Cherished connections and understanding people's motivations are the bedrock of any thriving non-profit, and we uncover just how these elements fuel our Mission. We take you behind the scenes to visit with TRM Donor Relations Specialist, Jamie Wiegert. Hear about his background in growing relationships in sales, leading into nurturing a family of supporters who share our passion for service. As we unpack the shift in donor inclinations towards supporting causes that resonate deeply, we reveal the profound personal transformations that accompany engagement with faith-based initiatives. Our conversation is an invitation to witness trusting in the Lord to supply our needs, and the joy of thanking those who walk with us on this path of giving and faith.
To learn more about TRM Ministries: Click Here!
To support TRM, Click Here!
Cherished connections and understanding people's motivations are the bedrock of any thriving non-profit, and we uncover just how these elements fuel our Mission. We take you behind the scenes to visit with TRM Donor Relations Specialist, Jamie Wiegert. Hear about his background in growing relationships in sales, leading into nurturing a family of supporters who share our passion for service. As we unpack the shift in donor inclinations towards supporting causes that resonate deeply, we reveal the profound personal transformations that accompany engagement with faith-based initiatives. Our conversation is an invitation to witness trusting in the Lord to supply our needs, and the joy of thanking those who walk with us on this path of giving and faith.
To learn more about TRM Ministries: Click Here!
To support TRM, Click Here!
Heavenly Father. We thank you, lord, for this day and your blessings, your provisions. God, you're just so good to us. Lord, thank you again for this time to record this podcast and, lord, just all of our faithful listeners. Lord, pray that this would be a blessing to them and, lord, that they would be encouraged today. In your holy name, we pray. Amen. Hello, everybody.
Speaker 2:You're listening to Our Community, Our Mission. This is Barry Fieker. This is a podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission here on Wednesday, March 20th of 2024, episode 214. Good morning, Lomanda Bros and Maryam Craball. Good morning. How are?
Speaker 3:you.
Speaker 2:It sounded like a week Good morning.
Speaker 3:Well, you know, you were so mean to us before. We're a little bit afraid.
Speaker 2:That's right. What we call is tenderize. We just want to tenderize you guys so that we're ready for this, you know, because we're going to roast you today Always always, and so we're just cautious, that's right, All right. So, since we needed to do a little bit of a job, what is today known for of March 14th Excuse me 20th of 2024.
Speaker 4:Episode 214. All right.
Speaker 2:Don't pay attention to this guy. It's International. What Day.
Speaker 4:I'm having an earring malfunction.
Speaker 3:It's a lot of different kind of days.
Speaker 2:It's International Day of.
Speaker 1:Oh happiness, there we go.
Speaker 2:Say it again Okay, you want to start the podcast over again?
Speaker 4:As we're like, hmm no.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so if you're happy and you know it, celebrate today. Okay, if you're not happy or you don't know what it means, then try it anyway.
Speaker 3:I think that's a song, isn't?
Speaker 2:it.
Speaker 3:I think so Happy, and you know it.
Speaker 4:Yeah, we should. Yeah, it might be copyrighted, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Be careful, please don't sing that on here. I don't want to get.
Speaker 4:Out of 214 episodes, this is the one right. So if you're not, internationally happy today.
Speaker 2:there may be something else that will make you happy today, and it's National Something Italian Day. Oh ravioli, Does that make you happy, Miriam?
Speaker 3:Yeah, it depends.
Speaker 2:Okay, if it did make you happy, what kind of ravioli would it?
Speaker 3:be Probably. That's a good question. I'm guessing squash. Let's try another one. I was thinking.
Speaker 4:Parmesan cheese. Parmesan cheese. Can we talk about the?
Speaker 1:American ravioli yeah, let's try fried ravioli, yes that's right.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, that one Now for our listeners to our community, our mission.
Speaker 2:We know that you mainly to tune in because of this part here and talking about the special days that we have, because nobody knows how to Google right.
Speaker 3:Right, never but.
Speaker 2:Josh knows how really well. So, Josh, this is your favorite day before we get to our guest. It's what kind of day.
Speaker 1:It's very important for our listeners to know it's alien abduction day.
Speaker 3:All right, I just want to make that very, and it's that that we abduct aliens or they abduct us.
