Have you ever pondered the profound influence of a helping hand? Join us as we delve into the remarkable contributions of the volunteers who selflessly dedicate their time at TRM!
Accompanied by Suzie Paslay, our Volunteer & Staff Engagement Coordinator, we delve into the pivotal role that volunteers play across all facets of our ministry, enriching the lives of guests, staff, and the unsheltered community alike.
Discover Suzie's passion for matching volunteers with opportunities that resonate with their interests and expertise, explore the diverse array of roles available, and hear our deepest gratitude to the incredible individuals who comprise our volunteer team!
To learn more about TRM Ministries: Click Here!
To support TRM, Click Here!
Have you ever pondered the profound influence of a helping hand? Join us as we delve into the remarkable contributions of the volunteers who selflessly dedicate their time at TRM!
Accompanied by Suzie Paslay, our Volunteer & Staff Engagement Coordinator, we delve into the pivotal role that volunteers play across all facets of our ministry, enriching the lives of guests, staff, and the unsheltered community alike.
Discover Suzie's passion for matching volunteers with opportunities that resonate with their interests and expertise, explore the diverse array of roles available, and hear our deepest gratitude to the incredible individuals who comprise our volunteer team!
To learn more about TRM Ministries: Click Here!
To support TRM, Click Here!
Heavenly Father, we thank you, lord, for your blessings. God, and all that you do. Lord, we thank you especially during this time, for our amazing volunteers that do all the incredible work here at the Rescue Mission. Lord, we thank you for this time and pray your blessing over this conversation. In your holy name, we pray, amen.
Speaker 2:Hello everybody. You're listening to Our Community, our Mission, a podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission here on month number five of 2024. It's a Wednesday, may the 8th. This is Barry Feeker. Good morning, marion Crable. Good morning. How are you? I'm great. Deputy Director, topeka Rescue Mission. Executive Director LaManda Broyles is on special assignment. She is With the CityGate Network, which is part of the Topeka Rescue Mission, or we're part of it. Yes, national ministry to reaching many different communities, about 300 communities.
Speaker 3:And internationally too. And internationally too, so not just here in the US.
Speaker 2:Yes, that's right, and so she's not with us today, but we do have the volunteer and staff engagement coordinator, susie Paisley, with us today. She's been on the podcast before when she first started here. Good morning, susie, good morning. So, susie, you know what's really important about what we do on our community, our mission. We try to enlighten the community about various topics. We're going to talk about volunteers today, but before that, this is Wednesday, may the 8th. Yes, and so this is a very special day for people in Missouri. Why?
Speaker 3:Oh, my guess is it has something to do with Truman.
Speaker 2:Yeah, why would it have anything to do with Truman?
Speaker 3:Isn't he from Missouri?
Speaker 2:Yeah, he really is.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 2:He was a farm boy and he actually became a United States president, and I love Harry Truman stories.
Speaker 3:I know you do, I know you do.
Speaker 2:There's an audio's, a audio book that is 30 some hours, and I listened to every bit of it, um, because I just think it was humble beginnings and how he started out, became the president. Didn't want to be the president, um, people thought he was one of the worst presidents in the whole wide world, yet some of the people thought he was the best one, and so we're not going to unpack all that. But they have a special paid holiday, and so, um, for all the folks in Missouri, congratulations. You get a day off today, paid, and so what Kansas needs to do is we need to find somebody that will win the presidency.
Speaker 3:We've had candidates? Have we not had any that have won? Yes, we have.
Speaker 2:Only a vice president.
Speaker 3:No, eisenhower, wasn't he and isn't he from Kansas?
Speaker 2:That was a test, Miriam.
Speaker 3:And you passed. Now I was going. Okay, is he not from Kansas? Isn't there like a museum?
Speaker 2:in Abilene. Where would that be?
Speaker 3:I know stuff.
Speaker 2:Okay, you do, but you made me question myself. I know she was looking, she's seen her expression on her face. That was really good and so. But how come we don't get an Eisenhower day off?
Speaker 3:Oh, because Kansans work really hard all the time. That's right, that's right. Missouri, you know that, show me steak.
Speaker 2:But anyway, there's another reason to celebrate today it's National. Have a what day? Have a break today in Missouri.
