Latest / Our Community, Our Mission / Ep #176 - Darryl Lilly's Story to Hope

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Ep #176 - Darryl Lilly's Story to Hope · Our Community, Our Mission

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: All right, let's pray.
• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Heavenly father, we thank you, lord, for this day and your blessings and provisions.
• 0:05
  Speaker 1: God, thank you Just for the blessing of our guests today.
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: Lord, thank you for Just all the the work that he's doing and the blessing that he is.
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: Father, pray that you'd bless this time and and the ears that would hear it.
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: And Lord, may your holy spirit be here now.
• 0:19
  Speaker 1: Lord, in your holy name We pray, amen.
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Hello everybody, you're listening to our community, our mission.
• 0:25
  Speaker 2: A podcast of the Topeka rescue mission.
• 0:27
  Speaker 2: This is Barry Fieker with Marian Krabel, director of supportive services.
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: Good morning, good morning.
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: How are you?
• 0:32
  Speaker 2: I'm fine.
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: We're on the last day of May of 2023.
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: Can you believe that one?
• 0:37
  Speaker 2: if you do an April, may, june, november, whatever that thing.
• 0:39
  Speaker 3: Yeah, I have to do the the whole Or look at the calendar.
• 0:41
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 0:43
  Speaker 3: You know, yeah, now I have to do that little poem.
• 0:45
  Speaker 3: But I guess there's something that I think is really important I have to do that little poem but, i, guess there's something you can do with your knuckles.
• 0:53
  Speaker 3: Hmm, there's a thing like every other knuckle.
• 0:56
  Speaker 2: I don't know that one.
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: No, I only know the poem.
• 0:59
  Speaker 3: I know we're big in trivia here and But I should have asked you, you should tell me how do you know how many days are in a month.
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: Actually, that's not important today.
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: What's important today is what is may 31st, known for man.
• 1:12
  Speaker 2: You know, we always have to kind of get warmed up here.
• 1:14
  Speaker 3: Yeah, these hard questions.
• 1:15
  Speaker 2: So I know so, maryam, as you concentrating right now, I am what is one big thing that everybody needs to do today.
• 1:23
  Speaker 3: Absolutely, because it is national.
• 1:25
  Speaker 3: Smile, there you go.
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: I'm telling you because everybody see that right now She's got a smile on her face.
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: But now now, okay, so today is national smile day.
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: This is what May 31st is known for, but it's also something very, very special, especially to little critters.
• 1:42
  Speaker 2: What, what is also today?
• 1:44
  Speaker 3: Okay, so I only know this because Josh gave me the answer, but apparently it's world Otter Day.
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so it's national smile day, not global snow, but it's world global Otter Day.
• 1:54
  Speaker 3: Otter Day.
• 1:55
  Speaker 3: I know, i don't know, that's the thing that brings the smile.
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: That's good, yeah, so so what is an otter?
• 2:05
  Speaker 3: Well, it's a.
• 2:05
  Speaker 3: It's a creature that swims.
• 2:08
  Speaker 2: You know this, Maryam.
• 2:09
  Speaker 3: You otter know this well it's a critter, it's kind of it's a creature, it's God made it.
• 2:14
  Speaker 3: Oh, it's cute, it's very cute Yeah and they crack things.
• 2:18
  Speaker 3: They use rocks to crack things like clams and that kind of stuff.
• 2:22
  Speaker 3: And I do know that if you ever go to any kind of aquarium, there will be otters there.
• 2:28
  Speaker 2: Yeah, did you know how long they can hold the breath?
• 2:30
  Speaker 3: No, i do not, barry.
• 2:31
  Speaker 3: How long can they hold their breath?
• 2:33
  Speaker 2: Oh, you're me eight minutes eight minutes, yeah, yeah, so you know when you're thinking about.
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: You know abilities and all your talents and all that.
• 2:40
  Speaker 2: Think of the order and I otter be able to hold my breath for at least 30 seconds.
• 2:45
  Speaker 2: There's more we could talk about, otters, but we have a special guest today.
• 2:50
  Speaker 2: We do, and I really want to get into this, because this is a cool dude.
• 2:53
  Speaker 2: This is a cool dude.
• 2:54
  Speaker 2: This is a guy that is a pro loader.
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: A pro loader.
• 2:58
  Speaker 2: You know that there's pro football players, there's pro basketball players, there's pro baseball players, there's pro golfers.
• 3:04
  Speaker 2: Uh-huh, this guy's a pro loader.
• 3:06
  Speaker 2: Okay, yeah, you know what that is.