Speaker 1:I believe it's for the people who believe they've been abducted by aliens. This is actually a festival that started in Toronto and that's why I think this is popularized now but back in 2008. So now you know.
Speaker 3:That all those people got to come together.
Speaker 1:I think so. Oh yeah, how many, I don't know.
Speaker 2:I think it was five, Many, many years ago I played in a football game. It was a bowl game down in Roswell, New Mexico. Guess where we stayed the Air Force Base as the football team.
Speaker 1:Well, did you?
Speaker 2:We were going to get zapped up and you know out of here and somebody's going to come visit us.
Speaker 3:You didn't go exploring and to find the alien there.
Speaker 2:They took us to Carlsbad Caverns the next day and we thought we were going to get lost down there, but no, we just tried to focus. You know, we were good college guys and playing the game we won, so anyway, but I've never been back to Roswell again.
Speaker 1:Area 51 is very locked down.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, so anyway. Well, that's all fun stuff, and we got some more fun stuff. Today we have a staff member, topeka Rescue Mission, who has done quite a number of things before he got to TRM, including nanotechnology. I want to hear a little of Jamie Weigert, who is the director of donor relations. Welcome to our community mission, thank you. It's an honor to be here. You know, jamie, I've learned to really appreciate you on a lot of levels, but one is that you're just a pretty hardcore Wildcat fan. I am One of few here.
Speaker 2:We're not talking about any other than Kansas State. Yes, I know you and I are both opposite ends of the buildings and we kind of keep this place together.
Speaker 5:That's right, okay, yeah, all right.
Speaker 3:That's right. So, jamie, that's right.
Speaker 2:Jamie, we want to ask you what donor relations job is. But first of all, talk a little bit about some things that you've done prior to getting Topeka Rescue Mission, because I think that people benefit from the variety of different experiences. Amanda, over here, is a former principal in schools, highly educated. Mariam, over here, has been director of two United Ways, one in California, one in Topeka, and before that a chamber of commerce out in California. Me I've been around the mission forever, so you know, one of the days I will work and get a job. But anyway, we've got a lot of people with a variety of backgrounds. So talk a little bit about what you've done before and then we'll get into what you do now.
Speaker 5:So my prior experience is in business development, territory management, account management, several different industries started out in thermoplastics, worked in petroleum equipment, nanotechnology I also did. I was the coordinator for some record storage and security of information at a warehouse and then I had a 20 year stretch where I helped my family with some real estate, residential rentals so different areas like that. Where I was always, it was always people focused and taking care of people, growing business, you know, in the for-profit world and such. So that's a vast majority of my experience up till now I also did long-term care for a little while too.
Speaker 2:So nanotechnology. I mean, when we were talking a little bit before we started here, jostus really lit up. Wow, that's awesome.
Speaker 5:He was like he's not that smart. No no, no.
Speaker 2:So what is, without getting all the details of what you did? What is nanotechnology?
Speaker 5:Well, what it boils down to is pretty much smaller than you can even see in your standard microscope, and Smaller than you can see in your microscope?
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay.
Speaker 5:It is. It has a surface area that is so small that it's not visible. Basically, I mean you have to have a super high-powered, real expensive, high-level microscope to even spot it, but it has a huge surface area. What's that mean? I don't know any Too specific.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's been a while. So you work with Kansas State on some of this. I did, I did and I've been a private company on doing these things. So it's amazing what God has created. We get these microscopes and we get these telescopes and we see as far as we can and now with the new things that we're seeing in the universe and then it goes the other direction, the other way. This is really far.
Speaker 3:I mean traditional equipment.
Speaker 2:there's stuff beyond that, stuff Right.
Speaker 5:Right, and it's amazing and like we had talked about this particular material that is so, so tiny but has a high surface area, neutralizes ricin, mustard gas, any other hazardous materials that are in the air. So you know, our markets were funeral homes and such for medical examiners things like that.
Speaker 2:So, lemond, you brought him on so we could in case mustard gaskets here we've got a guy right on.
Speaker 3:That's exactly right.
Speaker 2:You can go back in the kitchen and make up a stuff and Do the nanotechnology we're?
Speaker 5:prevented. Yeah, I'm primarily Homeland Security here.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 5:That's right, I hear that Well, you never know, that's my real goal, right.