Speaker 3:Have a break, have a Coke, have a cupcake.
Speaker 2:Have a Coke Well, it's both. Yeah, well, no, it's both. Yeah, well, no, it's National. Have a Coke Day yeah. Did you know that Coke started in 1886?
Speaker 3:And it was medicinal, uh-huh.
Speaker 2:I knew that it still is.
Speaker 3:Well, but it was medicinal in a different kind of way. Yes, it was Because it had things in it that aren't really allowed today, I think illegal stuff in it as of today, because it was considered medicine.
Speaker 2:It only came in glass bottles until 1892. And then it eventually kind of moved forward and today you can actually go up to something and pull a lever and get it in your own cup and get it any kind of way you want it. So, Susie, this is one of my favorite parts about today it's National. Give Someone what Day.
Speaker 1:A cupcake yes.
Speaker 2:Some reason, yum, yum, you know, josh always picks these out, or he creates them on his own and we just like the food part, josh.
Speaker 3:Actually, I think Isaiah has started. I think that Josh has turned that responsibility over to the young man.
Speaker 2:So we have a new guy here that we'll have on the podcast someday when we're ready for about three hours to be able to interview him, because he's got quite a story and he's got. He's pretty funny guy, but okay. So, isaiah, thank you for keeping the tradition going. So we want to talk about volunteers. April 21st through the 27th National Volunteer Week, and Topeka Rescue Mission recognized that. I've already said we're in May, may 8th already, so we had some pretty great stuff going on with volunteers. So, susie, talk about how long you've been at Topeka Rescue Mission now You're still fairly new and what it's like to coordinate the volunteer aspect of Topeka Rescue Mission and what volunteers mean.
Speaker 1:I've been here. It's been a little over a year now. I had a year in March, and so it has just been a wonderful experience getting to know so many of our folks from the community and seeing their hearts that just love people, they love on our guests, they love on our unsheltered neighbors, just want to help. They just come with such a beautiful heart to just care for people and help, and so that has been a very rewarding experience for me.
Speaker 2:So, as a coordinator, what do you do with that? People just don't show up at the door and say here I'm to help. There's a system here. What is that system like?
Speaker 1:There is. We have a sign up in our volunteer hub and that's actually on our website. If anybody's interested in being a volunteer, they can go to our website and click the volunteer tab and create an account right there, and so that name comes to me and then we make contact with them so that they can join us for an orientation where they can learn more about the rescue mission and all of the different ministry opportunities that are here for our guests and are unsheltered, and most people are really amazed by the ways that we help people. A lot of times folks think that we offer a bed and food and we do, but there's just so much more that happens here and that's where we really need those helping hands from our volunteers, you know, with clothing, with food, with activities for them. We have chapel services, we have movie nights, we have game nights, and those are all volunteers that come and are a part of that.
Speaker 2:Even outreach, going out on the streets with people, and that takes a little bit of a special training, doesn't it?
Speaker 1:It does, it does and the mobile access partnership. We provide all of the volunteers for that partnership and that is such a beautiful partnership in the community that volunteers love being a part of, and that's one of the first steps if they are interested in going out with our street reach teams, which we have opportunities during the week and on Saturdays, and a lot of times folks are looking for what can I do on the weekend or after work, and so that is a beautiful opportunity. But we do ask them to come and be a part of MAP first, and then we have some training, some one-on-one training with our directors or our director of Street Reach and our teams, so that it's a positive and beautiful experience for both them and for our unsheltered.
Speaker 2:So there's around Miriam, around 80 staff members at Topeka Rescue Mission 74.
Speaker 3:74. Okay, that's around 80. And you've got some openings, and we do have some openings, right.
Speaker 2:So you have your paid staff that do multiple different aspects of the ministry and we do have some openings everything.
Speaker 1:That's a great question. I was amazed as I came here and saw that we have. If every position that we really need a volunteer in was filled, we would have between 75 and 80 volunteers here every week 75 and 80, that's double the amount of personnel that are here.
