuff, and yes, there's the planning, and yes, she's gotta understand the logistical things of ins and outs of TRM, but more importantly, is on that love side.
• 38:47
  SPEAKER_00: And Susie is trying to figure out what is the Lord doing in that volunteer's life that has gotten them now to TRM.
• 38:58
  SPEAKER_00: And then Susie, I know because I hear, I see it, she does not take for granted this opportunity that we have.
• 39:10
  SPEAKER_00: And so then I know that's why she does so much with heart, because then she's thinking through where's the right placement?
• 39:16
  SPEAKER_00: Where does this person need to go?
• 39:19
  SPEAKER_00: Essentially, like, where's the Lord waiting for this person?
• 39:22
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 39:23
  SPEAKER_00: And then she gets the stories.
• 39:26
  SPEAKER_00: They will follow up with her.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_00: That was incredible.
• 39:29
  SPEAKER_00: I just worked map today and I have never been a part of something like that.
• 39:33
  SPEAKER_00: Or the volunteers that talk to her about that specific person that touched them as they were serving them food, all these different things.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_00: And so um, I know God is directly with Susie.
• 39:46
  SPEAKER_00: It's evident in how she loves people.
• 39:49
  SPEAKER_00: Um but also Susie is beautiful because Susie is satisfied with being a bystander, and Susie is satisfied with just watching how volunteers are an answer to prayer, and she's satisfied when the volunteers then have this level of fulfillment or satisfaction or joy because of what they've encountered at the rescue mission.
• 40:19
  SPEAKER_00: And you would almost think then wait the way Susie retells it, you would think Susie just experienced that, right?
• 40:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but it's because she does take her assignment of this dot connector, right?
• 40:32
  SPEAKER_00: Of what God's doing in people and then how is he using them at TRM and such.
• 40:37
  SPEAKER_00: And that brings her just as much joy as if the father was just directly working with her.
• 40:43
  SPEAKER_00: And that is something beautiful and and and challenging to me too, as I'm doing this guided prayer of am I just as satisfied as Susie is just witnessing?
• 40:56
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and that's that's a big reflection for me right now.
• 41:00
  SPEAKER_00: Um is even if the Lord is not doing something directly for me, am I still satisfied enough because I see it all around me?
• 41:11
  SPEAKER_05: Well, I think that's very valuable to say we don't always have to be the one either taking the credit or the one who has got the personal experience.
• 41:18
  SPEAKER_05: However, to your position, Lamanda, to your position, Susie, you gotta connect the need with the hands and feet of Jesus.
• 41:26
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 41:27
  SPEAKER_05: And so I think bystander is one maybe way to explain it, but it's also that dot connector.
• 41:32
  SPEAKER_05: You know, you dot you connect the dots and then you stand back and let it happen because you can't do it all.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_05: You know, Jesus himself, he said, Yeah, I gotta I'm gonna call 12 people here that we're gonna change the world.
• 41:43
  SPEAKER_05: And so Jesus, yes, is the connector, he is the one to the Father.
• 41:48
  SPEAKER_05: But at the same token, he has then created this incredibly challenging volunteer department called the church to go out and change the world.
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_03: Uh-huh.
• 42:01
  SPEAKER_05: And I say that with all the love and admiration and also the self-criticism as I look at is about part of that.
• 42:07
  SPEAKER_05: Um, as that we are very fallible in doing that, but at the same time it gets done because Susie, you're the connector, Lamanda, your connector.
• 42:16
  SPEAKER_05: You deploy people to connect people, and then you watch and then you pray, and then you're there for them.
• 42:22
  SPEAKER_02: So I think one of the biggest lessons I learned in the beginning um was that, and uh it's interesting that you use the word connector because I feel like God specifically spoke that into my life uh when I was in seminary, that you are a connector.
• 42:38
  SPEAKER_02: Yes.
• 42:38
  SPEAKER_02: I didn't know really what that means.