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: No, okay, we're gonna find out.
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: Welcome, darrell Lilly, to our community.
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: Our mission pro loader at Lowe's here in Topeka.
• 3:16
  Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, so what's a?
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: what's a pro?
• 3:18
  Speaker 4: loader.
• 3:19
  Speaker 4: I take care of the pros when they come in.
• 3:22
  Speaker 4: I load their products, i set up their orders.
• 3:25
  Speaker 4: I take care of every customer in the store that I can, yeah so you take care of the pros when I come in.
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: What do I got to do to be a pro?
• 3:35
  Speaker 4: Just come up to the pro desk.
• 3:37
  Speaker 4: We can set you up with an MVP card.
• 3:40
  Speaker 4: We can get you set up with our credit line.
• 3:42
  Speaker 4: You become a pro and then I take care of you.
• 3:45
  Speaker 4: Yeah, that's great.
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: So you help a lot of people kind of get things built and get things fixed and and I'm at Lowe's a lot, no matter fact I was sharing earlier I had to go out there again get another warranty machine.
• 3:58
  Speaker 3: You know they be aware, because you break things a lot.
• 4:01
  Speaker 2: Yeah, my clothes are heavy.
• 4:04
  Speaker 3: Well, you're a tall guy.
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: Especially when I want to do one load and do everything at the same time.
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: You know, it just screams at me after a while, but anyway, i was just out there.
• 4:12
  Speaker 2: So, darrell, you've been at Lowe's here in Topeka for four and a half years, yes, and you've done some different things out there At Lowe's, but one of the things that that we we know about Darrell Lilly is his customer service.
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: How friendly is to people, and you said before we started podcast today, that's the number one reason you're there is the customer.
• 4:36
  Speaker 4: Oh yeah most definitely Yeah, i love my customers, yeah.
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: Yeah, well, why?
• 4:39
  Speaker 2: What's?
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: I mean it's?
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: it's a job, of course, and you've moved in some different positions at Lowe's and last four and a half years.
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: but What's?
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: what about the customers?
• 4:50
  Speaker 2: is your favorite part?
• 4:53
  Speaker 4: I just love to serve.
• 4:54
  Speaker 4: If I can help you in any way, that's what I'm there for.
• 5:00
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: Yeah, and customers responded that don't they very well, yeah, yeah.
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: so you really love your job.
• 5:06
  Speaker 4: Yes, I do.
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: Yeah Well, we, we, we wanted to hear about your job.
• 5:09
  Speaker 2: What a pro-loader is.
• 5:11
  Speaker 2: What does an otter do?
• 5:14
  Speaker 3: it swims and cracks things on its chest with rock.
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: Okay, now you, otter, know what a pro-loader is.
• 5:19
  Speaker 2: Now I ask Darrell as well What a pro-loader?
• 5:22
  Speaker 2: but Darrell, let's run the clock back a little bit.
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: You are a former guest of Topeka rescue mission and God's done some amazing things for you and through you.
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: But run the clock back a little bit so our listeners can Hear your story about what brought you the Topeka rescue mission, and then we'll kind of get into some of the journey while you were here about seven years ago I Wasn't really the person that I am now.
• 5:55
  Speaker 4: I Was a drug dealer that started using his own product, became a heavy addict.
• 5:59
  Speaker 4: I Reached out to now Richie on the phone and I said now I we need a hand up, we don't need a handout, we need a hand up Now Richie said come to the rescue mission, we'll get you in the set program awesome program, by the way.
• 6:13
  Speaker 4: We Spent I and my wife Linda.
• 6:18
  Speaker 4: We spent a year In the set program, which is really awesome.
• 6:26
  Speaker 4: We learned how to be of service to others.
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: So, darrell, being a drug dealer and and then using your own product, what happened?
• 6:39
  Speaker 2: what brought you to this place, where you said I need to.
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: I need to do something different?
• 6:47
  Speaker 4: We were actually living in a friend's basement on their floor in the middle of the winter with a gap under the door about an inch thick or an inch deep, constantly sick, all the time, always looking for the next fix, and I just couldn't do it anymore.
• 7:09
  Speaker 4: I reached, i talked to God and God told me to call the mission, and so that's what I did.
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: So did you have a relationship with God at that point, or was this the kind of desperation calls to God?
• 7:23
  Speaker 4: A little bit of both.
• 7:24
  Speaker 4: I've been in and out of churches since I was a little kid.
• 7:28
  Speaker 4: That's what we did on Sundays.
• 7:30
  Speaker 4: We went to church.
