Navigating mental health and community outreach, we're honored to welcome Matt Baldwin from Breakthrough House to our dialogue. We explore partnerships and the balance of support and independence in mental wellness.
Matt shares Breakthrough House's core belief: community guidance for reintegrating individuals. Hear stories of resilience, highlighting community's role in restoring purpose. We also dive into the bond between homeless individuals and their pets, finding hope in love and loyalty through Matt's involvement with the Topeka Chapter of Street Dog Coalition.
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Navigating mental health and community outreach, we're honored to welcome Matt Baldwin from Breakthrough House to our dialogue. We explore partnerships and the balance of support and independence in mental wellness.
Matt shares Breakthrough House's core belief: community guidance for reintegrating individuals. Hear stories of resilience, highlighting community's role in restoring purpose. We also dive into the bond between homeless individuals and their pets, finding hope in love and loyalty through Matt's involvement with the Topeka Chapter of Street Dog Coalition.
To learn more about TRM Ministries: Click Here!
To support TRM, Click Here!
Dear Heavenly Father, we just thank you for this day and this time. God, thank you for our special guest today and, lord, just the community partnership that he brings. Lord, I pray that you would bless this conversation and just our time together. In your holy name, we pray Amen.
Speaker 2:Hello everybody Listening to Our Community, Our Mission, a podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission here on Wednesday, march 27th 2024, episode 215. Good morning, miriam Crable. Good morning, there's a lot to put in that title isn't there.
Speaker 3:There is, there, really is.
Speaker 2:I'll be getting that done right now. Yeah, so we've got a special guest that's been on the podcast before. Before we get to him. Miriam, the man is not with us today. She's out doing stuff with the homeless. Well, that's a surprise, isn't?
Speaker 3:it. It's a surprise. Yes, yeah, absolutely, she's trying to help people that are being relocated from their homeless camps and that's going to be ongoing, Absolutely. We understand.
Speaker 2:We might talk a little bit about that today, but she's out working with law enforcement on that today. Sure, so this is known as Holy Wednesday. Yes, holy Wednesday, yes. Yeah, that's a pretty cool thing.
Speaker 3:It is. It is a very well this whole week right, the whole week, that's right.
Speaker 2:So yesterday might've been Holy Tuesday. I'm pretty sure it was, but I never really hear about Holy Monday, do you?
Speaker 3:So what is Holy Monday, barry?
Speaker 2:Yes, what is Holy Monday?
Speaker 3:I get to ask questions every now and then. You have to answer that one. Moving along, I knew it.
Speaker 2:So we had Palm Sunday, we did Last Sunday, and then we had Monday and we're going to have Friday, which is really good, I know Well, we need Friday to get to Sunday, don't? We, we do, we really do. So it's a lot of different celebrations that are going on and different things. They're going to be having a big parade this Saturday. It's the Easter parade.
Speaker 3:Oh, I didn't hear about that, that's wonderful.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's going to be the 7th or 8th, I believe, Easter parade. They're expecting a couple thousand people. That's wonderful, it's going to start in Garfield Park. It's going to come through NoTo. It's going to end up over at the Great Overland Station. Starts at 10 o'clock in the morning. It's going to have all kinds of different festival things for kids and whatnot too. Well good, have a celebration the day before Easter as well as glorify the Lord.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely Absolutely. And you know, barry, our chaplain.
Speaker 2:Mike.
Speaker 3:Schottel has been really doing a great job with the devotions to help us not skip too quickly to Sunday but to really remember what Christ went through on Friday.
Speaker 2:Right, so not to get to the good stuff and bypass the bad stuff.
Speaker 3:The hard stuff. Right, it's not bad stuff, it is hard, it's hard, it's just hard stuff, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah Well, mixed in with Holy Wednesday is another appreciation day that somebody figured out and you know, Josh, our research man goes out to Google and finds these things, so it's. Manatee Appreciation Day. You know I love manatees Do you?
Speaker 3:How many do you have? Well, I would not work here in Kansas. It needs to be warmer.
Speaker 2:It does mean even warmer, okay, and wetter maybe.