Speaker 2:That really is needed to be able to do all the operations of the rescue mission. You mentioned that a lot of some volunteers will come and they really didn't know about the magnitude of everything Topeka Rescue Mission is doing. And some staff members come along because they see it on the website, see it on the news. They come here. But when people get that orientation, it really opens their eyes a lot to. It's not just a shelter and some food, it's a lot more than that Education programs, the children. The list goes on and on and on and on. What would you say is some of the things that you've heard about from some volunteers, about what they've learned as they have been here? And we did not pre-plan these questions. We never do, susie.
Speaker 1:And I'm a thinker I would say that really, all the different opportunities that we give our guests you mentioned the education give our guests. You mentioned the education. A lot of folks that come in to volunteer have no idea that we have classes every Tuesdays and Thursdays for our guests and the focus I love sharing with them. The Tuesday focus is life skills. So what does it mean to be a tenant? What does it mean? What do we expect from our landlord? How do we make a budget? How do we grocery shop? How do we think about healthy meals?
Speaker 1:Things that maybe many of us have been exposed in college or high school classes. I can remember my kids taking class in high school about how to make a budget and how to buy a car and what it means, and those are such important skills to be successful. And then we have our trauma-based relational intervention classes for our guests on Thursdays, and so just that opportunity for them to learn about what does it mean that, the trauma that I've experienced, and how do I work with what I have experienced to move forward. And then we have our guest children that come, you know, when school's in. That's great for school-aged kids, but we have little adorable toddlers and babies that are here that volunteers can help with just hanging out with them and having fun with them and caring for them.
Speaker 2:And so are people surprised when they see these different opportunities when they come, and of course they can see some of these on the website, but then when they actually come, are they are they like excited about that Absolutely?
Speaker 1:And in fact I can't remember who said it to me on staff here, but they were like it's so fun watching them going into the orientation. They're all kind of like okay, we're coming here for a meeting and then they leave like happy and excited and because they've learned, they've gained all this new knowledge and they are excited to see what we are doing for others to help others, are excited to see what we are doing for others to help others. And oftentimes that's a comment I had no idea there was this much going on there for folks.
Speaker 2:What would you?
Speaker 1:say the biggest difference is between a paid staff member of Topeka Rescue Commission and a volunteer.
Speaker 2:You know the volunteers, Other than a paycheck.
Speaker 1:The volunteers get great opportunities to be very personally connected, which we have staff that obviously are. You know, personal connections and just that. If you like people and you care about people and you want to help which is a predominant characteristic in our volunteers then it is a great opportunity to just walk with people.
Speaker 2:So not having to be responsible for a department or something like that gives them a little more time to do the interpersonal relationship. So, you know, if you're somebody who really likes people and you're wanting to connect in a unique way and it's not just one opportunity, it's many this might be something for somebody that's listening right now. Miriam, I know that you look over the budget of Topeka Rescue Mission.
Speaker 3:I do.
Speaker 2:And there's a lot of moving parts to that. To be able to do everything, volunteers save the Topeka Rescue Mission a significant amount of money.
Speaker 3:Hundreds of thousands.
Speaker 2:Hundreds. Do we have kind of a ballpark annually? How much that is.
Speaker 3:We do and Susie will be able to give you that. I can tell you that it equates to about seven full-time employees. That if we did not have these volunteers we would need seven full-time employees, that if we did not have these volunteers, we would need seven full-time employees and the amount of that is it's about 415,000.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was going to say it's over 400,000, but, I, didn't want to say it because, like, you've been calling me out on if I'm wrong, so I was a little afraid I don't have the information here, but I know that those are substantial numbers and so, if we look at it just from a financial side, topeka Rescue Mission would need to raise an additional $400,000 plus every year to be able to do everything we do. So it's kind of like people ask the question what does it take to run the rescue mission? Well, you can take all the costs associated with personnel. You can take all the costs associated with excuse me a little sneeze there the costs associated with the price of food and utilities and so forth, but then all the donated things that to be a rescue mission is given, like the food costs it would be over a million dollars.
Speaker 3:It would be over a million dollars, it would be, oh, and probably, with the way food costs have been, it would probably be over one and a half million for food. But you know, I think there is the financial benefit of volunteers and we say it's seven full-time employees. But I'll tell you, I think it's even more than that right, because it's so spread out that if we were really trying, you know, if we had seven people, we would have to be spreading them all over. So those, the, the volunteers that are doing the jobs, they are probably equate to more people if we had to hire them. Um, just because of all the diversity in the things that we have them doing, and not everybody can do everything, so it's we could not run the rescue mission without volunteers.