• 7:31
  Speaker 4: Buzz's Cam got us, loaded us up, took us to church, went to South Millwood, which was a cute, quaint little church over in East Peak.
• 7:41
  Speaker 4: At the time I knew that God was.
• 7:48
  Speaker 4: I knew that God could do anything, that I asked him if I really needed it.
• 7:55
  Speaker 4: But I didn't have faith in it.
• 8:00
  Speaker 4: I didn't have faith in anything.
• 8:02
  Speaker 4: I didn't have faith in myself.
• 8:04
  Speaker 4: I didn't have faith in God.
• 8:05
  Speaker 4: I didn't have faith in family, nothing.
• 8:10
  Speaker 4: And when I became a very, very heavy, heavy user, i was made to people.
• 8:19
  Speaker 4: I had a lot of people that said I was their friend.
• 8:25
  Speaker 4: But when I quit I found out that they were just people.
• 8:32
  Speaker 4: They weren't friends.
• 8:34
  Speaker 4: I don't even see any.
• 8:35
  Speaker 4: I have maybe five real friends, One of them actually my best friend, ernie.
• 8:44
  Speaker 4: He just gave me a car.
• 8:46
  Speaker 4: He said you're going to stop riding, buzz.
• 8:49
  Speaker 4: He gave me a car.
• 8:51
  Speaker 4: All I have to do is get the tags on it, get my driver's license back, which I've already paid all the fines three weeks ago, and I mean I love that guy.
• 9:04
  Speaker 4: He's just awesome.
• 9:05
  Speaker 4: Well, he loves you too.
• 9:07
  Speaker 2: Darrell.
• 9:08
  Speaker 2: So you're in a basement, you're sick, all the time, you were continually having to use to take care of the suffering, the pain, and you said God help me, i need out of this.
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: And so, had you been familiar with the Topeka Rescue Mission before this?
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: And if so, how and how did you connect with Nell Richie, who at that time was the director of our servants and training program?
• 9:35
  Speaker 4: I had to go through the TMAP program And my probation officer made me go stay at the mission so that I can get into the TMAP program.
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: That was the Topeka Moving Ahead, which was a job training program that was around for about 10 years through Kansas Legal.
• 9:48
  Speaker 4: It was a good, really good project.
• 9:50
  Speaker 4: I think CARE was a better project because it was more God-oriented.
• 9:57
  Speaker 4: We prayed every day, but that's when I met Nell Richie, my brother Terry.
• 10:07
  Speaker 4: You guys all remember him.
• 10:08
  Speaker 4: He was at the mission at the time, which made it being there a little bit easier.
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: So you kind of had somebody who could tell you about TRM and wasn't just kind of like walking in the door and you didn't know anything at all.
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: So you had been incarcerated at one time, so you had a probation officer.
• 10:31
  Speaker 4: Yeah, i spent a year in prison for forgery.
• 10:35
  Speaker 4: I'm glad it wasn't for drugs, because the judge told me the next time he sees me for a drug count I'll be doing 20 years.
• 10:44
  Speaker 4: Wow, things would have really been different with him.
• 10:47
  Speaker 4: Yeah, that's different.
• 10:49
  Speaker 4: Actually, i've been clean six years.
• 10:51
  Speaker 3: Wow, that's wonderful.
• 10:53
  Speaker 4: Six years.
• 10:53
  Speaker 4: yeah, lie 25th.
• 10:55
  Speaker 4: That's awesome, That's wonderful.
• 10:57
  Speaker 2: So even though you knew a little bit about TRM and you were kind of at the end of your rope, you and Linda were kind of pretty close to homeless.
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: I mean, you were still in the friend's house.
• 11:08
  Speaker 2: Oh yeah, We were.
• 11:10
  Speaker 4: I can literally say we were homeless for two and a half years because of drugs, because yeah, So what did it feel like coming to the mission the first time?
• 11:23
  Speaker 4: I couldn't.
• 11:24
  Speaker 4: It wasn't at the mission with me at the time and it was pretty rough.
• 11:30
  Speaker 4: I mean, i knew a lot.
• 11:33
  Speaker 4: I met a lot of people really really fast, and some of them were.
• 11:37
  Speaker 4: I mean, for the most part they were pretty good guys, but some of them were kind of shady, you know.
• 11:45
  Speaker 4: But that's like, that's everywhere.
• 11:47
  Speaker 4: It's life.
• 11:49
  Speaker 4: It's life.
• 11:52
  Speaker 4: Most of the people that I've actually met at the mission.