Speaker 3:And wetter. They have a hard time getting around, yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2:So you know, the thing about manatees is they weigh as much as 1200 pounds but survive on seagrass alone. You know what the conclusion of that is? That being a vegetarian is not the answer Exactly. Thank you, bing bing bing, bing bing. That's right, I'm sticking with beef. They have no natural enemies except humans, and so they're kind of hard to contend with. But again, done with the salad, so I'm not going to worry about that. It's also another special day, whole grain sampling day Did you know that?
Speaker 3:No, oh, did I know that? No, I didn't. You're a farm girl, I know I am. So I am kind of intrigued by it.
Speaker 2:What does it mean? Well, it means that this has encouraged people to add whole grains to their diet because of numerous health benefits. So whole grain rich diet has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity manatee should read this and some forms of cancer. So anyway. So not only Holy Wednesday, but it's whole grain sampling day, so I guess you go to a health food mart store, whatever you call it natural groceries here in Topeka and you can get a bunch of grains and appreciate your manatees too.
Speaker 2:Appreciate your manatees, yeah, and don't mess with them, because they're bigger than you.
Speaker 3:They are, but they're gentle.
Speaker 2:We know some of you only listen to our community, our mission, because of this segment. So now we get into the more serious and some days are tough to find appreciation. They are, they are, so I don't know what you're talking about. These were great. This is job security, Josh.
Speaker 2:Whatever you say, josh, whatever you say, yes, well, one of our great partners in Topeka with all kinds of organizations, including the Rescue Mission, is Breakthrough House. Yes, it's been around in Topeka for a number of years and we have with us a gentleman that's been on the podcast before on our community mission. I think that this is the third time. It's Matt Baldwin, who is now with Breakthrough House and he's the director of Outreach Resources. Welcome again, matt Baldwin. Thank you for having me. You're welcome. Yeah, so Matt, we've known each other quite a number of years, as you have been working with the unsheltered homeless in the streets in various capacities, and now you're with Breakthrough House. And how long have you been at Breakthrough now?
Speaker 1:Since December.
Speaker 2:Okay, so still. Oh, you got right into the great weather on. December, january, you were at the warming center and out on the streets helping people. Tell us a little bit about what Breakthrough House does.
Speaker 1:Breakthrough House serves the mental health population and you know, at Breakthrough House we believe in relationships and that everyone has value, everyone can contribute, everyone has a place, everyone has value, everyone can contribute. Everyone has a place, and so we do our best to help people find communities where they can belong and thrive.
Speaker 2:There's a drop-in center for people who are experiencing mental health challenges. Is that correct? It used?
Speaker 1:to be a drop-in center. It's not now, it is not a drop-in center anymore, it is called the Lotus Clubhouse, and so the only requirement for membership is to have a mental health diagnosis and that's it. But there we believe in the clubhouse. It's a great environment to help people find purpose, to help them find belonging, to help them find a community. And when you find a place to belong you can find your voice. When you find your voice, you find empowerment, and when you find empowerment you can find happiness.
Speaker 2:So I think that we're all pretty aware that even in this day of enlightenment, in regards to the mental health challenges that people face, compared to what it was many years ago, there's still a stigma, there is still a challenge of people wanting to let other people know that they're identified with this problem. You know, if we have cancer, that's one thing, maybe we've had heart attack, if we've got diabetes, I mean, those are things we talk about, but when it comes to mental illness, it's not quite in the same category for some reason, and it makes it very problematic for people. So you've got a place over there that's been around I don't know how many years. I know it was in existence before I started the rescue mission. That is a place that people can be with people that understand, and it's community. How important is that to the clients or the guests or the members that come to Breakthrough House, in your opinion?
Speaker 1:Community is everything I mean. Human beings need community and they need belonging Us. Christians know that as well as anybody.
Speaker 3:Right, yeah, right. It's incredibly important.
Speaker 2:The Lord said I'll build my church, and he set up a system. We kind of messed it up a lot, but it still is a system of coming together and being together around a common understanding.
Speaker 1:But that's part of it is understanding that we're humans and that we're not perfect, and that's why it's so important to have community to be understood.
Speaker 2:So what's the goal with having the house where people can come to be a part of something, obviously, a place you can go and to be understood and be around people that understand you and care about you. So is that it, or is there more?