Speaker 2:You know, one of the areas we struggled in to get enough volunteers over nearly 15 years now has been outreach. It's just one of those things that people are very cautious of doing for legitimate reasons afraid and so forth.
Speaker 2:We have the most robust amount of people in outreach right now that are volunteers that we've ever had, and I think a lot of that's Susie, to your credit, of helping people to understand what it's about Haley Hipcher, who is the director of outreach at Topeka Rescue Mission, and Jenny Falk, director of MAP, to be able to be there for people and find those unique gifts in those people and then train them well to go out and reach our unsheltered neighbors, which right now that's a really important thing to do because of the increase of unsheltered neighbors in our community and also some different things that are happening to them right now and, honestly, I think it's so special because it really does dispel a lot of the perceptions that people have about who lives outside or why they live outside, or you know this, this focus that we are so intent on, related to that everyone has a name and what we have to do is just love the person in front of us.
Speaker 3:I think that resonates well with the volunteers that are on outreach and at map, because they get to know people, they get to know their names and it just it changes people's hearts, it breaks down barriers, not just for the people that we're serving, but for the people that are walking alongside the folks we serve. Both parties, yes absolutely it does.
Speaker 2:Susie. You had an event that you planned here the other day for volunteers. Obviously didn't have everybody come, but there was a special recognition. What did you do with that and why?
Speaker 1:You know, it was a really fun event for me. We had close to 50 of our volunteers that were able to come and it was just a beautiful time to just appreciate them. We took the time to have each director of an area stand and talk about how important that volunteer was and some of the skills, because all of the different volunteer opportunities have different skill sets. So it's beautiful to see folks come and to offer that skill set to help others, and so they had the opportunity. They stood up and we applauded them and they had a little small gift that we gave them. And then we also had some incredible food that the kitchen did some beautiful charcuterie boards for us just to have some very yummy items to eat. But just a beautiful time to be together. And a lot of the volunteers.
Speaker 1:When they were registering to come because, you know, I kind of wanted to know how many, how many are planning for, and several of them called me and said I'm so excited to come and meet others other volunteers that are here and to learn more about what they're doing, and so I really tried to have a focus where they could all hear all of the different things that we have going on, Because new things pop up all the time and sometimes you can get in your spot that you love to volunteer in and you don't always get to hear, but their hearts are.
Speaker 1:They want to know what's happening in the other places and spaces, and so they really had a great time, all of them. I got lots of hugs and lots of words of thank you for giving me that opportunity to meet others with that same heart, and I think that's what's so beautiful. When the volunteers come and I tell them this at the orientation you know, when you're on staff here, your heart obviously loves people. I mean, you wouldn't be here if you didn't and they come with that same heart, with that same love to help others and to give whatever they've got to just improve someone's life. We have volunteers that literally they'll see folks come and they'll get to know them, as you mentioned, and then they will remember they needed some shoes and we didn't have any in their size and they'll take a certain amount each week and just go shopping for some of those that they've made connections with to find things that they specifically need, Because we all need a pair of shoes, you know, and that fit.
Speaker 1:Yes, that fit, because, bless their hearts are unsheltered, we'll wear whatever you give them. That was so amazing to me when I worked at map in the clothing trailer. You know a pair of pants that are so big they would literally drop off of them, but they'll say I'll stick a belt or a rope on with that and I'll wear them, you know, because maybe we've run out of their size. So we have volunteers that see that need and they will go and find it if we're out of it here in our reserves that we have here.
Speaker 2:I think when you had that event, there was this great opportunity for volunteers to meet other volunteers and sitting around table and enjoying getting to know each other. Miriam, one of the things I was most touched about is where, susie, you had the staff several staff lined up to step up to the microphone to say how much they appreciated the volunteering. Pretty cool, Miriam.
Speaker 3:It's wonderful and to me it was wonderful because it gave staff the opportunity to do it.