• 11:54
  Speaker 4: You guys know that you have a lot of very skilled workers to give it to the mission.
• 11:59
  Speaker 4: We do.
• 12:00
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 12:02
  Speaker 4: When I was running a landscaping company, i used to come down and pick people up and they, as soon as they saw me coming across the tracks, they would start lining up Very, very hardworking people.
• 12:14
  Speaker 4: Yeah, that's right.
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: Yeah, they just needed a break.
• 12:18
  Speaker 2: So that even tells something even more.
• 12:20
  Speaker 2: At one time you were coming to the mission to help employ people and now you're coming through the front door in pretty desperate need.
• 12:28
  Speaker 2: Yes, did, was that hard?
• 12:30
  Speaker 4: Yes, that was probably one of the most humbling experiences I've ever had to deal with in my life.
• 12:38
  Speaker 2: Some people get to that humbling experience and it's a little bit too much for them, so they, they, they.
• 12:43
  Speaker 2: Either one don't come, or two.
• 12:45
  Speaker 2: They don't stay long because it is so difficult to say this is where I'm at, what caused you to stay.
• 12:56
  Speaker 4: The staff, the mentors like everybody at this table at one time or another was a mentor of mine.
• 13:02
  Speaker 4: My mentors became my family and my friends and it made it really easy to just stay and to work.
• 13:12
  Speaker 2: The programs So did you come understanding that you were probably going to get in a program pretty soon, or was that?
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: Oh yeah.
• 13:20
  Speaker 4: We actually were in general population for less than two weeks and they moved us straight into the SIT program.
• 13:27
  Speaker 2: Yeah, So talk about that SIT program.
• 13:29
  Speaker 2: What was it for you and what was the value?
• 13:34
  Speaker 4: It brought me a lot closer to God.
• 13:35
  Speaker 4: I mean, we had classes five days a week.
• 13:39
  Speaker 4: We and you know they weren't hard classes, you just had to participate.
• 13:47
  Speaker 2: That's what I thought about it.
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: What were?
• 13:48
  Speaker 4: classes about Certain parts of the Bible.
• 13:52
  Speaker 4: A lot of it was just you know what it takes to believe, what it takes to serve, and I've kept those lessons very tight to my heart.
• 14:09
  Speaker 4: guys, the SIT program was.
• 14:12
  Speaker 4: I really hope you guys get that back up and running, because that was a really awesome program.
• 14:17
  Speaker 2: Yeah, it's in the works.
• 14:19
  Speaker 3: You know, barry, i have to tell you something, because I'm sitting here listening to Darryl and talking about what he learned about being a servant.
• 14:27
  Speaker 3: I met Darryl because you coerced me, barry.
• 14:32
  Speaker 3: I did.
• 14:32
  Speaker 3: I was in the Christmas coordinator and we were at 206.
• 14:38
  Speaker 3: Christmas is a chaos time, right, and we're getting all of these things and all of a sudden, here's this guy and he is serious.
• 14:47
  Speaker 3: It took a lot for me to get Darryl to smile.
• 14:49
  Speaker 3: He was this serious guy, but he just wanted to help and he just said I'll do whatever you need.
• 14:55
  Speaker 3: I can sort, i can put things away, i can move.
• 14:57
  Speaker 3: He just wanted to help And I just my heart was just so filled with this gentleman that was just so eager to serve.
• 15:07
  Speaker 3: He was so eager to serve.
• 15:09
  Speaker 3: This would have been what 2017-ish Yes, right, which is a little bit hard to imagine, that we've known each other that long But he was just so.
• 15:19
  Speaker 3: That service piece, that wanting to be a servant, was always in his heart.
• 15:24
  Speaker 3: It had to be.
• 15:25
  Speaker 3: It had to be because of just how anxious he was to be a part of that As helping other people.
• 15:31
  Speaker 3: He wanted to help us, help other people, and I'll just never forget that.
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: Well, it sounds like you're still doing that today.
• 15:37
  Speaker 2: He has, so I'm glad I coerced you into that then For a lot of reasons.
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: Plus, we had really cool Christmases.
• 15:45
  Speaker 3: We did.
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: Yes, we did.
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: Yes.
• 15:47
  Speaker 2: So, darryl, you got in the Servants and Training program.
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: We've referred to it as SIT.
• 15:52
  Speaker 2: You don't SIT, actually, you go to class, but then you do a lot of work.
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: Yes, what was your work?
• 15:58
  Speaker 2: assignments that were part of that program.
• 16:00
  Speaker 4: My first work assignment was basically a security assignment, 40 hours a day.