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, as the great Barry Fieker once said, recovery happens at the speed of trust. And the clubhouse, yes, it's a place for community, but the biggest goal of it is reintegrating back into the greater community, back into Topeka, back into the homes with their family and their friends, and that's really the overall goal is to take someone who maybe has fallen through the cracks or society has told them that they can't contribute, that they can't work, and we tell them that's not true.
Speaker 1:Everyone has something to contribute which is why we feel like it is our responsibility to help our members get back to work when whatever capacity that may look like.
Speaker 2:So you receive them as they are and then try to help them move forward, and I think that's what we all need, right, miriam? I mean that's part of PR, sure, absolutely.
Speaker 3:You know, I'm just curious. So how do you help the community be willing to accept people that might be different than they are? You know you're encouraging folks to know they can do things, which is wonderful. How do you help the rest of the community kind of understand that this is a great thing and that we need to incorporate people into our workplaces and into our community as well?
Speaker 1:The main thing is that we all struggle with mental health.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, some of us are blessed to not have chronic conditions, but we all have had those days where we don't want to get out of bed, sure or brush our teeth or shower. We've all had those days where our anxiety is so high we don't want to go do. The thing that we're worried about doing and that's the thing that the community needs to understand is that these are not unique issues, that these are things that everyone deals with and that some people just need a little more support and understanding than others. And so that's why we have transitional employment, where our staff will go and learn a job and build a partnership with an employer and then, after they've learned that job, they then go and they have our members tour it and see who's interested in working that job and they work side by side with them in this job interested in working that job.
Speaker 1:And they work side by side with them in this job, and what's awesome about transitional employment is it's full accountability for the employer. So if that person's having a bad mental health day and they just can't get out of bed, that staff member goes and does the job for them. That day.
Speaker 3:Oh my goodness.
Speaker 1:Or they go and talk it out with them, you know, and help them, take them over there and they work side by side with them. The goals eventually back off and let them have more independence in the job, but they're there as much as needed and whenever they're needed.
Speaker 3:Wow, that's remarkable.
Speaker 2:That's what I was going to say. That's remarkable. I didn't know that a staff member could fill in for somebody if they're having a bad day, just to try to hold that position.
Speaker 1:That's something that's very unique with Clubhouse. It's a very innovative model. That's really just the more I've learned about it, the more it just blows me away and the more it's like this is something I've been looking for you know, in my time in case management.
Speaker 3:Sure.
Speaker 1:I felt like I was just trying to help people survive where the Clubhouse is teaching them to thrive Sure help people survive where the clubhouse is teaching them to thrive.
Speaker 3:Sure, that's awesome Wow.
Speaker 2:That is incredible. Well, Matt, as you've done outreach to the unsheltered homeless for a number of years in your position as director of outreach, resources for Breakthrough, what is that? What do you do now?
Speaker 1:I have a lot of hats, I do a lot of things, but for the clubhouse specifically, I'm kind of their community liaison. When they say, hey, we want a job doing X, Y and Z, I say all right, take a tour and see how it all works and then and just build that partnership so then that the staff members can then come in and and continue on with that relationship and work. Everything we do is about relationships.
Speaker 2:How's your experience of working with the unsheltered population for a number of years helped you to understand how to do this particular job now? Man, it's taught me so much how much time we got as long as people don't turn us off and go to a different station.
Speaker 1:I mean, it's taught me to see the humanity in everyone, in every situation, no matter what they're going through, no matter what their faults are, no matter what sins have been made. Seeing the humanity in them, seeing how a simple change in environment and our circumstance and I could be making the same choices in their position. So really, I guess what I'm trying to say is it taught me not to judge. It's taught me how to put myself in other people's shoes. It's taught me how to love. In a way I didn't know how to love before and it's just brought me a lot of great meaning in my life. And that's what we want our members to know is that they're wanted, they're needed and they're expected.
Speaker 2:I think it's one of the things we've known about you, matt, ever since I got to know you. In the words out there is that you do respect people. You don't judge them. You accept them where they are but work hard not to leave them if they're in a bad place. And um, you, um. You have friends who oftentimes don't feel like they have a friend and uh, that's uh. So you've done that in the streets and you've carried that over, um, so there's another part of your life, another hat that you're wearing, and it's called street dog. And so dr Allison Crowe we've had on the podcast a time or two as well a veterinarian here in the community. Yes, I think originally started going out to homeless camps with you and.