• 42:40
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, all right, Lord, let's see what that is.
• 42:43
  SPEAKER_02: Uh-huh.
• 42:43
  SPEAKER_02: But God is the provider.
• 42:46
  SPEAKER_02: And so even though we have 90 spots open, and there's it used to be I am the type of person who's there's 90 spots.
• 42:52
  SPEAKER_02: Uh-huh.
• 42:53
  SPEAKER_02: Ninety spots need to be filled.
• 42:55
  SPEAKER_02: No blank space.
• 42:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 42:56
  SPEAKER_02: And and just that the Lord reminding me, I am the provider, and I know exactly what the need is, even though you logically think 90 spots.
• 43:08
  SPEAKER_02: And so trusting him with I have provided what is what is needed for this time.
• 43:16
  SPEAKER_02: And I will bring others, maybe from other directions, to be a part to serve in that uh option.
• 43:28
  SPEAKER_02: Um but trusting him that he knows the whole plan.
• 43:33
  SPEAKER_02: He knows exactly what's needed at that time and exactly when someone will join or not.
• 43:40
  SPEAKER_02: So that fear thing of I used to in the very especially with warming centers, would be like, oh my gosh, we need 12 people.
• 43:47
  SPEAKER_02: We don't have 12 people, we need 12 people.
• 43:49
  SPEAKER_02: Uh-huh.
• 43:50
  SPEAKER_02: Knowing the need that is expressed um uh to care for folks well.
• 43:57
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but trusting that.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_02: We don't have twelve people for this overnight.
• 44:02
  SPEAKER_02: And the five we have, it's like the loaves and the fishes.
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_02: It is.
• 44:07
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's like the loaves and the fishes.
• 44:09
  SPEAKER_02: This is what I need.
• 44:10
  SPEAKER_02: Uh-huh.
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_02: Let me do what I want to do with this plan this time.
• 44:15
  SPEAKER_02: And this opportunity.
• 44:17
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 44:17
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and so that has been a huge I would say a big gross spurt for Susie uh in in that, especially that first year, just adjusting to it's not about 10 spots, 90 spots open.
• 44:33
  SPEAKER_02: It's about you doing your own.
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_05: Here's how we see it.
• 44:36
  SPEAKER_05: But God, how do you see it?
• 44:38
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 44:38
  SPEAKER_02: You, Susie, doing what I've asked you to do to do your best.
• 44:43
  SPEAKER_02: And I'll provide the people and I'll make work what I need to work with the people that I've provided.
• 44:49
  SPEAKER_05: So Lamanda, that's been your journey also, hasn't it?
• 44:52
  SPEAKER_00: Not at all.
• 44:52
  SPEAKER_00: I can't relate.
• 44:54
  SPEAKER_05: You know, to the point of this is what we see, this is what we think we need.
• 44:57
  SPEAKER_05: And then God is the supplier.
• 45:00
  SPEAKER_05: And it may come out different.
• 45:01
  SPEAKER_05: It may come out more.
• 45:03
  SPEAKER_05: It may come out less, but at the same time, it gets done.
• 45:05
  SPEAKER_05: And so that's a whole series of podcasts to unpack all of that.
• 45:11
  SPEAKER_05: How do you how do you do what you need to do today?
• 45:14
  SPEAKER_05: It's 365 days a year, seven uh seven days.
• 45:17
  SPEAKER_05: Well, that's the same thing.
• 45:18
  SPEAKER_05: 365 days a year, 24-7.
• 45:20
  SPEAKER_05: It's around it never stops.
• 45:21
  SPEAKER_05: No.
• 45:22
  SPEAKER_05: Never stops.
• 45:22
  SPEAKER_05: I want to you mentioned uh uh MAP uh two or three times here.
• 45:26
  SPEAKER_05: Both of you mentioned MAP, uh the Moving Ahead Partnership.