• 16:06
  Speaker 4: I reported to the front desk.
• 16:08
  Speaker 4: I walked the properties, made sure people were doing what they were supposed to be doing Standing in the kitchen or standing in, you know, just being where I needed to be.
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: Make sure everything was working in order.
• 16:28
  Speaker 4: And then I went to the.
• 16:30
  Speaker 4: is that one?
• 16:33
  Speaker 4: Yeah, That's when I went down over to help you guys over there.
• 16:36
  Speaker 3: At the distribution center Distribution center.
• 16:38
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 16:40
  Speaker 4: That was fun All these boxes of stuff coming in and we're just sorting them and sending them where they need to go.
• 16:48
  Speaker 2: You think that experience maybe helped you to possibly be as successful as you are at Lowe's?
• 16:53
  Speaker 2: Yes, most definitely So.
• 16:56
  Speaker 2: There was kind of OJT on job training through a program at the rescue mission.
• 16:59
  Speaker 2: That was study.
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: It was a place to live.
• 17:03
  Speaker 2: It was also a 12 month program.
• 17:05
  Speaker 2: Yes, and job training as well.
• 17:08
  Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, so what did you enjoy?
• 17:11
  Speaker 2: I mean, you enjoy Lowe's, you enjoy the customers, you're the pro-loader at Lowe's.
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: What was it about Christmas and then distribution center that you enjoyed?
• 17:20
  Speaker 2: Maybe take yourself back where you were at that time.
• 17:24
  Speaker 2: You're coming out of homelessness, you're coming out of addiction.
• 17:27
  Speaker 2: You're coming out of hopelessness.
• 17:28
  Speaker 2: You're coming out of hmm, god's there, but I'm not really sure where.
• 17:33
  Speaker 2: How did all of that begin to change your thoughts?
• 17:41
  Speaker 4: I had a lot more hope in my life at that time.
• 17:43
  Speaker 4: I had a reason to I hate to say it like that exist.
• 17:51
  Speaker 4: No, that's fine.
• 17:53
  Speaker 4: It was so necessary at that time for me to be needed And it filled me.
• 18:06
  Speaker 4: It filled my heart with just so much love And seeing them little kids just smile when they got their presents were just awesome.
• 18:15
  Speaker 2: So you began to see yourself in a different light, totally different light.
• 18:20
  Speaker 2: You began to see, maybe other people in different light.
• 18:23
  Speaker 4: Yes, I started looking for mentors in everything, in every aspect of my life, in church and work, you know, just in friends even You know I actually have friends that are mentors.
• 18:37
  Speaker 4: They don't know it, but they are mentors.
• 18:41
  Speaker 2: We don't have to have a label to be one.
• 18:42
  Speaker 2: So eventually, linda would join you here at Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 18:47
  Speaker 2: She would come as well, yes, and get on the program She was actually.
• 18:51
  Speaker 4: We came in the same day And she went to the Hope Center and I went to general with the men.
• 18:58
  Speaker 2: We were like I said I think it was 14 days or less before they had a synesthetical We had as the trial period to see, you know, motivation and those kind of things to see if this was going to work.
• 19:10
  Speaker 2: So now you spend the next 12 months you're in classes, you are doing some different experiences, whether it's security, working, Christmas distribution center, And it's getting close to that time that we're going to be done with SIT.
• 19:22
  Speaker 2: What did that feel like?
• 19:25
  Speaker 4: It's kind of a new life.
• 19:26
  Speaker 4: Now we're walking.
• 19:27
  Speaker 4: It was actually.
• 19:28
  Speaker 4: It was kind of scary because I knew that eventually I was going to have to step out that door And I wasn't going to have the backup.
• 19:35
  Speaker 4: I wasn't going to have the support.
• 19:37
  Speaker 4: Well, no, i can't say the support, because you guys were always there.
• 19:40
  Speaker 4: All I had to do is just come knock.
• 19:42
  Speaker 4: But it was, it was really it was frightening.
• 19:48
  Speaker 2: Were you afraid that possibly you would go back to where you came from?
• 19:54
  Speaker 4: A little bit, a little bit.
• 19:56
  Speaker 4: Why didn't you?
• 19:58
  Speaker 4: I got so much things going for me.
• 20:01
  Speaker 4: now I don't want to look back.
• 20:04
  Speaker 2: Yeah, so you, you, you did 12 months in the Servants in Training program.
• 20:08
  Speaker 2: And then there was another program that was more of job readiness, the Care program.
• 20:13
  Speaker 2: It was.
• 20:14
  Speaker 4: It was awesome.