Speaker 4:I'm just a case. State fan is just the disguise. Because of the Homeland Security, I would say case, staters are probably helping the country.
Speaker 2:I would say that Agriculture, the biotech thing they're creating up there Manhattan and all those kind of things. So, yeah, don't underestimate us, that's right. That's right. We kind of got a consolation prize back this year.
Speaker 5:You get so much purple pride when I was on the show.
Speaker 4:I know.
Speaker 5:I'm really feeling it.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. Well, donor relations tell us what you knew about Topeka Rescue Mission before we get into what donor relations means what you knew about the Rescue Mission. Why did you feel directed to come here?
Speaker 5:Honestly, I knew I realized how little I knew before I came in here and spoke initially to some folks here. What I thought the Rescue Mission was was a place where people stayed when they needed a place to stay, when they were kind of in transition. I didn't for some reason, and it may be just that I had never been informed on what missions do in the past, but I didn't realize how much we do for unsheltered folks. A lot of the people that come into the mission are previously unsheltered, completely unsheltered, completely hopeless, nowhere to go, no one to turn to. I call it, you know. I finally got a peek behind the curtain and of course I have to bring up Wizard of Oz in Kansas here.
Speaker 5:But yeah, it was my first exposure to the mission was I had I went to Nebraska or to the furniture mall of Kansas and was buying a couch and they said, hey, if you don't want your old couch, call the rescue mission.
Speaker 5:They gave me the phone number and so I called here and some guys came with a truck and there were like four guys packed in this truck and they opened up the back and it was full of all this stuff that they had picked up at different spots and I was like, why are they picking up furniture? You know, I didn't quite know, because I thought it was just a building where people slept temporarily, you know, for a night or two. So that was my first exposure and shortly after that I found myself looking around for new employment and I was on Indeed and I saw the advertisement for this position and it was a combination of, you know, of course, working with some financing and things like that, but also what I knew how to do, which was working with people, helping people you know, our donors and such and I thought, man, this is the perfect combination of what I want to do.
Speaker 5:So I'm going to go in and talk to these folks and see what it's about you know, and so I came in and it was like 10 minutes in and it wasn't like an interview, it was like values aligned. I had never spoken to an organization that was faith based and I am faith based, and so when that became part of the interview, quote unquote, I was like this is different, this is different, because it just it was a different feeling. So how long goes that been now Eight months when I first come in?
Speaker 2:Okay, so not a year yet, but right yeah. So what's your experience been like? I mean, you didn't get asked to do anything about mustard gas yet those things, but we'll see, fingers crossed that we don't. Had you worked with a nonprofit? Didn't sound like it before, faith based or otherwise, in regards to donors, no, absolutely no experience in that whatsoever. Lamanda Maryam. What did you see in Jamie that you thought he'd be good in this position?
Speaker 3:You know, when you think about donor relations, it really is just all about relationship, right? So you have to be somebody that's easy to talk with, somebody that seems genuine someone, somebody that comes across with just a joyful kind of spirit, and you don't have to be around Jamie very long before you start to feel that Kansas state, yeah, it's all awesome, so here we go.
Speaker 2:I knew that was coming.
Speaker 3:It was awesome, you know, and you just you just sort of get a feel for people that will be good with people and that really is what donor relations is all about. You just have to build relationships with people and if you're comfortable doing that, if you're comfortable talking with folks so Jamie's experience, honestly, is perfect for that.
Speaker 2:How so.
Speaker 3:Well, because he was in sales.
Speaker 2:In sales.
Speaker 3:You don't sell anything well if you don't build relationships with your customers.
Speaker 2:I believe in your product too, don't you Right?
Speaker 3:Right, and you have to kind of know how to, how to talk about what they care about, right. And so, while the content is different, here we're not doing nano stuff yet, but it's, it's that same thing. It's about learning about what we do and then being able to really associate that with what our donors care about and talk, talk to them about it.
Speaker 2:Well for both of you, Maryam and Amanda. You know that donors it's not something you take for granted. Um LeMande is executive director and Maryam as well as in regards to the financial area, it's a big, heavy load to think about. There's no guarantees that from month to month there's going to be the resources to come in to be able to operate this incredibly amazing ministry. Um LeMande, how important is it to have somebody representing TRM and you as executive director with the donors and have that relationship very vibrant.