Speaker 3:You know, sometimes they're moving so fast they're incredibly grateful, but they're moving so fast that they don't get to, and they got to just stop and let people know how grateful we are for them and I know that that is very fulfilling for the directors or the staff that were doing it, as much as it was for the volunteers that were hearing these words, um, because it's there's something special about being able to thank people too, you know, and and let them know, look, we do notice you, um, and we couldn't do it without you, and it it kind of forced staff to really say, oh, okay, so let me think through this, so that I'm not just up there not saying anything and you start to realize, oh, my goodness, we have these really special people that care about the folks we care about, which is not always the case.
Speaker 2:That's right. That's right. No, it's a special group of people who volunteer to at a ministry that works with some of the people who are most rejected and broken in any community. We think about missions of being overseas, which they are, and there's great need to send people to various parts of the earth.
Speaker 2:People are recognizing over a period of years, we've got some various parts of the earth right here now and it's growing and where there is a great not only need, but if we don't do something effectively as community and we don't have organizations like Topeka Rescue Mission and people like the volunteers which kind of double the staff capacity at any time, we will have a lot more suffering going on.
Speaker 2:I think that, susie, as you're still fairly new, even though it's been a little over a year you've probably learned. There's some volunteers who have been volunteering here for years. It's not just like a few days or a month or whatever and they're out of here.
Speaker 1:There's some that have been here for years and years, yeah, yes, and some that come multiple days a week and volunteers in some areas.
Speaker 2:Not just one thing, but several things. Yes, Susie, I know you love your job. We've seen that it's like massive kind of herding cats type thing At times. Christmas, Christmas.
Speaker 3:Warming center yes, warming center.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the warming center. I mean my goodness in coordinating all of that with the last minute, so to speak. We'll talk about that in a second. But how do you do this? I mean, you got a system, you got the passion for it, but how do you keep things going forward without just being totally chaos, with people maybe only going to volunteer once a month versus somebody here several times a week and all the different needs of the mission, and people say, susie, I need this, I need this, I need this. We're talking about staff now and people say I want to do this, but we don't have a spot for you there, but we've got a spot for you over here. How do you do all that?
Speaker 1:That's a great question. Obviously, software that helps to organize people, but getting to know people, listening to what their heart loves to do? I am a firm believer that God has designed each of us with a heart and a passion for something. A heart and a passion for something, and so listening very carefully as they come in to volunteer, as they come to the orientations, and making little notes on that so that I can look for that person later on. But you know, they sign up, they call, they want to want to do and it's really just me plugging them in all those different spots.
Speaker 2:One volunteer you know about was and I'm going to call her name out Sharon Meisner. Sharon Meisner is a nurse and she has been overseeing the mission clinic. I believe she said 33 years.
Speaker 3:She did 33 years.
Speaker 2:She's tried to quit a number of times and we've absolutely refused Uh but uh and coordinated the nurses and met so many different people and ministered so many different people. Um, which is a ministry to us to see that kind of commitment? She's definitely all stars as far as longevity on this and that's pretty powerful to have somebody that committed not just once a week but more than once a week in taking her professional skills and being able to then get other people with professional skills. So volunteers sometimes come to us with very unique skills in their profession and be able to utilize those such as nursing. Others come who have professional skills but they don't want to do it here. They want to do something different.
Speaker 2:True, I was talking to a young man here the other day whose father is a physician. He says my dad wants to volunteer at the mission. I said, great, we've got an opening in the clinic. He says he doesn't want to do anything with medicine, he wants something else. And I go oh yeah, that's right. You know, sometimes it can be the break for people, yeah.
Speaker 2:So, susie, what would you say? Some of the biggest needs are in the volunteer area of Topeka Rescue Mission, that people are listening to this today. Again, we're here on May the 8th of 2024. So you might be listening to this later. Again, we're here on May the 8th of 2024, so you might be listening to this later. But as of today, what are some of those biggest openings and needs we have?
Speaker 1:We always need folks to come serve meals. We serve breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday through Friday. We serve kind of a brunch and an early dinner on Saturdays and Sundays, and so the kitchen, as any kitchen in any home, is always hopping, and so that is always a need. And I think it's fun when, if folks have friends that they want to bring with them and they can volunteer together, that's a great opportunity there. So that is always a place of need.
