Shows / Our Community, Our Mission
Our Community, Our Mission
Weekly updates and conversations from Topeka Rescue Mission Ministries!
Episodes
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #332- Walking by Faith: Reflecting on Night of Praise 2026
In this episode, we explore how TRM creates moments of joy, dignity, and connection for Hope Center guests and men’s shelter guests. We also share ways the…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #331- Fleet Feet's Turkey Trot for a Cause: Partnering with Topeka Rescue Mission
In this episode, La Manda Cunningham CEO of TRM and Jessyca Moreno, Deputy Director of Mission Advancement and Marketing, talk with Kirstin Williams of Fleet…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #330- Safety, Compassion and Community Partnerships
In this episode, we’re joined by Topeka Fire Department's Fire Inspector Diane Hawkins to discuss fire inspections, building safety, and what it takes to keep…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #329 - Why Partnerships Matter: A Conversation with Kevin Nincehelser CEO of Premier One
What does it take to keep a 24/7 nonprofit secure, stable, and moving forward? In this episode, Barry Feaker, La Manda Cunningham, and Miriam Krehbiel sit down…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #328- The Jones Project: Meet Damon Parker
In this episode, La Manda Cunningham talks about Topeka Rescue Mission’s fourth annual Night of Praise fundraiser and how prayer, financial support, and…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #327- Upstream and Downstream: A Conversation on Growth and Homelessness
In this episode, Molly Howey, CEO of the Greater Topeka Partnership, talks with Barry Feaker, CEO of Compassion Strategies; La Manda Cunningham, CEO of TRM…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #326- It Takes a Community: Volunteering, Partnership & Impact
Volunteers are the backbone of the Topeka Rescue Mission, helping provide everything from meals and clothing to critical support for people experiencing…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #325- Compassion Impact Center
This episode tells the story behind the Compassion Impact Center, featuring guests Barry Feaker, CEO of Compassion Strategies and La Manda Cunningham CEO of…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #324- Refreshed: Finding Peace in the Middle
Leadership isn’t just about making hard decisions; it’s about staying tender while carrying the weight of serving others. In this episode, La Manda Cunningham…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #323- Seven Biblical Pillars That Guide Compassionate Care
What does it look like to truly serve the person right in front of us? In this episode, leaders from Topeka Rescue Mission unpack the SERVANT framework, seven…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #322- Night of Praise: The Power of Prayer
In this episode, La Manda Cunningham, Chief Executive Officer of TRM and Miriam Krehbiel, Chief Strategy Officer of TRM, take you behind the scenes of Night of…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #321- Finding Hope Through Partnership: Astra Mental Health & Recovery
In this episode, we discuss how extreme heat is impacting our community, driving increased demand for food, water, and support at Topeka Rescue Mission. We're…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #320- Breaking The Cycle: Re-Entry, Recovery & Community
This episode explores the growing intersection of mental illness, incarceration, homelessness, and community support. Shawnee County Department of Corrections…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #319- What If Preparedness Is The Kindest Gift?