Speaker 2:I know one of her stories is going in this one tent and there was just all these puppies there and they needed care and and and uh, she's just got a beautiful heart. And uh, she began to care for the animals and, uh, in turn, cared for the people who were the parents of the animals, or the, what we call the, the owners, or I don't know what they call them the person, the person, yeah, the animal's person. And it eventually birthed out into working with Topeka Rescue Mission Vallejo, with you, and it grew where there's a number of veterinarians now and the mobile access partnership. And in the process of all of that, we were looking at okay, how does this, before it was called Street Dog and it's Dr Crow and her volunteers what were we going to do to maybe get resources to this, to like the vaccines and insurance coverage? I couldn't find it, and so she found this thing called Street Dog and take it from there, because you're very involved with Street Dog Coalition.
Speaker 1:Well, first I want to give a special shout out to Breakthrough House for allowing me to continue my work with Street Dog Coalition. It's my baby and my side project and I take a lot of pride in it, and so and they respect that and they give me the time to continue to do that work, even on the clock sometimes.
Speaker 2:Shout out to Brian Blevins. He's the director there, he is such a cool dude yeah.
Speaker 1:Yes, they have treated me very well over there. I'm very happy. That being said, street Dog just really exemplifies my earlier point about it's all about relationships. The human-animal bond is something truly special, something that I've seen. People go so above and beyond to take care of their fur babies, fur family, their fur family, absolutely. That very first day I took Allison down to the river. It was they actually had built a whole shack and they had a fire pit in there and they had set up all these newborn puppies. Their eyes aren't even open yet, but they had them set up perfect distance from the fire to keep them warm, but not too warm. They made a whole little bed for them and had it enclosed so they couldn't get out and get burned. You know like they thought of it all, just like when I first brought my daughter home the first time and making sure everything's safe. Yeah, so it really just shows you how much how important dogs are, or just pets in general to us humans and how they benefit us in so many ways.
Speaker 2:When Dr Allison Crowe was on the podcast before. There were a lot of different comments afterwards, and even myself. Open our eyes to this bond A lot of people I say a lot because there probably are a lot that will see an individual experiencing homelessness and see them with a dog or see them with some different pets, and they'll judge them and say they're not responsible. Oftentimes they're taking better care of the animal than they are of themselves right.
Speaker 2:Because it's like their child. It's like you said when you bring a child home, that's where that's with them. Oftentimes this is the only family they have.
Speaker 3:And it gives them purpose right. Exactly it gives them purpose, something you know, at a time this is my perspective but at a time when so many people don't see them and choose not to make a connection, here's this being you know this animal that needs them and loves them back and doesn't look away Right. So all of those things that they lack from the rest of us humans, they're finding in this incredible purpose of caring for another creature, which is just amazing to me Well said.
Speaker 2:Caring for that creature is one part of it, I believe, and the other part is that creature cares for them.
Speaker 3:Exactly.
Speaker 2:When I come home and see my oh gosh, she's almost 80 pounds now.
Speaker 3:She's a manatee. Yeah, she's almost a manatee.
Speaker 2:She's growing. She's a GSP, a German Shorthaired Pointer. It doesn't matter what kind of day I've had, I'm the most exciting part of her day when I come through that door. I mean I feel appreciated by Remy, my dog, and she wants to get in my lap. She doesn't understand that. It's painful when she jumps up there and we have to navigate the claws and all that. But it's like golly, you know there may be a bad day and things don't go well, but for her she's helping me yeah.
Speaker 3:She just loves you, she just loves me, she just loves you.
Speaker 1:And, like you were saying earlier, for so many people on the streets they've had such severe trauma. They're out there for many different reasons, but we could definitely argue that the trauma is one thing they all have in common and that pet is the only thing that they can truly trust in this whole world the only thing that they know has their backs and loves them as much as they love their pet.