Speaker 1:Another spot that probably that uses a large number of volunteers is in our distribution center, and there's so many opportunities over there Moving folks.
Speaker 1:We have a group we call Mission Movers and moving folks into their housing and getting them settled in, carrying in the furniture and all of the items that they need. So it's great if you've got some muscle and you like to help move people and get them settled into a new place, that's another definite need. And then food distribution giving out food to our community. We have a drive-up food distribution every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 to 2. And we run that actually in an am and a pm and afternoon shift. So if people can only commit part of a day, that's a definite need. And then clothing we have received a lot of clothing from some drives in the area and we're really working on getting that sorted. Because we're Kansas, we have seasons, so we have lots of different types of clothing as well, as you know male and female and sizes and things like that, and so those are probably the areas of need for the most volunteers on a consistent basis.
Speaker 2:I just don't know what I want to do. I hear about this. My neighbor may be volunteers. It doesn't sound like what I want to do. They're out working in a homeless camp or whatever. Does somebody need to know what they want to do before they come here, or could they come here just to check it out?
Speaker 1:They can certainly come. If they come to the orientation, I think that will give them a better perspective of what the many opportunities are. I honestly have not had anyone walk away from that and go. I have no idea what I want to try. Most of the time it's, you know, I think I want to try this, but I might want to try that too. Absolutely Nothing says that because you came and served meals that that's all you can do, you know, jump into some of the other opportunities and and and try out and find out what you like and if you like jumping around to different ones, that's great. That's the beauty of volunteering is that it's not like a job where you're committed to this time and this date and only this role. You can choose all different types of roles.
Speaker 2:But once they do that, we do expect them to be just like they were an employee, to be there on time to be able to do the job and those kind of things. So it's not like just come in whenever you want to, which most of our volunteers that's never a problem with. But even people who work sometimes they don't always know that it's important to be here when you're supposed to be here on a rescue mission. Of course, mary, right.
Speaker 3:But you know what, barry, I will tell you. There are other kinds of opportunities too, like I think about, um, the volunteer who helps me, cindy right, and it really wouldn't matter when she came in right, it can be very. I can be really really flexible because what she's doing for me that's really administratively focused. She can do that and work that into her schedule anyway, because it doesn't require her to be here. It's not like meal serving right when here's when we serve meals, the work that she does for me could happen anytime. So I think that's the beauty of TRM and our vast need for volunteers is that we can either have it on a very rigid kind of schedule or it can be very open, according to what their schedule might be or the things that they have, other things they have going on, and they can still be a volunteer at TRM. So I think there's just so much opportunity. There's a lot of flexibility.
Speaker 1:You know, some folks really like I know I'm coming in every Tuesday because I want to do every week, or I'm coming in every second and fourth day of the month on this day, from this time to this time, because they can make their appointments and things around that. But others prefer that flexibility and so we do have some opportunities in both ways and I think that's the beauty of volunteering.
Speaker 2:So how often are the orientation times and how would I know when?
Speaker 1:Okay. So, going back to, if you go to our website, if you go to that volunteer tab and it's create a new account, you can create an account there and then, once you get signed into our volunteer hub through VOMO that's V-O-M-O, vomo you can see the volunteer orientation. I run them once a month and I run them in the afternoon, 1 o'clock to usually about 2.45, 3 o'clock it's usually a couple hours, and then in the evening 5.15 to 7. It's usually a couple hours, and then in the evening 5.15 to 7. And so that way if you're working and you need to buzz over after work that day, you can head here, come here and grab that evening one.
Speaker 2:Or if you need to do an afternoon because you're retired and you've got that time, Okay, there's some folks like me that you tell me to go to a website and fill all this stuff out and then I shut it down because I don't know, I'm confused, or whatever. Is there another way to find out? You can call me. Always, you can call me and you'll help us out, right, yeah, just call the main line and ask for volunteer services.
Speaker 1:Okay and yeah, and if I'm not able to answer my phone right then you know, got the beautiful voicemail that will let me know that you called and I can give you a call back.