In this episode, Scott Bryant, Director of the TRM Distribution Center and Marcus Molinar, Deputy Director of Property and Security Operations discuss the…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #318- Healing Starts With Connection
In this episode, Isabell Cronister and Jamie Wiegert from Topeka Rescue Mission's Trauma Education and Development program explore the profound impact of…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #317- Love Has to Stay the Source of Our Mission
In this episode (https://bit.ly/OCOM_EP317), we reflect on insights from the City Gate Network conference, where La Manda Cunningham and Miriam Krehbiel…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #316- God Runs Toward Us When We Finally Turn Back
In this episode we discuss one of Scripture’s most powerful images of grace, the father who watches in Luke 15, and what it means that he does not simply wait…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #315- Standing In The Midst of Falling With Barry Feaker
In this episode we sit down with Barry Feaker to share the remarkable story of how a collapsing shelter in 1989 led to one of the most inspiring community…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #314 - Inside the R.E.S.T.O.R.E program with Ashley Davis & Crystal Guerrero
What does it actually take to move someone from homelessness to lasting stability? In this episode, R.E.S.T.O.R.E co-directors Ashley Davis and Crystal…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #313- Spiritual Wellness and Mental Health with Mike Schoettle
“Just pray more” can feel like an answer… until you’re the one lying awake with anxiety, carrying grief, or absorbing trauma from the people you serve. In this…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep#312 - Faith and Public Safety: Meet TPD Chief Chris Vallejo
Safety isn’t just a statistic, it’s about trust, relationships, and whether people truly feel secure in their community. In this episode, Chief Chris Vallejo…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #311 - Meet Matt Fessman, Director of Main Shelter Operations
In this episode we talk with Matt Fessman, Director of Main Shelter Operations at the Topeka Rescue Mission, about what pulled him from military service…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep# 310- Inside Topeka Rescue Mission’s 2025 Annual Report
Barry Feaker talks with La Manda Cunningham and Miriam Krehbiel from the Topeka Rescue Mission about their 2025 annual report and what it reveals about…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #309 – Purpose-Driven Partnerships: Part 2 w/GiDeanLeigh Ogilvie
We chat with GiDeanLeigh Ogilvie from Phoenix Rescue Mission to explore how partnerships can turn homelessness response into a shared community effort rather…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #308 – Rebuilding with Relationships: Astra Mental Health & Recovery
This week we talk with leaders from Astra Mental Health and Recovery about the work they're doing and the strong partnership TRM has with them. Our guests…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #307 – How the Compassion Impact Center Streamlines Access to Resources
On this week's episode, we talk with the key players of the new Compassion Impact Center. The Center is a bold step toward replacing a fragmented system with a…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #306 – Running to Help: Inside Fleet Feet's Partnership with TRM
A holiday run turned into a ray of hope. We sat down with Fleet Feet’s Michael Fronsoe and Kirstin Williams to discuss how a simple idea—bring a new…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #305 – Turning Compassion into Action: Meet Jamie Clark
Jamie Clark of AIM Strategies joins us to share how business, faith, and civic responsibility intersect in practical ways across the community. As controller…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #304 – Moving Forward After a Challenging Year
After a heavy 2025 marked by physical pain, budget drain, and the strain of warming centers, we chose not to retreat but to advance—grounded in prayer…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #303 – The Power of Prayer, Our 2026 Theme
What if the most powerful prayer you said this week was the messy one you almost didn’t pray? This conversation pulls back the curtain on real-life prayer at…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #302 – Building a Downtown That Benefits Everyone: Meet Jessy Moreno
We’re joined by Jessy Moreno, the Manager of Downtown Topeka, Inc. & River Strategies, who brings a clear-eyed view of what happens when compassion and…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #301 – Team Ringgold and the Joy of Serving
This week we focus on the people who make so much of the work at TRM possible—volunteers. You’ll hear from Team Ringgold, whose journey from real estate to…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #300 – Responding with Dignity: Meet Fire Chief Chad Longstaff
We’re celebrating our 300th episode with Topeka Fire Department Chief Chad Longstaff, who brings 36 years of experience, a brief retirement, and a deeply human…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #299 – Choosing Faith Over Fear in 2025 at TRM
We look back on a year of storms and rainbows, where fear pressed hard, but faith proved stronger. From safety concerns, construction, limited access to food…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #298 – How 'My Why' became 'Why Not': Meet Kelli Howerton
Kelli Howerton’s journey, from serving shifts at our warming center to stepping onto the board, frames this conversation. As a MAP volunteer and TRM Board…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #297 – Serving Omaha With Conviction: A Conversation with Candace Gregory
The Christmas season can be a hectic time of year, so we slowed down to listen to a leader who has built a life around loving her neighbors. Candace Gregory…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #296 – More Than Presents: Feeling Seen During the Holidays