Speaker 4:It's extremely important.
Speaker 4:It's also important not to just have that role but to have the right person doing the role Um.
Speaker 4:You know, when we were talking about um doing the worship night last year, uh, we were talking about what kind of fundraisers can we do and all of that.
Speaker 4:It's really important to me that we don't get too far out of scope, so that everything that we do whether it's a conversation with a specific donor to a fundraiser is really um, built on the platform of our mission and our vision, and so one of the things that I appreciate about Jamie is he is able to have um authentic conversations with people, and I know that if he's on the phone with a donor and they are talking about something, and if Jamie tells that donor, I'm so glad you told me that I'm going to pray about it that Jamie really is Um, and so I don't feel icky to have a donor relation person in a ministry, because I know that he doesn't view it as sales. He views it as he is building the relationship, like Miriam said, but it's reciprocated and I will tell you that I knew he was a godsend when I started receiving thank you cards for him and so one of the things that I love to do with my job is sign donation letters and cards that come to me.
Speaker 4:I try to respond to each one, those kinds of things but all of a sudden I'm like what in the world? People, jamie's got a fan club. You know what's he doing. But I appreciated that and I mean people were like Jamie helped me learn how to enroll online. Jamie walked me through this estate I was working through with my brother. Jamie walked me.
Speaker 4:I mean, it's just been different things like that that the donor has stopped to even they already blessed us by being a donor and then to turn around and say something kindness about the person that helped them when they're helping us. As far as the financial side, it's important because one of the hardest parts of my job is the balance of walking and faith and realizing that faith is what you don't always see or understand, but then also realizing that this is a business and we do have people to pay, we have utilities to pay, all of those things that everyone worries about in businesses. We're not exempt from that because we're a ministry nonprofit. So one of the things that's really challenging for me is when I'm looking at something that I feel like God is calling us to do. And when do I have to say, well, we have to have all the resources now to do that, or do we step out in faith and say God's told us to do this and he's gonna provide?
Speaker 4:And so Jamie's position is so crucial and helpful for me in a lot of ways. One, just the structure of building relationships and getting new donors and taking care of the donors we have when they have needs. But the other side of it is I want it to be authentic and I want the donors to have somebody that they know we don't look at them as just somebody who is just donating time or just donating things, like they're a part of the TRM family. That, then, is helping me sometimes sleep better at night when I know, when I know that we need to be doing X Y, z or we know program is expanding because the needs are expanding. God uses donors to sometimes strengthen our faith so that we can continue to walk out what he's asking us to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's well said, jamie. Obviously these two ladies that you work with a lot here have a lot of confidence in you. How would you describe, as you understand, eight months in now, what donor relations direction means at TRM?
Speaker 5:Well, for me, first and foremost, it is a the engagement experience with us and me educating people when they ask questions. I don't know where I want to put my money should I send it to you guys? And so I asked them what their passions are for the folks that we help. I talk about the people that we help. What I do is I look from the perspective of what I didn't know before I came here and what I now know and what it did to me. It changed me. I don't want to sound too cheesy or anything, but it did. It changed me.
Speaker 5:I thought I had faith before. It wasn't near deep enough, and it has changed here. And so what I do is I look at it from their perspective and I think, okay, this is how I was back, when I didn't know much about the mission, and this is what changed me. And so I try to translate that to them and find out what touches their heart and how God may touch their heart and helping us and help others you know what I'm hearing in that and some businesses are nonprofits, are gonna say we've got the best product.
Speaker 2:you need to invest here, you need to give here if you don't, then you're gonna miss eternity or whatever. You're not doing that. They're asking you a question and you're helping them process out, which gives them information. It also gives them the opportunity to say well, I think I may be able to look somewhere else and that's okay, right, right, because the person is more important than the money.
Speaker 5:That they may give. Yeah, and these days, josh and I have looked at some webinars and I want, in particular, where they talk about how people don't just give to an entity, they give to a cause, and so I talk to them about causes, things that we do, all of the things that happen in these buildings that most people don't know. You know they read the website and such and see that, but hear about different things in the media. But there's so much more and so I try to go into as much detail without going on and on with them. Right, I just try to speak the way I would want to be spoken to and the way that I learned it was exposure, so I try to expose them to it. You know, if they want to come in and look around.