Speaker 2:So we've mentioned the website. I'm going to mention it now because people are going tell us what it is. It's TRM, trm for Topeka Rescue Mission onlineorg. That's TRM onlineorg. Or you can just Google Topeka Rescue Mission and probably get you there, or you can call 785-354-1744. Wait for the volunteer thingy to come up on, that little automated voice thing.
Speaker 3:Actually you get to talk to a real person. You get to talk to a real person. We don't have an automated thing anymore. You don't.
Speaker 2:No, that's what happened to the rescue mission. We had it all figured out when I was here. Actually, that's true, you do have somebody answering the phone now.
Speaker 1:We do now.
Speaker 2:This is the only place in the whole wide world that you get a real person, unless they're a scammer. I mean, that's great, that's awesome. So again, 785-354-1744 and talk to a real life person, and then they'll get directed to Suzy and if you're not there, you call them back, because Suzy probably got something going from time to time.
Speaker 1:Sometimes I'm not always in my office, yeah that's awesome.
Speaker 2:So you don't have to live in Topeka to be a volunteer. We have volunteers from the outside. You don't have to be retired to be a volunteer Now. You do have to be a certain age without being accompanied by a parent or a guardian.
Speaker 1:And that's clarified in each of the positions or opportunities that are open on our hub, but typically it's 12. You know, for the kiddo, and a parent needs to be with you when you're a minor.
Speaker 2:Darrell Bock. Okay, so anything below 18, you have to have a parent or a guardian with you, kim Dues.
Speaker 1:Right, but give me a call, because one of the fun things that I got to do when I first came on board was look for opportunities that families can do at home or together.
Speaker 2:Darrell Bock. So not necessarily at the rescue mission, but for the rescue mission at home and church. Yeah.
Speaker 1:So really fun activities that we've had kids putting together food bags for our unsheltered, hygiene bags for our unsheltered creating. Sometimes it was creating pictures for our guests as they move out to hang out and hang up in their home that we can frame for them. I've got all kinds of ideas. So if you have some young kiddos at home or preteens, and you're looking for something this summer that you'd like to have them focus on and to do that would help the rescue mission, give me a call and we can talk about that and work out some ideas.
Speaker 2:So there's lots of opportunities. If people can't be here, they could do something within their own group or their company or their school or whatever, which happens a lot, which is part of the thing that it's even hard to count those numbers. I mean, those aren't probably figured into the bigger number here. So, Susie, I want to bring up back one thing again. It was what happened this last winter in.
Speaker 2:January, when we had two incredibly dangerous weeks of cold weather that you never can plan for. But kind of at the last minute, because nothing else was developing throughout the city, there was a decision to come together quickly and provide warming centers for people. You didn't have a bunch of volunteers set up for that, but you had to get a bunch of volunteers. And what happened in that two-week period I mean pretty much with the less than a 24-hour turnaround- yes, yes, that was really amazing.
Speaker 1:Having never experienced that before, we partnered with the United Way to get the information out to folks, along with other local partnerships, that we were going to have the warming center going in. Folks just started signing up. That was very, very encouraging to see the community step in and want to help.
Speaker 2:So we had to let them know about it, right? So that went out through social media and some media presentations and so forth and people started signing up to come to a place places it would actually end up being four different locations that the rescue mission coordinated with United Way and the volunteer coordination, which was, I think, over 100 volunteers, if I recall.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, I can't remember the number right now, but yes, and shifts working in four-hour shifts 24 hours 24 hours for two weeks working with people that some people would say they're dangerous and we didn't have problems. That some people would say they're dangerous and we didn't have problems. And people were coming in off the streets who were potentially facing death if they stayed in the cold to provide shelter, not only in the rescue mission shelters during that time, which was full, but also for approximately an additional 300 people that came in off the streets, and the volunteers and agencies working like Vallejo and so forth saved people's lives. That was powerful.
Speaker 1:It was. It was, and we had churches that did meals in the evenings for us, which was a great help to our kitchen staff, because our warming center, where it's located, is not right next to the kitchen, and so during that icy, cold weather, carrying that food across every evening and feeding our guests too was challenging at times keeping hot liquids there and snacks and things like that. And so we had churches that brought meals, serve them then, yeah, and serve them, like that. And so we had churches that brought meals and Served them then, yeah, and served them, and just really that was a great experience for those folks that had not been here to maybe serve in other ways but were able and willing. And then snacks that were donated just an incredible amount of snacks that was easy for us to share with the other locations so that they could have that for the end.