The holidays can feel magical—but not for some choosing between rent and a gift to their child. We pull back the curtain on how our community makes Christmas…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #295 – The Power of Transformation: Meet Mark Valdivia
Winter arrived early, bringing urgent questions about how and when we activate cold-weather exceptions and, in extreme cases, warming centers. We unpack the…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #294 – Gratitude In Every Season
The holidays tend to magnify whatever we’re already carrying—joy, stress, or grief—so we open with light, honest moments before leaning into a deeper question…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #293 – Holiday Help, Real Needs, Real Hope
When costs rise and the holidays draw near, one question always leads the way: who will stand in the gap? As needs increase across our city, the TRM team and…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #292 – Posture of Curiosity: A Conversation with GiDeanLeigh Ogilvie
What if partnership is the most practical form of love? In this episode, we sit down with GiDeanLeigh Ogilvie, Organizational Partnerships Officer at Phoenix…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #291 – A Season of Hope: Faith, Food, and Community at TRM
As the holidays draw near, the Topeka Rescue Mission is facing both celebration and challenge. A critical SNAP suspension has stretched already thin budgets…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #290 – United Community: Preparing for the Season Ahead
As our community works to prepare for potential changes to federal benefits and rising costs, local partners are coming together to stay ready and responsive…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #289 – Stories That Connect: A Conversation with Sarah Rieger
This week on Our Community, Our Mission, we sit down with Sarah Rieger, Communication Specialist for Citygate Network, for a heartfelt and eye-opening…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #288 – Walking Humbly, Loving Mercy, Acting Justly
What if the life God wants from us is simpler—and harder—than our best performances? In this episode, we dive into Micah 6:8 to discover a way of living that…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #287 – Opening the Mailbag: Facing a Hard Question About Love and Limits
A quiet prayer and a reminder about peaceful communication open this heartfelt episode of Our Community, Our Mission, leading into a discussion that moves from…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #286 – One Voice, Many Stories: Night of Praise 2025 Recap
Headlines may feel heavy, but hope sounds different when a city sings together. At Night of Praise, hundreds gathered as blended worship teams lifted one…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #285 – Rediscovering Your Childlike Faith
Rediscover the freedom of childlike faith in a world that often pushes us toward skepticism and guardedness. Drawing from the beloved film Hook, Mike…
- Our Community, Our Mission
EP #284 – Holy Discontent and Bold Innovation with Matt Dildine
Matt Dildine, CEO of the Fresno Rescue Mission, shows what happens when holy discontent collides with bold innovation. Leaving behind a successful law career…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #283 – Loving in the Gap
What does it truly mean to love someone through their darkest moments? In this episode of Our Community, Our Mission, Mike Schoettle, TRM’s Director of…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #282 – Unity in Worship: Night of Praise 2025
What makes Night of Praise more than just another event? In this episode, John Ostenson, TRM Board President; Greg Armbruster, Vice President; and Mike…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #281 – More Than Supplies: Transforming Lives at TRM
When a child shows up ready for the first day of school, the impact lasts far beyond the classroom. In this episode of Our Community, Our Mission, we sit down…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #280 – Foundations of Care: Building a Purpose-Driven Team at TRM
What inspires someone to devote their career to serving people experiencing homelessness? In this episode of Our Community, Our Mission, we sit down with TRM’s…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #279 – Leading with Heart at Turlock Gospel Mission: Meet Thomas Hall
Thomas Hall’s unexpected path from applying for what he thought was a janitor position to leading as Director of Emergency Shelter and Outreach at Turlock…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #278 – Law Enforcement with Heart: Officer Razo and the Power of Relationship
In this inspiring episode of Our Community, Our Mission, hosts Barry Feaker and La Manda Cunningham sit down with Officer Robert Razo of the Topeka Police…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #277 – The Rainbow After the Storm: Meet Nancy Johnson
When Nancy Johnson stepped away from her role as CEO of Community Resources Council, she could never have imagined the new chapter God was preparing for her. A…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #276 – Heat, Hope, and Humanity
As temperatures rise, so does the risk for our unsheltered neighbors. This episode of Our Community, Our Mission highlights how TRM’s outreach teams are…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #275 – Purpose in the Pain: Meet Billy Brown
In this powerful episode, Billy Brown shares his raw journey through addiction, trauma, and redemption. From a broken home and early substance abuse to…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #274 – The Caring Place: Meet Antonio & Leah
What happens when someone has nowhere else to turn? In this heartfelt conversation, we’re joined by Antonio Villasuso, President, and Leah Sigillo, Media…
- Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #273 – Backpacks of Hope: Preparing Children for School Success
Back-to-school season means more than pencils and backpacks—it’s about restoring dignity, structure, and hope for children facing difficult circumstances. In…