Latest / Our Community, Our Mission / Ep #298 – How 'My Why' became 'Why Not': Meet Kelli Howerton

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Ep #298 – How 'My Why' became 'Why Not': Meet Kelli Howerton · Our Community, Our Mission

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_03: Father, we just thank you for another day, another day to learn, another day to live with purpose, another day to be uh refined, to be more like you, and another day that draws us closer to being with you.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_03: Lord, we thank you for our special guest today.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you for her life.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, thank you for how she loves others and how she um has just followed you so deeply.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_03: Um through a lot of of trials and challenges and successes, and just thank you for sending her to TRM in the way that you have.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_03: God, we thank you for uh the Christmas season and uh Father for sending your son uh to be our savior and what an incredible uh gift that is to think um that our lives matter so much to the Creator that you would sacrifice the way that you did so that one day we get to be with you.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_03: Lord, let us just be reminded of that um every day of our life.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_03: Lord, let us just not walk from that and the importance.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_03: God, thank you for um all of the fun and all of the joy, all of the challenges uh that you have met us with um here at the Topeka Rescue Mission through this holiday season with Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year's.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_03: Lord, just um help us to also have a time of reflection of just what all you've done uh in 2025 and help us to also anticipate um how you're gonna move in 2026 through the Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_03: In your name we pray.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_03: Amen.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_01: Hello, everybody.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for joining us for our community, our mission, a podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_01: I'm your host, Barry Fieker, here on Two Days Before Christmas, December 23rd of 2025.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_01: This is episode number two hundred and ninety-eight.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_01: So next year we're gonna go right over the top of that 300, aren't we?
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: That's amazing.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: So we um yeah, we're just uh um, you know, if you haven't got it done by now, uh-huh, you better hurry.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: Uh-huh.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: That means get your Christmas gifts today.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, time is a clicking, huh?
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_01: And uh if you're from Topeka, Kansas, don't try to navigate, want to make a road by the stretch of the imagination.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: We're gonna be there for probably until the day after Christmas.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_01: Uh-huh.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: So anyway, Lamanda, good morning.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_03: Good morning.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: I've got special guests we want to talk to here in the what we call the latest and greatest.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_01: And uh for so many different reasons.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_01: But we want to uh two days before Christmas, here on the 23rd of December, we want to honor our research research and development department with the heavy duty research that they have done.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: And so there's three main things that have occurred every year on December 23rd.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_01: And and I think this is a little bit early, though, but uh maybe not, because if you haven't got your Christmas shopping done, you're not going to be able to partake in National Christmas Movie Marathon Day.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_01: In other words, you really have to have everything out of the way tree decorated, turkey in the oven, or hammer, all that kind of stuff ready.
• 3:03
  SPEAKER_01: Uh otherwise you cannot stop and do a marathon on Christmas.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_01: Can you ever do that, Lamanda?
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_03: No.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't know.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_01: No.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_03: But I will tell you the other reason.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_03: I can't, for just time as one, of course.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_03: But the other thing is I cannot set through any movie and not fall asleep.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_01: So if I do old enough for that, yeah, I don't know.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_03: I've been like that for a long time.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_03: Definitely an old soul.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: So anyway, you probably, if you're listening to this, you have your favorite Christmas movie, or you have a whole bunch of them.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_01: And uh so, yep, it's uh today's the day that you think about doing it.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_01: Do you have a favorite movie?
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_03: Favorite Christmas movie?
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Frosty the Snowman.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_03: Is it Rudolph?
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, yeah.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 3:46
  SPEAKER_03: Isn't that like the claymations?
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_03: Um, I'm pretty sure.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_03: That was a long time ago.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_03: But do you know I say that I take a jab at you because of your age?
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_03: But I actually say that because the claymation of um Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, is actually my favorite Christmas movie.
• 4:04
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when you take a jab at me because of my age, and I have to come back with you and say, Jesus and I have known each other a lot longer than you've known him.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_03: It is so true.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_03: Anyway.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_03: It is so true.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you for witnessing to me.
• 4:13
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, you're welcome.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_01: You're welcome.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, it's also National Roots Day.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_01: Amanda, what does that mean?
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_03: Uh like knowing where you came from?
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, exactly.
• 4:22
  SPEAKER_01: It's National Roots Day.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_01: You know, there was a movie many years ago called Roots, and it was about the African-American uh journey here and and uh going clear back to different places where they come from many times in Africa.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_01: And we think of the term roots as just one movie um out of a particular people, but it's about all of us.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_01: We all come from some place.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_01: So some folks many years ago decided that uh on the twenty-third of December it'd be good to check out your roots.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_01: And I know why.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_01: Do you know why?
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_03: I have no clue.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_01: So you can check off who you don't have to give a Christmas gift to, because they're not related to you.
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_01: So anyway.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_03: Uh if they don't branch off, they're not yours, huh?
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_01: So you could and today, my goodness, can you go back if you pay money um for genealogy type things and just see all kinds of things?
• 5:06
  SPEAKER_01: And I know somebody that's uh traced themselves clear back to uh um kings and queens.
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_01: Briefly.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_01: Now if it's true or not, I don't know.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_01: Uh-huh.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_03: But uh they're you know, if you ever retire, you know, because you just retired that that wasn't a true retirement.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_01: That's right.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_03: I could see you being into that.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_01: Being into what?
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_03: Um genealogy and looking back and all of that.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_01: Why?
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_03: You you are uh I've opened myself up.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 5:38
  SPEAKER_03: Well, one, you're just a thinker and a processor.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_03: Um and then just knowing a little bit about your family that I do and everything, I could see that being something that is of great interest to me.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_01: So that in my house, there are five very large file boxes full of genealogy that my mother did.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_03: You need to do that.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_01: You need to go through No, I've stopped.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_01: I said, I don't want anybody to know about that.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_03: Oh You know, thinking of those five boxes, it just kind of reminds me of that big long closet in the DC that I had the privilege of helping you go through that was your accumulation of almost forty years.