• 45:30
  SPEAKER_05: Um talk about that.
• 45:32
  SPEAKER_05: That that's that's Topeka Rescue Mission is very involved with that.
• 45:36
  SPEAKER_05: What is Topeka Rescue Mission's involvement with helping the unsheltered um uh around the volunteer area?
• 45:43
  SPEAKER_05: And so it's uh Compassion Strategies um division.
• 45:47
  SPEAKER_05: Uh MAP is, uh some other things are.
• 45:50
  SPEAKER_05: Um why is com why is Topeka Rescue Mission involved with the volunteer piece?
• 45:55
  SPEAKER_02: Well, we've been involved with MAP since the beginning.
• 45:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and uh volunteers are the ones that uh are present each day, each Tuesday and Thursday, to serve with um passing out meals, preparing meals in our kitchen, starts in the kitchen before breakfast to prep those meals and uh get those transportable to come to the site to serve them.
• 46:19
  SPEAKER_02: So we have volunteers that are working in the kitchen prepping meals for breakfast and lunch, and uh we have volunteers then directly in the Moving Ahead partnership, helping with uh cleaning showers, passing out clothing, um organizing clothing before we even get to those days, um, collecting clothing before we even get to those days, um, and then um, you know, passing out the hygiene items, visiting with folks and encouraging them, um, writing down their names, who wants a shower, who needs clothing, what sizes do we need, all of those intake um elements.
• 46:58
  SPEAKER_02: And so um, you know, each week for just the map location at the back of uh the Compassion Impact Center, uh, we have um nine volunteers in the morning, nine volunteers in the afternoon on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• 47:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um Scotch, a partner with this, uh we uh are able to uh take their laundry, the outfit they have on that day, and wash it's washed by Scotch.
• 47:25
  SPEAKER_02: So it takes a person, a volunteer, to collect those items in a bag and get that labeled so that it gets back to the right person the following week.
• 47:34
  SPEAKER_02: And so all of those different parts um come together for map, and that's on two.
• 47:41
  SPEAKER_05: So I think I think I just want to make sure people understand Topeka Rescue Mission just doesn't serve itself.
• 47:46
  SPEAKER_05: It's also serving other organizations, and one of those is through volunteering.
• 47:50
  SPEAKER_05: Obviously, the food and the clothes, we've talked about those, but it's it's um a true partnership to take the person, Susie, take the system, volunteer department, to beek a rescue mission, and also then recruit for something else that walks alongside of that.
• 48:07
  SPEAKER_05: Lamanda, why'd you say yes to that?
• 48:10
  SPEAKER_05: I know it uh map was birthed out of a partnership at the Peeka Rescue Mission.
• 48:13
  SPEAKER_05: Now it's Compassion Strategy is another organization.
• 48:16
  SPEAKER_05: Yep.
• 48:16
  SPEAKER_05: Why continue with taking resources that TRM looks for, clothes, food, and volunteers?
• 48:26
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I think that that question of why continue, I would answer with a question of why would we not?
• 48:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um everything we do at the Topeka Rescue Mission requires ability and resources that surpass us.
• 48:47
  SPEAKER_00: Not just map, everything from the shelters to the feeding to the case management to decision making, you know, needing discernment and wisdom and um and all of that.
• 48:59
  SPEAKER_00: And so if I only looked at what it requires of TRM to help continue to bless uh map and CIC, well then we would just shut everything down because it's a struggle to provide everything that we do.
• 49:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but that can't be the mindset.
• 49:20
  SPEAKER_00: The mindset has to be um, what is what is our calling?
• 49:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um why has God created and sustained TRM for over seven decades and then looking at um the people?
• 49:38
  SPEAKER_00: And so the thought of not supporting something such as the Compassion Impact Center or MAP, that's heartbreaking.
• 49:51
  SPEAKER_00: And could we maybe get in a position where we just truly couldn't?
• 49:56
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe.