Speaker 5:You know We've talked before about how there are people that give to foundations and such which. All of it is wonderful. They can see where their money goes here and what's being done. You know it's right there. So, honestly, the donors also make it very easy for me and everybody wonderful here that I work with they. You know they already have the heart for giving and they come to me with genuine questions and I do my very best to answer it, and if it works out, that's wonderful. Like you said, you know there'd be a blessing to have them help us, and so we just we pray for that and it's all we can do.
Speaker 2:So do you find sometimes that not only the donor is saying what can I do to help, but also there's maybe some needs that the donor has Right?
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Right. What would be an example of that? Well, trying to think specifically of an example of that, but you know, I have Either ask for prayer or yeah, I prayed on the phone as you get to relationally with them, you get to know them and they may mention a need.
Speaker 5:Yeah, that's particularly with our existing donor base. I will be talking to them about something, and I've prayed with several people on the phone, even if they say, well, I can't. I had one instance where a gentleman wasn't able to give money. He asked how else he could help. He had some experience working in warehouses previously, and so I talked to him about the distribution center, how we hand out food and such, and so he said, oh, that's wonderful. And he said, as I said, okay, well, let me get you over there so you can speak to them. And he said, well, can we pray real quick? And of course, you know, I had one individual that came into the lobby and was asking questions about a donation that was a matching one with the company he retired with and he wanted to pray with me before he left. So we prayed right here in the lobby. So that is on such another level I can't even explain it from my experience. Right and so you didn't expect that coming into the structure.
Speaker 2:No, amanda, you probably, when you came to the rescue mission, you had a general idea about the donors. You hadn't been in this space before, you'd been working in education and other things. How has the opportunity to minister to the supporters of the rescue mission, whether they be a volunteer, whether they be a financial donor or a material donor? How's that really expanded in your thinking as leader here?
Speaker 4:Mm-hmm. You know, I just I want what we do at the Tpeaker Rescue Mission not to just be a story that's told, for it to be a story that people participate in, and so when I first came, it was almost overwhelming to know. You know, we have so many donors and so many volunteers and all of this, and I was thinking how am I going to be able to be personal with all of these people and how do I show them my appreciation? How do I, I, I, I and it was not very far into me starting this job that I realized I can't do any of that, and I especially cannot do any of that all at once. And so what I've loved over the last two years of being the executive director is being able to meet the people and learn their stories.
Speaker 4:Why did they start supporting the rescue mission in the 70s and the 80s and the 90s? The families that sometimes you and I get to go visit every year, and it's it's a tradition with their family to invite us in Barry. And it's just so incredible and I'm so thankful each day when I get to meet a new face, when I whether it's at a speaking event or whatever the case may be. And it is an honor when I'm able to look someone in their eyes and say thank you, thank you for your support of donating beds to us, thank you for giving us your microwaves, thank you for, because a lot of times we're able to say last year alone, we did 77 completions of programs. So by doing that, 77 people had their households supplied because of their generosity. And when I'm able to look at someone and say you help make that possible. Or when people we had something that was just incredible but we had an anonymous donor give us dollars to be able to thank staff in a special way this Christmas. And I just need people to know that sometimes exactly what they do is exactly what our leadership team, our board, myself, the deputies, are praying for and need, and and one of those is staff, because I can't pay staff everything that they deserve. I can't do some of those things we just can't.
Speaker 4:And so those little blessings, when God touches someone's heart to give us something and I'm able to say thank you for that, and let me tell you here's all the thank you's from my staff it's just incredible. But I also have to tell you, barry I don't know if really I should talk about this a whole lot because I know there's kind of stigmas on leaders about being strong and strength and all of that. But I'm very transparent and I will tell you this past year has been a challenge. It has been a challenge for me to it's not my first time in leadership, but just with homelessness becoming as political as it has and inflation and just different things that are impacting, it was a learning curve for me and I will tell you that, in addition to the Lord and then just the incredible staff we have here, some of the biggest things that kept me motivated and going last year, aside from the people we served or the people that we were serving with.