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_01: Is that stuff still there?
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_03: Barry's treasures.
• 6:22
  SPEAKER_03: I did I did not throw it away.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_03: Um and remember, some of it made its way into my office, like your canon that you made in shop class.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, when I was a kid.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_01: Uh-huh.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_01: I've been here a long time.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_03: You have been.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_03: Those are treasures.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_03: You know your roots, Barry.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_01: I've been trying to give stuff away, and then we got rid of thrift stores.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_01: So now we have just nobody'll take it.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_03: Just so you know, I'll let your roots continue to intertwine with my roots, and they'll just keep growing.
• 6:48
  SPEAKER_01: Well, good luck to you.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_01: That's right.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_01: That's right.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_01: So maybe find something.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_01: That's right.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_01: So Festivus Day.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_01: Festivus Day.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_03: Festivus?
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_01: Now this is one I am totally not in tune with.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_01: Research and Development Department, did I pronounce that right?
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_01: Festivus Day.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he's shaking his head.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_01: He never wants to be heard.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: He just only wants to be known.
• 7:07
  SPEAKER_02: I know.
• 7:08
  unknown: That's right.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_01: So each year on December 23rd, Festivist commemorates a holiday episode of the television comedy Seinfeld.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_01: In 1997, the popular television comedy brought festivists to the masses when Frank Costanza.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_01: Costanza, yeah, yeah.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_01: I never watched that thing.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_01: Uh played by uh Jerry Stiller, explains uh he invented the holiday in response to the commercialism of Christmas.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_01: It's a slogan uh as a festivus for the rest of us.
• 7:39
  SPEAKER_03: What?
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_01: Uh-huh.
• 7:40
  SPEAKER_01: No, Lamanda, you didn't know that.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_03: No.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_03: I'm so sorry to do that.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_01: I was so busy all that time when Seinfield and all that stuff was on TV.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_03: Uh I was just turning T.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_01: I was just serving.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_01: We didn't have couldn't afford a TV.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_01: And um but anyway, couldn't afford electricity for now.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_01: I'm just I've never I I still know this stuff.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_01: Uh-huh.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_01: And so but I thought you would.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, no.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_03: I've never watched a complete episode of Seinfield.
• 8:02
  SPEAKER_01: A festivist for the rest of us.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, just remember today that this is not just about you.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_03: You want me to get you a t-shirt made?
• 8:07
  unknown: No.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_03: Oh, okay.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_03: It's a nice slogan.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, hey, I'm celebrating today.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, I've been celebrating for a long time.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_03: Uh-huh.
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_01: Wearing the Chiefs hat.
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_03: That's right.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_03: Now that they're in gonna come be coming to Kansas.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_03: Coming to Kansas.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_01: That's right.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_01: That's right.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_01: It's only about three billion dollars away, but uh they're coming in twenty thirty-one, and we will have homelessness solved by then.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_01: Uh-huh.
• 8:27
  SPEAKER_01: Because our goal is twenty thirty.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_01: Never mind.
• 8:30
  SPEAKER_01: So uh anyway.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: So it's a really good day.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_01: It's a really good day.
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_01: What's even a better day?
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_01: Well, no, before we get to the even a better day, talk about our special guest.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_01: Uh-huh.
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_01: Talk talk to us real briefly about Christmas.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_01: And then I want to hear um your thoughts on year and giving.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so you know, I kind of feel like Christmas has been happening since June or since Christmas of 2024, right?
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_01: And 23.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_01: And 23, yes.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, but I do.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_03: I I first want to just thank our teams.
• 8:58
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, Christmas is such a huge blessing.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_03: It's not just a day, is it?
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_03: No, it's um a whole season and it's surpasses the season that most of us acknowledge as the the holiday or Christmas season.
• 9:12
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but our teams, I really want to say thank you, and and it truly is all hands on deck because none of our normal operations stop or pauses.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_03: So we've still got food distribution, and we still have 250 to 260 plus people being uh sheltered every night, and we still have uh community meals happening.
• 9:32
  SPEAKER_03: We still have people getting into housing because of our housing team.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_03: Uh our maintenance and facilities team are still doing all of the capital projects and all of those things happening, and now they're doing it and they never know what weather they're doing it in.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_03: It could feel like 70 in December, or it could feel like seven below.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_03: So they just they they juggle huge responsibilities to serve all year long, but particularly around Christmas.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_03: And we're still waiting for final numbers, Barry, but with it being December 22nd, um we are have already completed our uh moving ahead partnership Christmas party.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_01: Which was amazing.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, and I know we were planning for around 200 for that with gifts and everything to make sure we had enough.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_03: Uh tonight we actually um have our shelter parties.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_03: Um, and so we are planning for um around 275 for that.
• 10:23
  SPEAKER_03: We have about 260 guests right now, but we want to make sure we have plenty.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_03: Um and then in addition to that, uh the rescue mission, you know, has history with partnering with United Way of Caw Valley for Christmas Bureau.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_03: And um just that effort alone um blessed 600 and almost 680 individuals.
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_01: Uh so we're looking at anywhere between um 11 to 1,300 people called it because of generosity of contributors to Topeka Rescue Mission, whether it be financial or tangible gifts, new ones, and then also an army of volunteers.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_03: Yes, and and not even just the new tangible gifts, but also people that continue to give us the used items because you know, we still have needs for that, for um outreach and for our clothing trailer.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_03: I mean, there were just so many different things that we saw the community say yes to what they could, and God used that in big ways.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_03: Um and yes, the volunteers, you know, is um I s I say this and I really hope people know how genuine I am, but we have huge operations at TRM that we would not be able to do if it was not for volunteers.
• 11:35
  SPEAKER_03: Um so as of November 18th, um, and I'll get you know more finalized data after the turn of the the year and everything, but we had already saved$560,000 on our annual report and our you know budget for that.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, just for the from the volunteer hours.