Speaker 1:Shelter that came there, so that was easy for us to share with the other locations so that they could have that for the end. Shelter that came there. So that was a really beautiful experience to just see how many in the community and wanted to come. You know, do you need any help tomorrow? Do you need help tomorrow night, do you? You know, you just call me, you just text me, I will be there, I will help, and that was incredible.
Speaker 3:Well, especially because we're talking 24 hours Most of the time, our folks, our volunteers, aren't doing off hour kind of stuff with us.
Speaker 2:So this was middle of the night in the very cold weather Shows that relationship between Topeka Rescue Mission in the night away of Alejo, topeka Police Department, some of our churches and so forth, and the volunteer connection here that when there is a need, we've got people that want to do something and then it takes pretty significant coordination efforts to make all that happen safely, to be able to respond to a need, and so that is one of those like wow, that happened, that it was so beautiful, it was absolutely beautiful and the people who were receiving the help that were coming in felt loved, they felt protected and they showed gratitude, as well as people who were helping felt blessed to be a part of that whole thing.
Speaker 2:So you've been listening to our community, our mission, about volunteers at Topeka, rescue Mission and Volunteer Week. Susie, is there anything else you'd like to share with us today?
Speaker 1:Just that. Tomica is amazing. The volunteers here in this community are amazing. Such deep hearts of love for people. It's a huge blessing to be in this role just to watch all of that. Well, you're a blessing to be in this role just to watch, just to watch all of that.
Speaker 2:Well, you're a blessing to be in this role for Topeka Rescue Mission and I just want to close with a couple of examples, both on the volunteer end of things as well as the recipient and at your volunteer recognition you had the other day. There was a individual who works in the IT area, who volunteers at the Mobile Access Partnership, and I've gotten to know him. I actually needed him for some IT help because my email quit working, so he got that going and everything, and so we're sitting at a table and as I was leaving he came up to me and he said thank you for allowing me to be here, through his arms around me, with tears in his eyes.
Speaker 2:He said this means so much to me and I didn't do anything. But he just it was. It was amazing. And then we had a just this week had a nurse who was writing a email to Jenny Falk, who is our director of the MAP program mobile access partnership and just says every time I come to MAP I'm reminded of how vital the work is for the kingdom that you are doing. You have built such a wonderful rapport with all those that come and I see your selfless acts, treating everyone with impartiality, from the least to even the more least. It's a blessing watching you flow in the God-given gifts of compassion and helps the gentleman I sat next to in the grass. Now the mobile access partnership is reaching the unsheltered.
Speaker 2:So this person, this nurse, was out there in the grass sitting down with this person. The gentleman I sat next to in the grass looked quite tired and beat down as I finished the survey because we were asking some people some questions to try to help them with him. He stated I'm so thankful for all this and, pointing to the map area where all the shower trailer and the food trailers and everybody was at, he said I'm so thankful for all this. It makes me feel human. I feel smelly and dirty and it's so embarrassing Times I don't want to go out in public so I just sit back here in the grass so no one can smell me. But I'm so thankful for MAP. Now, if I didn't get you, I don't know what get you. That's game changer for this guy and he said it makes me feel human.
Speaker 2:So, many people don't, but thankfully, because of an effort of God in this community for 71 years, blessing to have a Topeka rescue mission and having the blessing of people, whether it's a crisis because of a cold snap or an everyday let's go out and find them, to help them to know that they're valuable and they're human. It makes a big difference. So thank you for listening to episode 221 of our community, our mission. Talking about volunteers, we've had Susie Paisley here with us today, who is a volunteer engagement and staff engagement coordinator, and thank you, susie, for being on this program today. Again, if you're interested in volunteering or want to know more information about Topeka Rescue Mission I do that every time at the end you can go to the website at trmonlineorg that's trmonlineorg Find out more information, maybe sign up as a volunteer. And if you're like some of us who can't talk, nor can we do computers, you can go to the phone number of 785-354-1744, and I understand you'll get to talk to a live person. Thank you for listening to our community, our mission.