Speaker 4:And so just this week I walked into a room with two dozen volunteers for street outreach that were learning TBRI from Courtney and Cody and Haley and I walked in and some of them were blowing me kisses, some of them had. The women were showing me hearts. Those are some of our donors, they're some of my volunteers and they're also some of the people that when they've watched Tough Headlines or news stories about ordinances and just about challenges that we're facing, they've sent me a note of encouragement or they've stopped by and left some cookies, just this reciprocated relationship. So it's not all how I can support donors, it has all. I have seen donors go above and beyond to support us in a very intimate way, aside from finances.
Speaker 2:And I think what I'm hearing you say I know this personally is that TRM and what is going on here is about as important to the donor is. The donor is to TRM. In other words, it's a family. People you know we all would like to be recognized in a positive way by big name. What you learn at TRM is that you can get acknowledgement from people who are not big names, who are just sacrificial sometimes widows might people that absolutely will do everything they can to help their neighbor through TRM. Jamie, I suppose that that's something that's kind of unfolded with you is not only how important your position is in TRM is to make sure that we have good donor relationships, but it's important to the donors as well. That's right, because this is an investment that they've made and so their need is to not just be known by a thank you letter and maybe a special note from Amanda on it, but that they're doing something different here. That's right. That's powerful and impactful.
Speaker 5:Yeah, and you know when I get a chance and speak to them and explain that you know how far their dollar goes, each dollar, you know, not as far as it used to. No, it's like Amanda said, it's been a tough year and thanks to the generosity of the people that do help us help others. You know we keep plugging away and it blows me away. What people you know I've learned with time working with our donor base the folks that really don't have much to give. They give what they possibly can, just the you know, couple of one dollar bills in an envelope, and that moves me more than some of the other bigger donations that we right. You know that I know where that is, coming straight from their heart, and it is those are the ones, I think, that impact me the most because you know, I know what they mean to them and I think that's Maryam.
Speaker 2:you've worked in the nonprofit donor arena for a very long time With especially with, you know another big nonprofit here in the community as well as California, as we mentioned. Donors are important to the operations of nonprofits, for sure. What have you learned differently about this at Topeka Rescue Mission in regards to some of the donors here that maybe were different from some other situations you were in, or maybe it's the same?
Speaker 3:I think this is a little bit different because it's such a specific topic and there is also the faith component right, and you know all nonprofits, people give because they care about their community. That's a given. This, I think, goes farther and I think people feel led because of the work that we do that is so focused on Christ and what we are all called to do, and I think that that motivates them in a different kind of way as well, that it goes beyond just caring about the topic or caring about the subject. It really is about, yes, helping people but also advancing the kingdom, and I think that that's something that is special about TRM and probably other faith-based organizations as well, but definitely something here at TRM that it goes beyond just providing beds and food and stuff. It truly goes to that heart of things, which is why we do this and what Christ calls us to do, and about helping us share the good news of Christ as well. So to me, that's the significant difference here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that's good. Jamie, in your experience you've had probably people that identify with the biblical understanding of what we're called to do, what Jesus has told us to do. When I was hungry, he gave me something to eat, and when I was sick and in prison, and so on and so forth, and but other people don't come from that perspective and you're not in a position to try to get them Christianized, are you? No, no, no. So what do you do? Have you had anybody question the basis by which to pick a rescue mission operates? And when I say the basis, yes, it's homelessness, hunger, loving our neighbor and so forth. But has anybody ever said I don't understand that Jesus piece?
Speaker 5:You know, I really haven't had that happen much. One instance comes to mind where that did come up and it was a little bit of a negative experience, but that's an extremely rare thing. When I first started I thought, well, people probably give a lot because they just want to write it off on their taxes, type of thing. That was the naivety that I had before I came here.
Speaker 2:That used to be a really big factor until they changed the tax law.
Speaker 5:That used to help. That used to help. Obviously, that's a component, but I have not met anyone in our donor base or potential donors that are not people of faith. A very vast majority of them are followers of Christ and at some level, so that makes it even more wonderful, too. Our values align. I think I talked about that earlier, that not only everyone that I work with here, but everyone that gives to the organization gives time, money and such they all seem to have that one thing in common in their core, and that they are their serving. This is their way of doing it.
Speaker 2:The man is director here, executive director here.