• 20:15
  Speaker 4: Linda and her crew were really good people.
• 20:17
  Speaker 4: They helped us.
• 20:19
  Speaker 4: I mean, the first thing we did which was so awesome?
• 20:22
  Speaker 4: the first thing we did was pray, You know, and then we started building resumes, We started reaching out.
• 20:31
  Speaker 4: They showed us how to talk to people.
• 20:32
  Speaker 4: We had a, a health group that met like once a week or something like that How to take care of ourselves, to get ourselves better in shape.
• 20:43
  Speaker 4: There was.
• 20:46
  Speaker 4: We had a guy come in and out and help us clean our records.
• 20:49
  Speaker 4: I got my record almost, almost totally expunged with in less than three months, And it is possible.
• 20:59
  Speaker 4: It does happen.
• 20:59
  Speaker 4: Before that I was looking at three years minimum to get my record expunged And the guy was just I can't remember his name, but he was so awesome.
• 21:09
  Speaker 4: Then they they had a guy from Kansas credit bureau or something like that come in and and talk to us about rebuilding our credit, getting everything straightened.
• 21:23
  Speaker 4: We had somebody from the peak housing authority come in and talk to us, which was the first program that we got into for housing, but that was that was more through team app, but from care it was just.
• 21:44
  Speaker 4: I mean they had like 20 computers around this room.
• 21:49
  Speaker 4: You just walk up, pick a computer and start start doing it.
• 21:52
  Speaker 4: If you needed any help, just raise your hand.
• 21:55
  Speaker 4: Linda or one of our other, one of her crew will come over and help you.
• 21:58
  Speaker 4: They just they made it so easy.
• 22:02
  Speaker 2: That was about 13 more weeks after the 12 months of the care program, and so so in the care process and care starts stands for career readiness and education.
• 22:13
  Speaker 2: So it was about not just getting a job, but it was about learning a career.
• 22:17
  Speaker 2: And so where did Lowe's come in to play in that process?
• 22:21
  Speaker 2: Lowe's?
• 22:22
  Speaker 4: was actually the first place that I applied And after the first couple of weeks I didn't think I was going to hear back from them.
• 22:32
  Speaker 4: But Linda said just have faith that you know, if they really want you they'll get a hold of you.
• 22:37
  Speaker 4: About three weeks into it I got a call from Lowe's.
• 22:42
  Speaker 4: We need you to come in for an interview.
• 22:43
  Speaker 4: I've been there ever since Yes.
• 22:47
  Speaker 2: So talk about them and what it meant to you to be received by an employer in Topeka with some challenging past coming out of a rescue mission.
• 22:56
  Speaker 2: What did that mean that Lowe's would bring you on board?
• 23:02
  Speaker 4: Oh, it meant a lot.
• 23:03
  Speaker 4: I was totally upfront, honest with the guy that did the interview.
• 23:08
  Speaker 4: I told him, you know I did have a past but I haven't been in trouble for over five years, which actually it was over nine years at that time.
• 23:18
  Speaker 4: And one of the guys I worked with.
• 23:23
  Speaker 4: His name was Andy.
• 23:24
  Speaker 4: He was very supportive.
• 23:26
  Speaker 4: He knew that I was a recovering addict.
• 23:27
  Speaker 4: I actually had one of my dealers from the past come in and he was like you know, won't you come back to work?
• 23:40
  Speaker 4: Andy wouldn't let him near me.
• 23:44
  Speaker 4: Andy was so cool about it.
• 23:46
  Speaker 4: I mean, he was very respectful to the guy, but he said you're not going to talk to.
• 23:53
  Speaker 3: Daryl anymore.
• 23:54
  Speaker 4: Cool.
• 23:56
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 23:57
  Speaker 4: And yeah, i mean, it was just so awesome.
• 24:01
  Speaker 4: I have so many friends at Lowe's that just are so supportive.
• 24:07
  Speaker 4: They know they don't care.
• 24:08
  Speaker 4: That's the old Daryl, i'm the new Daryl.
• 24:11
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: To have that support at the workplace isn't always the case And you know, employers today are kind of challenged to get employees as well as keep them right.
• 24:21
  Speaker 2: Maryam, absolutely.
• 24:22
  Speaker 2: And for a guy to stay on board for four and a half years now That's incredible.
• 24:25
  Speaker 2: That's, that's means that you're you're an invested in them and they're invested in you.
• 24:30
  Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, great company here in town And I'm really glad to hear how they wrapped around you, they, they, they needed a position filled, they took a chance on you and it's, it's paid off for you as well as the company, as well as us as the customers.