• 11:51
  SPEAKER_01: For half a million dollars worth of volunteer support.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_03: And we still had a month and a half ago to go.
• 11:57
  SPEAKER_03: Um and sometimes that's kind of the busiest time for us to have volunteers too, um, because of all the additional um opportunities we have.
• 12:04
  SPEAKER_03: But I also wanted to give a plug um when thinking about Christmas and thinking about volunteers, um, a thing we started a couple of years ago was doing Christmas gift deliveries uh to people in their homes.
• 12:18
  SPEAKER_03: And it was just a way that we could really personalize going into people's elements in case maybe they were nervous to come into ours.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_03: Um and sometimes those are quick drop-offs, sometimes they're an hour long and have prayer and uh just incredible opportunities.
• 12:34
  SPEAKER_03: But we had everything from businesses, churches, other nonprofit groups, um fire chief, the police chief went out with me personally to do the deliveries.
• 12:47
  SPEAKER_03: Um we have staff, uh TRM staff that we get coverage for their areas, they go and do deliveries.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_03: Um, so yeah, just incredible things and a lot of God stories.
• 12:58
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, I I really as a leader want to ensure that TRM always has the heart of Christ and not the heart of charity.
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_03: Um and that sometimes is not an easy balance to find.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_03: The Lord's just really been reminding me that doing his work can feel good, but doing his work should also hurt.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_03: Um we do charity, it's beautiful and it's helpful, and it's um doing good things for others.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_03: Um that sometimes it's doing good for others that just doesn't make sense.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_03: Um and then sometimes it's doing good for others, even when it doesn't feel good for you.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_03: Um and just the Holy Spirit just when when you're doing things for him, by him, with him, it's just different.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_03: And sometimes you don't immediately get a thank you, and sometimes you don't um immediately see transformation, and sometimes you don't um immediately see good in it, yet you have to keep doing it.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_03: Um and often charity is one-offs, and the rescue mission does have opportunities where somebody might come to us one time and not do it again, or we might have a need that we're able to meet one time and we can't do it again.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_03: But really, the work of the rescue mission and our volunteers and our staff and stuff, it's really purpose-driven work from the Lord that sometimes we don't see the payoff, sometimes we don't understand it, sometimes we don't have what we need to do it, but God shows up in such big ways.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_03: Um but the way that it ends sometimes looks often different, and the timelines are so different.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm I'm hearing a lot of things there, but one of the things that you're not doing it to get an accolade, not doing it to um make yourself feel better.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_01: Um and it's okay to get an accolade, you know, a thank you, I appreciate it, or um whatever may come along with that, but that's not the reason is that you do it because as Christ would, um serving without um necessarily appreciation.
• 15:39
  SPEAKER_01: And that it's seed.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_03: It is.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_03: And it's hard, Barry, because you know, we have a very active social media, uh, we have a very um uh well-done website, all of those things.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_03: And and our heart behind that is to really showcase what God is doing, right?
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_03: It's it's really not like, oh, we're giving ourselves kudos on the back.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_03: And we have to continue to check our spirit to make sure there isn't pride and making sure that there um that we are humble.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_03: But we use those platforms to show what God is doing, but the other side of it is we're also trying to show people there is continuous needs.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_03: Um what we don't do though, and really try to make sure that that we walk that fine line is we also don't want to exploit people or their stories to be able to tell our story.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_03: So in the last couple of weeks, I have had a couple of people say, Well, you know, I wasn't sure that you guys still needed my donation because it just looked like good stuff was always happening.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_03: And what people don't realize though is I can't put on social media or a newsletter or our website the person that we've been working with for four years that continues to be beaten or um continues to relapse and those kinds of things.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_03: And so um just because we often do talk about what God is doing and the the um answer to prayers and all of that, let me tell you the need is still there.
• 17:08
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but there's a lot of reasons why we can't always share that.
• 17:12
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, just a lot of reflection right now from myself as as the leader of TRM and and how are we communicating, what are we communicating, and um making sure the spirit of which we're doing it is all aligned with the Lord and not popularity.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_01: It's a great balance there, trying to help people know what's going on and at the same time protecting the individual that you're trying to help and not exploit.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 17:38
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and also help people to understand and and and the whole thing about the herding part.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_01: I think that that's that's super, super valuable.
• 17:45
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, well, Christmas time unpacked a little bit of what's going on, and then um how important is it for people to think about um here are the last few days of 2025 of a financial contribution?
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_03: You know, so we definitely um we do not view our work that we do at the rescue mission as a competition with other good work happening in our community.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_03: And so I think the first thing that I would like to say is just if people um haven't made an end-of-the-year um donation anywhere or contemplating um maybe additional dollars that they can um, you know, give to someone, um, really be prayerful about that.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_03: The Lord's gonna lead you to give where you need to give.
• 18:28
  SPEAKER_03: Um as far as the TRM side, um we we do have a deficit this year, Barry, and um we are not in crisis.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_03: There's not a dire need as far as you know, things are gonna be shut down, it's nothing like that.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_03: Um, but we have had a combination of things this year.
• 18:46
  SPEAKER_03: We have had thousands of dollars of unanticipated expenses pop up.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_03: Um, you know, not one freezer but two, and not two freezers one time, but two freezers two times, um, and HVACs, and I mean you just name it.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_03: Um also some things that used to be, you know, a hundred and fifty dollar service call is$320,$450.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_03: Inflation and just the economy, things are more expensive.
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_03: Um we've also had um a couple of grants, which we completely understand, but a couple of grants that had to be lessened, not because of our effort or anything like that, but because of the um person that's doing the grant, they receive less funds, and so then there's less funds to um give out.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_03: Um and contributions, you know, I think um we have a lot of loyal donors who have continued to give to us and sometimes even have given more.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_03: Uh but we've also had a lot of donors that have reached out to me that because their own budgets are impacted by cost of living, property taxes, um, grocery costs, um, just different things like that.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_03: They've been honest with me hey, I have to lessen this.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_03: hoping to get back to where I was one day.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_03: So there's there's a culmination of things.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_03: Um 2025 has been tough in regards to um just the financial expenses, but also what some of our um donors have faced as well.