• 49:57
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but right now what's required is it's hard work, it's messy work.
• 50:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um you know, we were just talking last week about how are we going to push out needs list for men's clothing and underwear and all of those kinds of things.
• 50:11
  SPEAKER_00: So it does require this constant um ask of the community and this constant rethinking about how we're re how what our systems are for things and such.
• 50:21
  SPEAKER_00: Um but the people are worth it.
• 50:24
  SPEAKER_00: And the Compassion Impact Center Um and Moving Ahead Partnership, that is really an extension of the work the rescue mission does or isn't primary to us.
• 50:38
  SPEAKER_00: And so um it shouldn't be work that's separate from TRM.
• 50:44
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's work that we do in partnership with TRM.
• 50:49
  SPEAKER_05: But in partnership because it aligns so well.
• 50:52
  SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
• 50:52
  SPEAKER_00: So to me, just thinking about it.
• 50:53
  SPEAKER_05: I just think it's important that people understand that, you know, that when we hear the term map's been around for over five years now.
• 50:59
  SPEAKER_05: Um when we hear Compassion Impact Center a little bit newer, um, that it is a multi-organizational partnership.
• 51:06
  SPEAKER_05: You got Stormont Vale, you have uh Astra, the list goes on and on.
• 51:10
  SPEAKER_05: Topeka Rescue Mission being a huge partner in this, probably the primary partner, um, to providing so many things, and you get to do that too, Susie.
• 51:18
  SPEAKER_05: So thank you for that.
• 51:20
  SPEAKER_05: So uh before we close here today, um there is a special event, and and that's we haven't even talked about you also recruit for special events like Christmas, uh back to school.
• 51:30
  SPEAKER_05: You talked about warming centers, which probably gonna happen if the the weather is uh predicted this winter, recruiting for volunteers for that, coordinating all those things.
• 51:40
  SPEAKER_05: And then um also uh something called the Nancy Perry Day of Caring, which is this week.
• 51:45
  SPEAKER_05: So, what can you say about Nancy Day, uh Nancy Perry Day of Caring?
• 51:50
  SPEAKER_02: Um well, we're excited to have um some teams here with us.
• 51:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um Evergy is coming to serve.
• 51:56
  SPEAKER_02: Uh we've got folks coming from Capitol Federal uh this particular day of caring.
• 52:01
  SPEAKER_02: And so they're gonna be with us on Friday.
• 52:04
  SPEAKER_02: Um the Nancy Perry Day of Caring actually is two days now.
• 52:07
  SPEAKER_02: It used to be just one day for years, but it's the 17th and the 18th.
• 52:11
  SPEAKER_02: So that's this coming Thursday and Friday.
• 52:13
  SPEAKER_02: And so they're gonna come in and just grab some of those projects that we have not been able to address as staff and even as extra volunteers.
• 52:23
  SPEAKER_02: And so it's a really special treat to have them come and just uh work together with uh fellow coworkers and knock out some of those big projects that we have and want to accomplish.
• 52:36
  SPEAKER_02: So um, you know, I can remember um being a part of Nancy Perry Day of Caring and actually as an ambassador with the United Way uh back in 1998, a long time ago.
• 52:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um but it was uh it's just an awesome time for folks to get out and volunteer with their businesses or individually and just help different organizations throughout the community with those extra things that um most uh nonprofits uh have not had a chance to get to in another.
• 53:07
  SPEAKER_05: Oh, some of the partnerships are you know, Nancy Perry, um kind of iconic here for leading the uh United Way of Greater Topeka for about 24 years, um, retired from that.
• 53:17
  SPEAKER_05: And the romper room on TV.
• 53:20
  SPEAKER_05: Okay, so hi uh Nancy Perry, when I was a little kid, believe it or not, was on Romper Room on TV.
• 53:26
  SPEAKER_05: All right.
• 53:27
  SPEAKER_05: And uh so um actually, do did you did you ever see Romper Room?