• 24:44
  Speaker 2: I mean that's a win-win Yeah.
• 24:47
  Speaker 4: Yeah, I to this day I still have customers that come in.
• 24:49
  Speaker 4: They go straight customer service called Darrell, Please call Darrell Yeah.
• 24:52
  Speaker 4: Oh tell Darrell, I mean I'll five or wherever they're at.
• 24:56
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 24:57
  Speaker 4: Or where's Darrell?
• 24:58
  Speaker 4: Where can I find Darrell?
• 24:59
  Speaker 4: You know, i hear this a lot and it's just I mean, at times, sometimes, if I'm having a really, really bad day, it makes me want to tear up a little bit.
• 25:09
  Speaker 4: Sure, because I mean just to be so wanted and so needed.
• 25:12
  Speaker 2: Yeah, what would it change?
• 25:13
  Speaker 2: And again, we've just scratched the surface of really what it was like.
• 25:17
  Speaker 2: I mean, you described it kind of desperation, sick, basement, addicted.
• 25:21
  Speaker 2: Finally we're going to, we're going to do something different with our lives, and so I think we've kind of alluded to it.
• 25:27
  Speaker 2: But today you reached out to God in desperation.
• 25:32
  Speaker 2: But how important is Christ in your life today?
• 25:36
  Speaker 4: Oh, I couldn't go to Walmart without Christ.
• 25:39
  Speaker 4: No, that he's very necessary to me.
• 25:43
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 25:43
  Speaker 4: I pray every night.
• 25:44
  Speaker 4: I pray for my coworkers, i pray for my family.
• 25:47
  Speaker 3: I pray.
• 25:47
  Speaker 4: I pray for the homeless.
• 25:48
  Speaker 4: I pray for you guys.
• 25:50
  Speaker 4: It's just, i'm I.
• 25:54
  Speaker 4: When I first went to Covenant Baptist Church, they were just so open, armed.
• 26:04
  Speaker 4: You know, they didn't care what my past was, mm, hmm, i'm.
• 26:10
  Speaker 4: I'm actually part of the, the youth ministry.
• 26:13
  Speaker 4: It's really, really cool.
• 26:16
  Speaker 4: I get to go in and play ping pong and right now we're watching the chosen And we watch for like 20 minutes of it and we discuss it for another 20 minutes And we have a really, really good group of young people that want to learn about God, and it's so cool, yeah, and you're really connected with some of the leadership there, yes, and that that is really cool.
• 26:41
  Speaker 2: There's an increase in homelessness in America.
• 26:44
  Speaker 2: Yes, there's an increase in mental illness.
• 26:47
  Speaker 2: There's an increase in addiction There's.
• 26:49
  Speaker 2: You combine all those things together and it makes some some real big issues out here in Topeka, kansas.
• 26:55
  Speaker 2: There are more and more people that are noticeably unsheltered.
• 26:58
  Speaker 2: Uh, trm facilities are mostly full most all the time now, um and um, there's, there's, there's talk about doing something different.
• 27:08
  Speaker 2: What message would you say And you know I've had this conversation out at Lowe's before, but what would you say that people need to know about those who are homeless, those who, um, are suffering from addiction or other struggles in their life at this time in their life, that they have no place to go?
• 27:29
  Speaker 2: Uh, cause, people just see them and they don't know them.
• 27:33
  Speaker 2: What you want them to know?
• 27:37
  Speaker 4: Don't count them people out.
• 27:38
  Speaker 4: There's I mean there's there's a lot of skilled workers that are unemployed.
• 27:44
  Speaker 4: They're homeless, um, but they know they have more knowledge in their pinky than most people learn in their life.
• 27:52
  Speaker 4: You know, um, i I try to help the homeless people as much as I can.
• 28:00
  Speaker 4: You know I'll go out and I'll get water to them.
• 28:01
  Speaker 4: Oh, it's, just don't count us out because we're homeless.
• 28:09
  Speaker 4: You know there's a lot of good people here.
• 28:12
  Speaker 2: So talk about these experiencing homelessness themselves, who are feeling, maybe, like you and Linda did number of years ago, that there's really no hope.
• 28:21
  Speaker 2: Um, and you're trying to soothe your pain through whatever.
• 28:24
  Speaker 2: Um, uh, what can you tell them about hope?
• 28:33
  Speaker 4: Right.
• 28:33
  Speaker 4: Well, in my life, hope is Tepica Rescue Mission.
• 28:37
  Speaker 4: They don't have the programs going right now because of the COVID and everything.