Speaker 2:The original outreach that you started with Dr Crow grew to where, at the Mobile Access Partnership, there would be volunteers that would come and again, as we talked about it, it needed to get some more structure and so Dr Crow found this national organization called Street Dog and and basically studied that and and Topeka became an affiliate of that and at one time you were on the board. Are you on the board of Street Dog?
Speaker 1:The Topeka chapter, the.
Speaker 2:Topeka chapter. Right, Talk about what it means, what. What it's a national organization, what is, what's the value of that and what is Topeka's kind of status within that?
Speaker 1:Well, the motto is taking care of both ends of the leash. I think that pretty much encapsulates the whole thing.
Speaker 2:So it's dedicated to working with pets and homeless individuals, so it's not just animal welfare in general, it's streets, right, yeah?
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. One of the things that we really focus on in our particular chapter is connecting people with resources, and if we're going to give your baby all this free care, we expect you to take care of yourself as well, and so that's part of my role there. So Allison takes care of the fur baby, I take care of the, the, the hand holding the leash. The less fur baby, yeah, and um, you know it's hard to get haircuts on the street, so only slightly less fur.
Speaker 2:We're working on that. Yeah, so it it, uh it, mapped days and maybe some other days going out to do outreach and those kind of things. You guys have been doing a tremendous job on that and, what I understand from looking around, the Topeka chapter is one of the better organized chapters in the country because of what you guys are doing.
Speaker 1:They're all amazing chapters and they're all amazing individuals of huge hearts. We just have the unique relationship with all of the community partners where we can directly hand them off to someone. Someone's there to get their fur baby taken care of and they're struggling with homelessness and I can say, well, hey, here's a homeless case manager at Vallejo.
Speaker 1:Let me introduce you to them and let me get you started with them. Here are the steps you need to take to get an intake there and to work on getting a case manager. Or is addiction your biggest problem? That's not a problem here. Let me introduce you to mirrors. Let's call RADAC together and get you an assessment done, just whatever you're ready to work on.
Speaker 2:Yeah, medical health, mental health, Stormont Vale being there, rescue mission being there. Some people say nobody's working together on this issue of homelessness and that is far from the truth. There's a lot of great things going and it can even get better, and that is far from the truth. There's a lot of great things going on and it can even get better.
Speaker 2:Kansas State University involved School of Veterinarian program brings their medical units to Topeka at least once a month to be able to do Everything medical that they might do in a veterinarian's office surgeries and x-rays and those kind of things. It's an amazing partnership. Well, you get to do that too. So, matt, is there anything else you would like to say? I have another question for you, but is there anything else you'd like to say about Street Dog or Breakthrough House at this point, as far as educating the community?
Speaker 1:the community. Well, I would encourage anybody who's interested in learning more to come to our clubhouse and tour and check it out. The members there would be more than happy to give you a tour and explain how it works and everything that they're doing there. How does somebody get?
Speaker 2:ahold of Breakthrough. To be able to do that, just Google it and call Just drop by. Just drop by. Yeah, you don't need to schedule.
Speaker 1:Like I said, what's so cool about the clubhouse is that the members are equal to staff. They do everything staff does. They help pay bills. They'll take money down to the bank Everything. They have full control over their food menu. They decide everything that we do and we don't do anything without getting consensus from the members, including adding staff. They decide who works there and who doesn't.
Speaker 2:So they voted you in right yeah.
Speaker 1:Thank goodness, huh, it was touch and go. They probably made a really good decision there, and the point being is that when you walk in there, you can't really tell the difference who's staff and who's a member there, and the members take ownership of their clubhouse, and so they'll be more than happy to give tours. That's why you don't need to schedule anything. You don't need an appointment, just stop by and see us. Off the top of your head, the address is oh man, let's see if I get 1201 Van Buren. Okay, yes, so it's right next to the YWCA, if I got the address wrong.
Speaker 2:Sorry about that, but you can Google Breakthrough House Topeka and you'll be able to find it. So, matt, the last question I have for you is that that was verified by our research department over here.
Speaker 1:That is the address.
Speaker 2:Okay, very good, kiss my brain. Very good, kiss my brain Today. So you've been experienced working with the unsheltered. You see this model at Breakthrough, where it is community like community on steroids kind of. In a way, you've seen the value of people and where they are and their trauma and their suffering and the things that can help them. So in a way you're kind of like an eyewitness to the scene of the accident.