• 20:16
  SPEAKER_03: So, you know, I in the last couple of days, um, I've had some donors express they want to hear more from me.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_03: Uh they want to know more about the need.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_03: They want to be able to help.
• 20:28
  SPEAKER_03: They want to know more of those kinds of things.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_03: I also have spoken to some that said they only want the newsletter and they don't want any other communication.
• 20:38
  SPEAKER_01: Of course you know exactly what everybody wants, right?
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_03: I'm trying, Barry, but I'm learning very quickly that I don't.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_03: But you know trying to respect those boundaries um is something that is a challenge for me because we're very thoughtful here, we're very strategic, we're very intentional.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_03: We meet as a communications team every week um to to look at those posts and what are we doing, the letters.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_03: But in reality to sum it up, um you know we would definitely appreciate someone to give us consideration for the end of the year gift.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_03: We asked um for um uh money at our night of praise uh we sent out an end of the year letter that asked for 2.4 million um to explain that that was to get us um our budget in December of what we had hoped to gain in contributions uh plus help with the deficit and give us one or two months of um help with expenses into 2026 and so that's why we did such a big ask on that.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_01: Again we have a healthy budget we're we're doing all of that but there is a deficit right now and we're hoping that generosity can increase whether that's in the form of estates, end of the year giving um uh monthly recurring donors um one-time gifts all of those things help us to reach that goal and I think it's really hard in one podcast to kind of unpack all the why behind that but um probably in this next year just uh unpacking some of the different values that occur by financial investment of different things that are happening in people's lives um which has been done before but continue doing that is if I'm a person out here wondering about giving to Topeka Rescue Mission, well one thing you can go is to the website and see some different things, go to the Facebook page, see some of the impact.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_01: But uh there is a need for people to know and just like some people want to know more, some people just really cool with one time, maybe once a year.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_01: But uh the job of the Topeka Rescue mission is to highlight the impact in community in people's lives and that's what an opportunity that this podcast can do.
• 22:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yes.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_03: And we are um you know our communications team met last week and we're going to do one more social media ask um uh after Christmas um and so that will be posted and then that will kind of be our final ask of 2025 um and we'll just trust the Lord to uh meet the need um we're also very strategic at looking at our budget what needs to be um lessened what needs to be increased what do we need to walk on faith in because the Lord's not asked us to stop um what has he asked us to do differently so all of those things are being examined internally you know Barry I even went to you a week or so ago and said okay how should I navigate um this ask how do I not ask too much but how do I be transparent with the need?
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_01: And I said good luck.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_03: You did yeah he didn't give me any help.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_03: No for those of you he's such a great mentor within 30 minutes I had language and an idea and all of that.
• 23:47
  SPEAKER_03: And so um uh I definitely look into um the wisdom of our board Barry is my mentor um we took some of that language Barry kind of refined it ourselves and are working on the final end of the year ass that'll hit social media after Christmas.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_03: So the heart is there um the logic is there but most importantly at the rescue mission the faith is there and uh my faith is often challenged when I'm looking at things in a very um logical way but God works in mysterious ways and that's what we're gonna continue to walk in.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_01: So one last thing if somebody is listening to this right now whether it's on the 23rd of December of 2025 or it's afterwards um if they say I want to be a part of what you guys are doing, how can they help?
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_03: Yes um so it it kind of depends but um if it wants to help with donations definitely um or volunteerism I I kind of put those in together because I look at volunteers as an investment as well.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_03: So donations of money is also an investment.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_03: You're investing in kingdom work on earth but also when you volunteer your time we look at that as an investment too because people that are volunteering with us you never know the seeds that are planted that will be um just reaped one day and that's incredible.
• 25:02
  SPEAKER_03: But I would definitely say start off with visiting um our website at trmonline dotorgonline.org specifically there is um emails and phone numbers on there if you have questions about donations that goes to Miranda Molinar.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_03: She's incredible very helpful um she is um actually a program graduate um from TRM and has served uh loyally and has continued to heal and grow um and definitely is an amazing um attribute of our donors relations department incredible and then um you know we just had a couple weeks ago Susie Pazley on here um our volunteer coordinator which is really kind of just like the mama of TRM she is just uh loving and so smart and so wise and cares um about our volunteers in such a godly way so um her information's online as well you can start there um some people don't do online and so uh you can still reach out to us at uh 354-1744 um and just say that you've got questions about volunteering or to give donations and they'll get you to the right people.
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_01: So Speaker Rescue Mission is made it so that it's really easy to help.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_01: So there's a lot of avenues here.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_01: Well one of the things that uh helps a lot is to have a group of people uh just a handful of them who are uh what we call the board of directors every healthy nonprofit organization and even for-profit sometimes needs a good board of directors and so um you don't have a large number of people but they're very faithful people and uh it's been that way ever since 1953 um here and here we are today and so we're talking to the latest and greatest today um a board member who's just been on for just a little bit so uh who happens to be a really good friend of mine uh and it's been kind of recent uh that I've gotten to know her but man is she a rock star so I'm gonna let you introduce the latest and greatest.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_03: Okay the latest and greatest of uh whopping 90 days is Miss Kelly Howerton and um Kelly is uh just if you spend about five minutes with her I think you would just talk about how she um just radiates uh love and joy um from her smile to her warmth um to also just her doer attitude uh she is definitely one that when she sees a need or an opportunity for her to fulfill something she's gonna be the first one on it and so um it is a joy to have her as a board member Kelly welcome to our community our mission thank you and thank you Lamanda for your words so um Kelly you and I got to know each other through the what we used to call the mobile access partnership or the moving ahead partnership and also the same church we go to um and then I find out you're a board member at Topeka Rescue mission too that's so awesome.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_01: So Kelly um a couple of questions uh what we call map and a number of people are familiar with map why how did you start getting involved with map um why and what do you do with uh what we now call the Moving Ahead partnership for those who don't understand what MAP is it's an effort to reach the unsheltered in our community a couple of times a week a Tuesday and a Thursday um to be able to provide them with very basics when they come off the streets to help them to stabilize whether it's a shower or food medical help help for their animals their pets and the list goes on and on.