• 28:45
  Speaker 4: They got everything shut down.
• 28:46
  Speaker 4: But those programs are going to start back up And those programs give people hope.
• 28:51
  Speaker 4: When I first got to Tepica Rescue Mission I had very close veins, so bad that I could barely walk The nursing staff You guys have an awesome nursing staff, by the way.
• 29:03
  Speaker 2: They need to know that The coordinator of the nursing program, Sharon Meisner, is pretty much going to beat my record as far as staying around the rescue mission.
• 29:10
  Speaker 2: She's volunteering all these years.
• 29:12
  Speaker 2: I see her at it all the time.
• 29:14
  Speaker 3: Oh, that's great.
• 29:16
  Speaker 2: They're all volunteers, which is awesome.
• 29:17
  Speaker 2: Yeah, sorry, a little commercial there for our nurses.
• 29:21
  Speaker 4: They helped me get a medical card Well, it was kind of a medical card, it was doctors donating their time to help the less fortunate And they got me into surgery.
• 29:36
  Speaker 4: I had surgery on both legs.
• 29:38
  Speaker 4: I can walk, i can run, i can do everything I used to be able to do that I couldn't do.
• 29:45
  Speaker 4: And they helped me every step of the way.
• 29:49
  Speaker 4: I mean, and Sharon for one, she was totally awesome.
• 29:54
  Speaker 4: She was always.
• 29:55
  Speaker 4: If you need help, come see us, yeah.
• 29:59
  Speaker 3: Yeah.
• 30:00
  Speaker 2: So you would tell people who today maybe don't know if they even want to live through the day, or they don't know if there's going to be a tomorrow, or they feel maybe misunderstood or judged or whatever Their situation is not good right now You would tell them to pick a rescue mission, because I think you've unpacked some of it Because of the program.
• 30:23
  Speaker 2: Rescue mission is a place Yes, it's a place to pick a rescue mission.
• 30:26
  Speaker 4: No, to pick a rescue mission is more than a place.
• 30:28
  Speaker 4: It's a peace of mind.
• 30:31
  Speaker 4: It's having a roof over your head, it's having three meals a day.
• 30:34
  Speaker 4: It's having mentors, it's having different programs, it's having people having your back when nobody wants to have your back because you're homeless.
• 30:46
  Speaker 4: You know, to pick a rescue mission has your back And it was just so.
• 30:51
  Speaker 4: I mean I would, if I could do it again, i would Just to be able to help others do it.
• 30:58
  Speaker 2: Well, you're helping now.
• 30:59
  Speaker 3: Yes, you are.
• 31:00
  Speaker 2: Yes, you really are.
• 31:00
  Speaker 2: One last question for you, darrell Lilly, pro-loader at Lowe's, good friend, advocate yourself, mentor.
• 31:09
  Speaker 2: Just a real example and blessing to us.
• 31:13
  Speaker 2: What do you want to say to your friends at Lowe's?
• 31:15
  Speaker 2: Love you guys, you guys are awesome As we understand our community, our mission is going to have a new audience or a new, expanded.
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: Absolutely.
• 31:26
  Speaker 2: Darrell Lilly, thank you for being here today And thank you for sharing your story.
• 31:30
  Speaker 2: It's impactful to Maryam myself, josh over here, all of us who are listening because of what you've done and who you are.
• 31:41
  Speaker 2: I remember being at the care graduation and you spoke And I was like, wow, this is so cool, this guy really has got it.
• 31:48
  Speaker 2: And that's before we knew you'd take four and a half years at Lowe's at that point, because you really have not only been blessed, but you're a blessing, and so is your wife that's sitting over here on the couch listening to all this.
• 32:02
  Speaker 2: And so thank you for being here today.
• 32:07
  Speaker 2: Thank you for listening to our community, our mission, a podcast of Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 32:11
  Speaker 2: If you'd like to find out more information about Topeka Rescue Mission, you can go to the website at trmonlineorg.
• 32:18
  Speaker 2: That's trmonlineorg.
• 32:21
  Speaker 2: You know there's just a lot of Darrells and Lindus that are in our community that just really want you to know that not only are they valuable, but you're valuable too.
• 32:35
  Speaker 2: It's all part of a family.
• 32:37
  Speaker 2: It's all part of a team of people coming around to see our neighbors and love our neighbors as Christ told us to do, as we find God in our life and how much he loves us.
• 32:46
  Speaker 2: If you'd like to help promote our community, our mission, you can subscribe, rate or share, and thank you again for listening to our community, our mission.