Speaker 2:Today there's a lot of different discussion on what are we going to do with this growing crisis of homelessness. It's a national issue. It's in Kansas, it's in Topeka. Almost every community right now, even the small ones, will have few homeless people in very, very small communities today. So there's reactions that are going on, there's ordinances being made, there's people that are getting moved around by their camps being cleaned up because of those ordinances, but we're not there to where we've got really what we would call a robust, healthy response to the growing homeless problem. What do you believe will be some of the essential things for us to do going forward and this is long game, obviously, it's not like it's going to happen overnight To be able to do a better job as a country, maybe as our own community here to be able to. You've already identified these people are valuable. They're not just, they're not a problem, they're a person. What do we need to do, just from a systems point of view, to be able to do better?
Speaker 2:Simple question and when you get this right. When you get this right, then you are going to make a lot of money because you can write books, but you really are one of the guys on the ground. I mean, you've experienced this A lot of times. People who make decisions don't talk to people like you. Here's an opportunity for you to share whatever you believe is some things that we must know, some fundamental, foundational things, because this isn't a guy that's walking in off the streets who's got an opinion about this. There's a lot of opinions. You've got experience. So what is your experience and now your opinion? That goes with experience.
Speaker 1:What do we? Do Well, when faced with any challenge, the number one thing is first understanding that challenge. You've got to understand the people you're trying to serve, and a lot of the I've got to choose my words wisely here Governments, people of power they don't want to walk a mile in their shoes, they don't want to understand and get to know them. And then how are you going to make policies and rules if you don't understand the people that they're affecting?
Speaker 2:So how do they do that? How do they that have the power to make decisions that maybe make them without the understanding? How do they understand so they can make a wise decision?
Speaker 1:Relationships. That's the theme here today, isn't?
Speaker 3:it.
Speaker 1:You know, I've invited a lot of people to come with me out in the streets and to get to know the individuals that they're making policies on, and no one ever wants to take me up on that. That's pretty frustrating. It is Very, and that offer still stands, by the way. Anybody listening?
Speaker 2:You know, matt, I think as this becomes more of an awareness and there's mandates by community members to do something about it, there may be more people that take this a little bit more serious. That might take you up on that, and if you can get one individual who is in a position of influence and power to have a mindset change about that, these are more than problems to be solved. They're people to be loved and to be helped as a prerequisite, then we can work on the problem after we recognize the person.
Speaker 3:You know, barry, as Matt was talking about the clubhouse and the folks that are gaining independence there, hearing that people care about them, and when I think about the people that are living on the street and what is the common denominator in terms of barriers for other people, understanding how important relationships with folks is, and I think it's fear, you know we and whether it's. You know, if there are mental health situations and I don't understand that, I can be afraid, right, or I see too much of myself in that, and then I'm afraid for a different reason, and it's the same thing with people who are living unsheltered or people staying here at the Topeka Rescue Mission. People are afraid because they don't know, because if we're not afraid, we have no real reason not to try to connect. You know we connect with other things and it's because we have no fear. So how can we as service providers really help overcome, or help people overcome their fear of people that are experiencing mental health challenges, people that are living out on the street in ways that you know I don't understand, like I'm way too soft for that kind of lifestyle, right, so I can't understand why people do that, you know. So how to do that is to really just kind of take away some of the fear factor.
Speaker 3:And I think that requires those of us who are in these situations, working side by side with people, to get that message out there through the media, because what we hear are scary messages, right, of people whose behavior may be erratic or they may be reacting in different ways because they don't trust people Right, and they have people coming into their home, which we've we try to stress so much. Look, when you're walking up to someone's tent, you're, you are walking up to their front door, and how would you react if somebody just introduced themselves into your space, your home space? And so we we've got this culture now that builds on fear versus building on the commonality that we have. And that's where I think street dog coalition comes in right, because pets are something that everybody can. Well, anybody who has a pet cares about pets and understands that bond.