Speaker 2:There's a lot of directors here, the understanding that the foundational why is what God has done for us and given us Christ here to peak a rescue mission, but it's not a religious organization in regards to trying to get people to become Christians. How have you balanced that out with community, with the inner workings of TRM, and then knowing that there are people that appreciate what to peak a rescue mission does to help the people that helps, but don't buy into the religious piece of this how have you balanced that out since you've been here?
Speaker 4:For some people I think that's sticky, but for me, I actually love it, because anytime we can be intentional and authentic with a relationship of Christ versus religion, traditions, things that really we can just argue about, and it just causes division versus unity. I'm passionate about that. When you and this is really what I'm diving into right now and will be for quite a while I'm really studying Jesus's life, what do we know about how he lived? What do we know about his reactions to people that did believe what he was saying, people who didn't believe what he was saying? How was he always serving versus being served when he's the king? One of the things that I love is he didn't force himself on anyone. Why should I or any of us Christians, thump our Bibles or doctrine or anything like that at people when Jesus himself was coming and telling people he was going to be the Messiah, and he didn't force himself? I really try to foster that here at the rescue mission.
Speaker 4:Why do we do what we do? It's not easy loving someone who's spitting in your face. It's not easy loving on someone when they are the term that they're using now is dope sick and they're trying to come off of this high and they're detoxing. That's not easy, but we do it because there aren't parameters for who deserves love. There aren't Jesus, and God has told us love him and love others, period. When people want to argue us being religious, my response to that is always I'm so glad that you've let me know what your struggle is with this, but I need you to know that the reason and the why we do what we do is because of Christ. But it is not our expectation that that person follows Christ, because here's the deal. There are people in the Bible that were healed by Jesus and there were people that weren't. There were people that chose to follow him and there are people that weren't. That salvation piece, that rescuing piece that's up to Christ. What we have to be are testimonies. We have to be testifying for the change that came in our own life. We have to be vulnerable talking about the messes. We have to be vulnerable talking about the brokenness we've experienced and how Christ changed that. That's what our staff has to do.
Speaker 4:We're not here to argue about music. We're not here to argue about where we should go or anything like that. We view ourselves as an extension and a part of the big church. That's why we try to partner with people that believe, people that don't believe. We really try to say we're here to love people. It doesn't mean love people who think the way you do. It doesn't say love people who listens to the same worship music you do. They said love God and love people.
Speaker 4:And we try to do that well, and we're not perfect. We're not because we're human. We mess up, but there is nothing that is here that is mandatory. We don't force it and why do we not force it? Because Jesus himself didn't. But do we take our responsibility? Importantly, to know that there is a realization that every day, people die and they have an internal destination of either heaven or hell, absolutely. And that is something that I don't think my team and I take lightly, because we see that. But we also know that that is between the person and the Lord. It's our responsibility to bring the light, to bring the truth, be authentic model. It say we're sorry when we mess up, all of those things that are humbled. That's what we're called to do.
Speaker 2:So well said. I experienced one time a leader from another faith group, a not Christian, and I sat down one day and they said we really appreciate everything the Topeka Rescue Mission does and listed off a number of things. But they said we just wish you weren't a Christian organization. And I said why? And it basically boiled down to there wasn't really a good answer, it'd just be better if you weren't. And so what do you say to that?
Speaker 2:And I said well, I want to tell you what I don't necessarily care to be around people who don't smell good, people that maybe don't act nice, people that maybe would think about hurting me before they would think about hugging me and listed a number of things. I said, however, I'm compelled to love them because of my foundational belief in Christ, which we call Christianity. And it was kind of like what do you say to that? Their faith had a foundation and I said if you would like to start another homeless shelter based upon your particular faith, there's plenty of customers out here that need a place to go, which they didn't. They didn't start anything but people. I think they get confused with the approach that a ministry like to peak, a rescue mission, takes around, why we do what we do versus. We're trying to make people like we are, and that's not what we do here.
Speaker 4:Not what we do, and you know, we have incredible supporters that are in churches and that are very rooted in faith, and I'm so appreciative of that. I'm appreciative every time I get to come speak at a church or a group. But I also have to say one of the things that I'm noticing is there is a desire for people who are either not saved or who aren't sure what they believe, and they are looking for life to make sense Outside of job, outside of profession, outside of money, outside of fancy houses, nice vehicles, because if we really want to talk about just some of the things we're facing as a world right now, there's a lot of us who are really realizing those material things really don't matter. And so right now, one of the things that I think I love the most about my job is some of the partners that we have incredible partnerships that will show up. They come into my office to meet me for the first time, or they've been assigned something from their business to do or whatever, and they're so grouchy and they're like I really don't want to be here and I got assigned to this, or I've even had someone look at me and say you know what I would never want to work at the Tbika Rescue Mission, and I said thank you for being honest with me and give me three months, and I bet your mind's gonna change right.