• 28:31
  SPEAKER_01: Kelly how did you find out about MAP and then how did you start getting involved?
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_00: Sure thank you um to start my mom and Barry and Lamanda you both know my mom she has been um definitely a server in the community and she's been with map since day one.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_01: Day one yep which is a little over four years right yes officially as we did a little bit here and there before we actually had the name.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_00: All right well she's been on the books for four years and um she talked to me about it a little bit and I'm gonna just depart from your question for a minute because I want to get there.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_00: So um throughout my life I've always looked for opportunities to help and I didn't know what help looked like right um a lot of times it became financial because I wasn't able to give my time when I was able to give my time I did.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_00: And um I had an intercept at the beginning of this year that I really had to stop and pause and I had to think about um my balance and um and really asking God what he wanted me to do.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think I ever lost all of these components that I'm gonna talk about but I I wasn't balanced in it and I didn't even realize it.
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_00: So um first with my relationship with Jesus Christ and um I've always been a believer I grew up a believer thanks to my mom and dad and um but really focusing on it and diving into it is is really I would say I'm an infant in it and um it's become a lot more recent for me.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_00: And then um of course my family and um my community and um just my professional journey.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_00: And I would tell you that um the one on the bottom wasn't always on the bottom it's kind of gotten a little confused.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_00: And so through that intersect I I um I I talked to Jesus and I was like what do I do?
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know who I am I don't I but I know who I want to be and I don't know how to get there.
• 30:35
  SPEAKER_00: And so sorry a little emotional the doors open for me and I didn't even realize it it just like started rolling.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_00: I went volunteered one day at MAP with my mom took a little bit of a step back because I had to and then I started going regularly I sometimes twice a week definitely once a week and I learned really quickly um what it means to walk alongside people that don't have people maybe walking alongside them every day.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_00: So that's how I got to MAB and my involvement in it, I would tell you that I don't intend to ever step away I I don't know what that balance looks like.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_00: I intend to keep balance in my life but but the ability um to reach people I have mentioned this in a video that um I did for the rescue mission recently and um to reach people that might not ever talk to anybody they spend a lot of time alone and um some individuals just come to map for for that for a hug and a conversation um obviously all the other things that we have are vehicles to that communication and as Lamanda said um we're we're trying to help people with their basic needs on earth but but saving people's souls and teaching them what um the grace of God looks like it's a slow process but it's an amazing amazing um thing to be part of so it sounds like you um you said Jesus I really want you to do something with me I did and uh you find yourself working with the homeless I do and some of the most challenged but also a part of that was um Topeka Rescue Mission.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_01: How did you first learn about uh Topeka Rescue mission and what was your involvement and then how did you end up being a board member starting 90 days ago?
• 32:33
  SPEAKER_00: Okay so um I've kind of leaned into Top Topeka Rescue Mission for a good portion of my life just in ways I could um I began really leaning in when you think about um the warming centers and when um the elements are so bad that it could be dangerous for people's lives and that was a way I could volunteer I could do it in the evenings I could do it on the weekends and um and so I did and I jumped in and um it's a it's an amazing opportunity to keep people warm and give them that peace they sleep a lot because they're in a safe place and they know they can it takes a couple days but they get there.
• 33:21
  SPEAKER_00: So that's how I learned I've been doing it every year.
• 33:24
  SPEAKER_00: I love it.
• 33:25
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want the cold to come but I love that we're able to provide that and I became friends with Mike Reinhart who is one of our board members and he just approached me one day and asked me if I'd ever considered being on the board.
• 33:40
  SPEAKER_00: And that was last winter and I said no but yes.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_00: And um God I mean God was planting seeds.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's why I started with the um warming shelter in the first place is because that's what he wanted me to do.
• 33:56
  SPEAKER_00: And um so Mike reached out to me early spring I was going through this intersect of my life and uh I listened to God.
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_00: It was a slow process but I will tell you when I went in for my interview with Lamanda and then and then later with the board I've only been on like the commercial side of board and um the board that the Topeka Rescue mission provides I come very corporate very corporate board meetings and um the love and the direction and the advice that we are to provide is all centered around um what Jesus wants us to do.
• 34:40
  SPEAKER_00: And so when I left I was like wow I thought I was gonna be able to jump on and help people but the impact that each of these individuals are making on my life is I never expected.
• 34:54
  SPEAKER_00: So I I'm thankful for the honor.
• 34:59
  SPEAKER_01: What does that mean?
• 35:00
  SPEAKER_01: Sure.
• 35:01
  SPEAKER_01: You came through the vehicle of helping um matter of fact in my conversations with Mike about you um at the warming center he thought you were a paid staff member uh because you just grabbed a hold of it went with it and he actually thought you were part of Topeka Rescue mission already and I think that impressed Mike a lot.
• 35:21
  SPEAKER_01: And so um that's how he uh approached you about this.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_01: So you got involved as a volunteer you as I've gotten to know you you just roll your sleeves up and go after everything.
• 35:32
  SPEAKER_01: So um but you come on the board of Topeka Rescue Mission and yet it sounds like you've learned something you didn't anticipate you were going to learn.
• 35:42
  SPEAKER_01: Mm-hmm and that y there's a ministry to you as well.
• 35:46
  SPEAKER_00: There is yep talk about that a little bit um so my why initially was because I feel like that there um there's a misunderstanding in this community people don't really understand um why people are in the place they are I think that there's judgment and it comes through misunderstanding.