Speaker 3:So I think, matt, you know, when you're talking about all these situations, you're you're bringing to light the common denominator between all of us that hopefully then breaks down the fear. That then allows for people to go out and understand, interact, build relationships, as opposed to just being afraid, afraid that it'll cost too much afraid for their safety, afraid for whatever, just afraid Right. And if we could get rid of that fear factor, I just think we could go so much farther than we can with the way the situations are right now.
Speaker 2:That's well said, Miriam. I think a lot of decisions we make are based out of fear.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:And do we really need to be afraid of that thing?
Speaker 2:You know wars are created out of fear. Yeah, we want power over a situation because we fear it, and then we just make decisions. I may have shared this before and I won't get into names or any real specifics, but there's an individual of influence in our community who was asking for a lot of information about the homeless repetitively, and so I did like you did, matt. I invited them to go to homeless camp because they had some really wrong understandings and they said they would never do that because they don't want to be around those people. I said what's wrong with those people? They said well, they're dangerous. I said how do you know they're dangerous? He said because they're all criminals. This was a smart person, okay, highly educated, position of some influence in our community, and I said I really want you to come. He said well, the only way I'll ever come is I'll be packing, and he was going to bring a gun. I said why would you do that? Because they're dangerous. I said, okay, I said so. If you ever go to a homeless camp, trust me, you better be packing because with your attitude, you are in danger, because you are threatening to other people. I said what if somebody walked into your home this afternoon unannounced and just came into your home. What would you do? He said I'd shoot them. I said okay, then you should not go to homeless camp. Well, he kept asking for information from me.
Speaker 2:One day during the cold two-week period we had this last January I said you need to come to the warming center with me. He says I'm not going to do it. And I said well, don't ever call me again. Then I'm not talking to you again, I'm just done, we're done. And he said you wouldn't do that to me. And I said I'm going to block your number when we're done right now, if you do not come down here with me on Friday at four o'clock.
Speaker 2:He said well, I have plans for the weekend. I said well, counsel him, you're coming to me, or God had set up some situations where he saw brokenness. He saw people. There was a woman with a broken arm who was suffering from great mental illness and he saw how hurt she was and how kind she was when we found her an ace bandage in, and how terribly afraid she was to go into hospital. What might happen to her there? And so I asked him on the outside in that cold, cold weather. I said what do you think? Now? He said I guess I need to see this. So, matt, I hope people take you up on it, because you would be amazing to take people to show them.
Speaker 1:And you know a couple of stories about just how dangerous they are. We had a gentleman who got beat up by some junior high kids with bats In Topeka. In Topeka, just for fun, just for giggles, and he sat there and he took it because he felt that if he retaliated and he hurt one of those kids that he was the one going to jail and going to be in trouble. And what's sad is he's probably right, Probably right, and so he sat there and he was in the hospital for three days and he was at least 230 pounds. He would have won that fight.
Speaker 2:But he's learned enough about how people feel about his situation.
Speaker 1:It wasn't worth the risk.
Speaker 2:Heartbreaking. Yeah, matt, we appreciate you, and I think one of the things I've taken away and I always take away something from our guests on our community, our mission is that breakthrough house model of community. I just think that there's something there breakthrough house model of community. I just think that there's something there I know, brian and I've talked a little bit about it, maybe expanding that in the future of that acceptance and opportunity for people. You know, I think if I've learned anything, people need to know that they're valued, they need to have opportunity and they need to have some guidance too. We all do. We need some structure and that's what you all are doing at Breakthrough House. I hope people desire to want to know more about what you're doing. It's not just that place for those people to go, it is a place that's nourishing and loving and probably a significant game changer in the community. I'm glad they hired you, I'm glad that the community invited you in, so anything else you'd like to say while you're here, Matt.
Speaker 1:I'm just blessed to be a part of it and to be collaborating with you all. It really does take a village, and Topeka needs to be the beacon to the rest of the country on what collaboration can do for its residents.
Speaker 2:Well, when we have people like you and the people that you work with at Breakthrough, we have a chance of being that. So thank you, matt, for being here again and for everything that you're doing, thanks to the folks at Breakthrough House for everything that they're doing, and thank you for listening to our community, our mission. If you would like more information about Topeka Rescue Mission, you can go to trmonlineorg. That's trmonlineorg, that's trmonlineorg. And thank you for being a part of this community and, again, listening to our community, our mission.