Speaker 4:What I love about that, though, is there are people that aren't even caring for people in Christ's name. That's what we do at the Rescue Mission, because we recognize it, but there are incredible people right now in our community that are truly taking care of people, and they're doing it just because something seems different about doing that, just because it seems right, and then that opens up opportunities, for when they're like man, I just did this at a camp, or I just helped this person at Wendy's, I just did this, then they want to talk to me about it. What they don't realize is the Holy Spirit is trying to work on them, drawing them in that, yes, you're doing this in the name of kindness, yes, you're doing it in the name of compassion, but just stay on that path, and I can assure you it's gonna lead you to truth, and that is such a beautiful thing that we don't even have to tell people to do. It's already being done in our community.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think you know there's a we get a lot of theology discussions here, but it's very simple that Jesus said I only do those things which I see the Father doing. He's given me everything. And then Jesus said I instruct the Holy Spirit to go, do, and that's what's happening. And a lot of people don't know what's happening in their lives. But when Jesus said, when I'm lifted up above the earth, I will draw all people to me, and so he's working everybody. They may not know his name, they might not understand what's happening, but there is something happening. And get connected with the things that a Topeka rescue mission does gives them a little more definition. Ooh, this is what's happening. And then sometimes they just kind of want to be with us, be a part of this, because of what God's doing in their heart that maybe is new to them. Well, we could go on with this. I mean, it's good and we kind of got into the foundational why. But, jamie, it's part of what you get to do is you get to represent the Lord To joy.
Speaker 2:The joy and get to touch people and to help them know how incredibly important they are. Is there anything you'd like to say? One last thing on this podcast that you would like the people you work with the donors to know about their importance.
Speaker 5:It's kind of indescribable how important it is. We talk about the faith part and everything, but the people helping with however they can is so important. Whether it's a few dollars of your time coming in and just giving out food, helping wherever you can, it's extremely important. But I think, above anything else, we just wanna express our gratitude for what people do to help us Because, like you said, day to day, month to month, you really don't know what all is gonna be happening and coming in and all that. So we are extremely grateful. We recognize everything that people do to help us and thank you.
Speaker 2:That's a quite a team in that. It is Well, jamie Wiegert, you're here for a donor who may be listening today. If they wanna talk to you or maybe they have many times they might call you on International Day of Happiness.
Speaker 5:Just to get a little happier. There we go. I'll clap my hands with them, whatever.
Speaker 2:And if you wanna talk to Jamie about nanotech, you could probably do that too. And just look about the littlest thing could be the biggest thing.
Speaker 5:Yeah, especially if you're a K-State fan. Give me a buzz. Okay, that's right. That's right.
Speaker 2:A special discount of happiness through K-State fans and condolences to the J-Hawks, but anyway, nevertheless sorry Because y'all made it through the tournament. Sorry for all you that I've offended.
Speaker 3:Did y'all make it through the tournament?
Speaker 2:I don't remember what tournament the NIT.
Speaker 5:It's the NIT. You think you talking about the 2025?
Speaker 2:The 2025 is yet to come. The NIT is a consolation prize, so, anyway, football's coming, that's right. I cannot wait for football. It's the most depressing time of the year, when the Super Bowl's over. I cannot tell you, but it is. Yeah, hope is coming, okay. That's why they started in the summer playing football.
Speaker 2:Right, jamie, that's right, that's right, All right Well anyway, thank you for listening to our Community, our Mission. Thank you to our donors, my goodness, at Topeka Rescue Mission, you are awesome and donors are donors of time, donors of prayer, donors of material positions and donors of finances. You are essential to helping to bring help and hope and life transformation to people for now and for eternity. Thank you for listening to Our Community, our Mission, and if you'd like more information about Topeka Rescue Mission, you can go to trmonlineorg. That's trmonlineorg. Have a blessed day of happiness.