• 36:04
  SPEAKER_00: And so my initial why was I want to learn I don't want to read in a newspaper which we don't have anymore but or listen um to the news or listen to other people I want to know why and what's happening so that I can be a voice for those people and for the rescue mission.
• 36:23
  SPEAKER_00: So that was my initial why my um my why now is um why not I mean like legit why not what it has taught me through the individuals that I've become friends with and really quite frankly the entire staff at the rescue mission and also MAP is how to be patient.
• 36:45
  SPEAKER_00: I am a sleeves roller upper but how to be patient in prayer.
• 36:50
  SPEAKER_00: So often we talk about when we're gonna make a decision and it's like two board meetings from now I'm like what?
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I don't I I agree with everybody.
• 36:58
  SPEAKER_00: Better done huh?
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah um but I but we understand yeah stepping back and being prayerful too um is something and and it's flowed through in my entire life quite frankly um this year I've had to I haven't had a choice humility um humility when conversations are had that are hard and um humility quite frankly throughout all everybody I touch um with MAP and the rescue mission.
• 37:25
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes to stand still and be quiet oh those are those are two really hard anybody that knows me knows that's hard for me.
• 37:34
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm learning I'm definitely a work in progress there.
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_00: But I believe it if I follow those things and I lock arms with these individuals that there's a great things that we can do but um but God will continue to work in my life so that I can be that true witness that I want to be because you know we all fall short every day.
• 37:57
  SPEAKER_00: And um that's what I want to be and learning those things is allowing me to maybe take a step back and ask myself what I'm doing when I get into the situations that maybe aren't right for me.
• 38:08
  SPEAKER_01: You said you've kind of walked um alongside TRM for a number of years and you got involved in the warming centers.
• 38:14
  SPEAKER_01: Getting on the inside um what is a few things I know it's from the board level it's only been about 90 days but you're learning more about Topeka Rescue mission about what it does.
• 38:25
  SPEAKER_00: What's some of the like wow I didn't know that um or things that have really grabbed a hold of you so far um so one thing that that I just it doesn't escape my mind and my memory and I think about it a lot is um stopping the cycle and what I mean by that is um not only for the moms with young children but the families and then and then the men that over that are over in the main shelter there's cycles that people have had as children or have created as adults and stopping that cycle now and giving people all of the things that the that the rescue mission provides from classes and um you know chapel time and learning about Jesus Christ and having a full belly in order to be able to do that.
• 39:21
  SPEAKER_00: Hopefully with our mission to stop chronic homeless within the next several years, that that's part of it, right?
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_00: This isn't just a bed and food for people.
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_00: This is this is a transition into their life and if we can stop the cycle with the young people that are here there's so many of them um then we begin to change the world.
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_01: How do you see that actually able to happen when you see a cycle it's um one that will perpetuate itself because it's uh system.
• 39:53
  SPEAKER_01: What do you see that Topeka rescue mission, map, the community needs to do to be able to help people look at a different system.
• 40:05
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 40:05
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna try to answer what you said.
• 40:08
  SPEAKER_01: I'm sure you'll do fly.
• 40:10
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 40:13
  SPEAKER_00: I think with the Topeka rescue mission, um, people come because they need a safe place and they're willing to do it.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's a hard thing to walk through the door.
• 40:24
  SPEAKER_00: I know it is there's drug addiction and alcoholism a lot that walks alongside people, especially in this environment.
• 40:36
  SPEAKER_00: And there's a lot of mental illness.
• 40:38
  SPEAKER_00: And so allowing people to slow down because the pressures of the world today and you know pain bills and paying for food and and protecting those you love and the responsibility of that all of that is is like so scrambled in individuals' brains and and being able to have this place to slow down and um and digest it and begin to have a plan.
• 41:05
  SPEAKER_00: And there are so many individuals, volunteers and staff within the rescue mission community that are willing to sit down and create that plan.
• 41:14
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm going to tell you just like me, people fall off and to continue to open that door but set boundaries and expectations is how you really love people, I think.
• 41:26
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's well said.
• 41:27
  SPEAKER_01: I think that oftentimes we think of uh a rescue mission, a homeless shelter is that um get people off the streets, give them a bed, give them something to eat, get them cleaned up in a shower, done.
• 41:37
  SPEAKER_01: Go to the next one.
• 41:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah done, go to the next one.
• 41:39
  SPEAKER_01: It's a little more complicated than that, isn't it?
• 41:41
  SPEAKER_01: Because of those systems that have occurred in people's lives.
• 41:44
  SPEAKER_01: We all have a system.
• 41:45
  SPEAKER_01: And sometimes those systems are a spiral of destruction towards anything other than uh healthy and so I like I like what you said.
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_01: It's a place that they can come and rest.
• 41:56
  SPEAKER_01: It's kind of a a regrouping a rebooting or maybe for the first time in maybe many, many many years, a new way of looking at things and that does take time.
• 42:05
  SPEAKER_01: But you have to have a place to do it.
• 42:07
  SPEAKER_01: And so how do you see your involvement with Topeka Rescue Mission with your board member here and uh and I've uh learned that Lamanda makes her board members work uh in lots of different ways.
• 42:20
  SPEAKER_01: And so uh voluntold.
• 42:22
  SPEAKER_01: Feel sorry for your audio that uh just uh thanks for coming once a month.
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_01: No but uh way more than that now um and um but then also you uh you've got a day job it's a big one um and uh you also find time to then go to what we call map um you're also um in a new initiative we call grit navigators which are volunteers uh standing for guided resource intervention team there's a total of six of you right now so you're taking time for all of that you're getting bigger that's right yeah we're this thing's growing and uh so how do you balance all of that and boundaries and how do you how do you see it intersecting how do you see it different how do you how do you do that?