• 53:32
  SPEAKER_05: I mean, you're not that old, are you?
• 53:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um I'm close to that old.
• 53:35
  SPEAKER_05: Okay, all right.
• 53:36
  SPEAKER_02: It was black and white.
• 53:37
  SPEAKER_05: Black and white TV.
• 53:38
  SPEAKER_05: She'd be on there and they'd hold up this mirror and she'd be uh seeing different children out there watching.
• 53:43
  SPEAKER_05: There's David, there's Susie, there's Ananda, there's she never once said Barry all those years.
• 53:49
  SPEAKER_05: So I got back to her years ago.
• 53:51
  SPEAKER_05: We were having a PSA we were doing on one of the TV stations, and she's up there getting interviewed, and I want to say, I'd like to file a complaint.
• 53:58
  SPEAKER_05: I said Nancy Perry never once said Barry when I was a kid, and I've been in the therapy ever since.
• 54:05
  SPEAKER_05: Nancy's a great gal.
• 54:06
  SPEAKER_05: She's still with us.
• 54:07
  SPEAKER_05: Now it's called the United Way of Call Valley.
• 54:10
  SPEAKER_05: And so uh Nancy Perry, day of caring, she's just been a jewel in our community, helping in so many ways.
• 54:16
  SPEAKER_05: And so in honoring her, many people come together.
• 54:18
  SPEAKER_05: Topeka Rescue Mission is one of those places.
• 54:20
  SPEAKER_05: And so that's gonna happen here too.
• 54:22
  SPEAKER_05: Susie, before we close, I said that already.
• 54:24
  SPEAKER_05: Before we close, close.
• 54:25
  SPEAKER_05: Somebody's interested, they've heard this uh podcast, all of it are part of it.
• 54:28
  SPEAKER_05: They say, Yeah, I want to check this out.
• 54:30
  SPEAKER_05: What's the next step that somebody would say, Yeah, I want to check out, maybe become a volunteer?
• 54:35
  SPEAKER_02: The best spot is on our website, trmonline.org.
• 54:38
  SPEAKER_02: There is a volunteer tab.
• 54:40
  SPEAKER_02: Um, you can create an account there and that will come to me.
• 54:44
  SPEAKER_02: Um there's also information there.
• 54:46
  SPEAKER_02: There's our expectations and guidelines.
• 54:49
  SPEAKER_02: There's also some different um options.
• 54:51
  SPEAKER_02: Not all of our options are on the website, but a few little um tastes of what is going on here.
• 54:58
  SPEAKER_02: Um and so that's a great spot.
• 55:00
  SPEAKER_02: Sign up there.
• 55:00
  SPEAKER_02: That way I'll get your phone number and I can give you a phone call or send you an email and we can start the conversation about volunteering.
• 55:07
  SPEAKER_02: So would love to have folks do that.
• 55:10
  SPEAKER_05: If you really want to make a difference, you're looking to do that, feel like the Lord is tugging on your heart, just come check it out and uh talk to Susie.
• 55:16
  SPEAKER_05: Go to the website at trmonline.org.
• 55:19
  SPEAKER_05: That's trmonline.org.
• 55:22
  SPEAKER_05: Also, you'll find a lot about speaker rescue mission there and the ministries it's involved with here locally, uh, within Speaker Rescue Mission and also things like MAP and other things.
• 55:30
  SPEAKER_05: So, Susie, thank you for joining us.
• 55:32
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you for doing us.
• 55:33
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you for agreeing to stay uh on in this position until the Lord returns.
• 55:36
  SPEAKER_05: That's right.
• 55:37
  SPEAKER_05: And so uh man is happy now.
• 55:38
  SPEAKER_02: So whatever eternity is.
• 55:41
  SPEAKER_01: That's right.
• 55:42
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you all for joining us.
• 55:43
  SPEAKER_05: Thank you for being a part of our community, our mission.