• 43:09
  SPEAKER_01: Because I think even myself Kelly is I've gotten to know you um you're a doer um but also at the same time you've got to figure out how to work all that together because some people would say I'm gonna do the one thing you're doing more than the one thing but those one all those different things intersect somehow.
• 43:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah um thank you and thank you for understanding that yes I have a new job I just stepped into and yes it is um a responsibility and I'm I'm so thankful for the company um that's brought me on and given me the opportunity because I would tell you that um they're good people with good values.
• 43:47
  SPEAKER_01: That's huge.
• 43:48
  SPEAKER_00: It it's amazing and that's the first thing Barry is to be able to have a place that um that gives me the ability to not have a scrambled brain and really that always going um it can be easier if you're able to focus and you're all able to prioritize.
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_00: And the really hard thing for me is saying no I mean it really is and sometimes I have to and um sometimes there's a moment I can do something.
• 44:22
  SPEAKER_00: I'm careful not to lock myself into full-time volunteerism outside of of course what we do with the board because I don't want to let anybody down but I have I cannot go back to a life that's not balanced.
• 44:39
  SPEAKER_00: My family needs me I need a relationship with Jesus Christ.
• 44:43
  SPEAKER_00: I know the community needs me but I also have an obligation to the people who have trusted me with this huge responsibility that I have.
• 44:54
  SPEAKER_01: So working family board member rescue mission volunteer with uh map uh and who knows what else uh I know every once in a while you're tapped in at the church uh we go to the to to do something special there as well um so you've discovered or are discovering a way to balance all of that and how important is that well obviously it's very important what's it what's it mean to you to find that stride um because I'm able to be everything that I want to be um I like I said I always thought that I was doing it well but I was heads down I was just going going going and I tried to be intentional with the things that I did but um the ability to truly be intentional and know it when I lay down at night uh I fall off but I catch I've started checking myself which I'm really glad about some people check out because they can't figure out how to do it.
• 46:01
  SPEAKER_01: But you haven't done that.
• 46:02
  SPEAKER_01: You look for the bounce.
• 46:03
  SPEAKER_01: Lamanda I know that you appreciate the board members of Speaker Rescue mission.
• 46:06
  SPEAKER_01: What's it what's it what's it like to have a Kelly um even though it's just 90 days here with this but there's been a lot of impact already with Kelly's involvement.
• 46:15
  SPEAKER_03: You know one of the things that in my opinion is special about Kelly is when I stop and think about her, she is someone I think because of her warmth and how genuine she is I feel like she's been on the board forever.
• 46:33
  SPEAKER_03: Like you just you make that trustworthy connection and it just seems like you've always been partners, right?
• 46:42
  SPEAKER_03: Um then on the other hand I look at it and I have to remind myself like I was just meeting with her a couple of months ago to see is this what God's calling her to, you know?
• 46:52
  SPEAKER_03: And that is such a um I don't know the word that just keeps coming to me as special.
• 46:59
  SPEAKER_03: She's just really special to um her ability not only in board leadership, but also helping someone with cleanliness needs and and things like that, like her genuineness is the same regardless of where she's at um and her desire to serve whether that um servant's heart is cleaning a shower or if it's uh walking me through a potential capital project, which I'm leaning on her expertise right now on um yeah it's just incredible.
• 47:33
  SPEAKER_03: And so her her wisdom is invaluable her friendship is invaluable her servant's heart is invaluable but I would say the the biggest thing about her that makes her so special is that she is the same um lover and follower of Christ regardless of who the audience is.
• 47:58
  SPEAKER_03: And you just don't get that all the time.
• 48:01
  SPEAKER_03: And so um I'm thankful to have someone else that is so tender but also so wise on the board.
• 48:09
  SPEAKER_03: But I also am just being vulnerable as a CEO, I'm thankful that I can also have a board member where I'm like, hey, I think this is what God's doing.
• 48:18
  SPEAKER_03: I have no clue how to do it.
• 48:19
  SPEAKER_03: I have no experience and so I'm gonna tap into Barry and I'm gonna tap into you right that means a lot to me because I'm not the type of leader that acts like I know everything or feels like I'm an expert in everything.
• 48:35
  SPEAKER_03: I truly know my assignment is to be a vessel for the Lord.
• 48:38
  SPEAKER_03: And more times than not he's asking me to um be honest with what I don't know what he's doing, but follow him.
• 48:48
  SPEAKER_03: And so to be able to be that in front of someone like a Kelly matters a lot to me where I can say hey I think this is what God is doing.
• 48:57
  SPEAKER_03: I think we should do this.
• 48:59
  SPEAKER_03: She's an all in person.
• 49:01
  SPEAKER_03: I can also tell her hey I'm not sure about this and it makes no sense to me.
• 49:05
  SPEAKER_03: And she's going to give me thoughts which might help it make sense, right?
• 49:09
  SPEAKER_03: So yeah, I think that there is just something very special about her that I am grateful for as a board member but also just grateful as a sister in Christ.
• 49:18
  SPEAKER_01: I think what some people listening may kind of think by this dialogue is that this is kind of complicated work.
• 49:24
  SPEAKER_01: And it's uh and it takes a lot of the right people in the right places.
• 49:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 49:30
  SPEAKER_01: Whether it's the once a month volunteer um or the every week volunteer or the board member um and the contributor in one way or another it just takes a community.
• 49:43
  SPEAKER_01: It's one of the reasons we chose the title our community our mission it takes a community to come together.
• 49:48
  SPEAKER_01: Some people call it village whatever you want to call it of just the right people not just people come together over and I think what you said early on Lamanda not just out of uh charity not just uh but but we need to suffer with and that really is the true meaning of compassion is to suffer with others.
• 50:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um Kelly I notice uh you know when it map uh you and I get a chance to say hi as you're running from one thing to another occasionally I'll corner you somewhere get your steps in.
• 50:19
  SPEAKER_01: And so um what do you hope um in your journey um uh your personal journey you've kind of unpacked that what do you hope for our community what do you hope for the Topeka Rescue Mission what do you hope for the homeless what do you hope for people who might be listening right now yeah thank you um so I'm gonna start with the people who are listening and the people who are in our community um I get it that it's hard to understand I get it when you see individuals that aren't behaving as though we we think that they should behave that it's hard to understand and judgment comes and it sneaks in and and it's not always intentional.
• 50:57
  SPEAKER_00: It's not doesn't mean you're a bad person.
• 51:00
  SPEAKER_00: And so for me if if people could take the first step to get educated um to get educated and and think about volunteerism or donations um that would be great.
• 51:14
  SPEAKER_00: I I would say it's not our place to judge others because we don't want to be judged.
• 51:19
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm just gonna mic drop on that.
• 51:23
  SPEAKER_00: So that's that's the big thing for me for the community um for our unsheltered population is so that they continue to see um that we're not giving up on them.
• 51:34
  SPEAKER_00: And they can trust us and I would tell you that's the standstill and don't talk is really just being in that place and giving people to the opportunity to be who they are.
• 51:46
  SPEAKER_01: So fix starts with not fixing.
• 51:49
  SPEAKER_00: 100% and I didn't realize that I am a learner here.
• 51:52
  SPEAKER_00: I mean the I felt like I was way in over my head and I probably still am with working with these individuals but um you and others have taught me how to ask questions and maybe slow down and and because because what I what I tend to do is have all these ideas and I know what can happen and I know how we can get there.
• 52:14
  SPEAKER_00: And so I just kind of like it all falls out and that's not how it works.
• 52:20
  SPEAKER_00: It's very overwhelming for people that don't know where to start to see past today.
• 52:25
  SPEAKER_01: Well you're a good student but also your student comes with a whole lot of ideas and action.
• 52:30
  SPEAKER_01: So that helps a lot.
• 52:31
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
• 52:32
  SPEAKER_01: Well Kelly you know um to just to have uh the unique role as a board member of Topeka Rescue mission not too many people fill that role um so um and not too many people fill the role like your mom has done since day one at MAP and she's such a sweet little gal.
• 52:49
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah and everybody knows her they do they do I'm you know what I noticed about your mom and and this kind of digress and and some of the other original volunteers is our unsheltered that were making their way to this place.
• 53:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um wherever that place was because we moved around a lot but um where there was a shower and there was supplies and there was food and so forth is that your mom knew their names and they knew your mom's name.
• 53:14
  SPEAKER_01: Uh-huh and that relationship and I'm standing there watching that I said that's the key right there is relationship.
• 53:20
  SPEAKER_01: And sometimes relationships are birthed out of simply not trying to fix a problem but getting to know the person who's experiencing the problem that needs to be fixed.
• 53:28
  SPEAKER_01: 100% and so that's what uh you have obviously gained gleaned from mom as well.
• 53:33
  SPEAKER_01: So Kelly um thank you for joining us on the podcast today.
• 53:36
  SPEAKER_01: Is there anything else you'd like for our listeners to know?
• 53:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah so I'd love to just share a couple quick Bible verses most people know Matthew 2540 where it says truly I say to you as you did to one of the least of these my brothers you did to me that always chokes me up.
• 53:57
  SPEAKER_00: Because Jesus is saying serve others and and be there for others and be good.
• 54:03
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's my interpretation right wrong or indifferent and I would I would just tell people that 1600 different places in the Bible the word serve or the variation of serve is there.
• 54:18
  SPEAKER_00: And um and so it's it's kind of like a big deal isn't it it's yeah 1600 of anything is a lot right um but the one that I go to a lot and I I want to share this too and then we can wrap it up is Proverbs 31 eight through nine and it says open your mouth for the mute for the rights of all of those who are destitute open your mouth judge righteously defend the rights of the poor and needy that's what you do that's what God has invited you to do.
• 54:50
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks but that's what you do too.
• 54:51
  SPEAKER_01: He's invited all of us to do it.
• 54:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yes and some say yes and some like other people who say yes some people don't even want to get close to it but there are people like you Kelly who have said yes and as complicated as it is as scary as it is you don't know what you're doing you know um you may be learning from me but I'm still learning after all these years.
• 55:12
  SPEAKER_01: We're still learning we're still learning but the joy of the yes to be there with the kind of folks that you engage with that your mom engages with so many other people engage with and if you can't be that person who's listening right now that you your schedule wise your just everything in your life wise you can't do that.
• 55:34
  SPEAKER_01: You can still be a part of it.
• 55:35
  SPEAKER_01: You can listen to podcasts like this you can go to the website at the Rescue Mission you can read the news articles when they come out don't believe everything you see there.
• 55:44
  SPEAKER_01: But anyway there's a lot of things that you can do to contribute to help people to stay on the front lines here so that we all get to be a part of this yes and um watch what God does in our lives in your lives if you do that as well like Kelly Howerton has done and is doing today.
• 56:03
  SPEAKER_00: I I would say um that when I ask people to donate or give their time I the last thing I always say or just pray.
• 56:11
  SPEAKER_00: Some people aren't able to do any of those other things but prayer is so power powerful.
• 56:16
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely so pray for us as well.
• 56:20
  SPEAKER_01: Somebody everybody can do something that's exactly to help this out and it's part of a bigger bigger system that God wants to demonstrate his love through individuals who participate in the yes whatever that is we have an acronym that we used a long time ago with the word yes and it's a U exemplify a solution.
• 56:39
  SPEAKER_01: You exemplify a solution by your yes.
• 56:41
  SPEAKER_01: Kelly Howerton thank you for being a part of our community our mission if you would like more information about the Topeka Rescue mission you can go to trmonline dot org that's trmonline dot org.
• 56:53
  SPEAKER_01: If you're listening to this on the day that this recorded of the 23rd of December of twenty twenty five please know we want you to have a Merry Christmas