Our Community, Our Mission
Weekly updates and conversations from Topeka Rescue Mission Ministries!
Episodes
302 episodes
Ep #302 – Building a Downtown That Benefits Everyone: Meet Jessy Moreno
We’re joined by Jessy Moreno, the Manager of Downtown Topeka, Inc. & River Strategies, who brings a clear-eyed view of what happens when compassion and commerce stop competing and start collaborating. We discuss her ability to connect with ...
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50:53
Ep #301 – Team Ringgold and the Joy of Serving
This week we focus on the people who make so much of the work at TRM possible—volunteers. You’ll hear from Team Ringgold, whose journey from real estate to committed partners shows how serving together builds joy, team unity, and meaningful imp...
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39:32
Ep #300 – Responding with Dignity: Meet Fire Chief Chad Longstaff
We’re celebrating our 300th episode with Topeka Fire Department Chief Chad Longstaff, who brings 36 years of experience, a brief retirement, and a deeply human approach to modern emergency response. The conversation moves beyond firefighting to...
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58:00
Ep #299 – Choosing Faith Over Fear in 2025 at TRM
We look back on a year of storms and rainbows, where fear pressed hard, but faith proved stronger. From safety concerns, construction, limited access to food, to technology outages, we faced uncertainty on multiple fronts. Our teams navigated t...
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54:25
Ep #298 – How 'My Why' became 'Why Not': Meet Kelli Howerton
Kelli Howerton’s journey, from serving shifts at our warming center to stepping onto the board, frames this conversation. As a MAP volunteer and TRM Board Member, Kelli shares how slowing down, listening well, and setting healthy boundaries res...
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57:07
Ep #297 – Serving Omaha With Conviction: A Conversation with Candace Gregory
The Christmas season can be a hectic time of year, so we slowed down to listen to a leader who has built a life around loving her neighbors. Candace Gregory, CEO of Open Door Mission in Omaha, shares how a one-year commitment turned into three ...
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37:38
Ep #296 – More Than Presents: Feeling Seen During the Holidays
The holidays can feel magical—but not for some choosing between rent and a gift to their child. We pull back the curtain on how our community makes Christmas possible for 1,100 to 1,200 neighbors, puts on shelter parties, and delivers gifts to ...
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37:27
Ep #295 – The Power of Transformation: Meet Mark Valdivia
Winter arrived early, bringing urgent questions about how and when we activate cold-weather exceptions and, in extreme cases, warming centers. We unpack the temperature and wind-chill thresholds that guide each step, our coordination with Natio...
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1:01:23
Ep #294 – Gratitude In Every Season
The holidays tend to magnify whatever we’re already carrying—joy, stress, or grief—so we open with light, honest moments before leaning into a deeper question: how do we practice gratitude when life is complicated? Drawing from 1 Thessalonians ...
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33:21
Ep #293 – Holiday Help, Real Needs, Real Hope
When costs rise and the holidays draw near, one question always leads the way: who will stand in the gap? As needs increase across our city, the TRM team and our incredible volunteers continue to show up, expanding meals, strengthening...
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42:27
Ep #292 – Posture of Curiosity: A Conversation with GiDeanLeigh Ogilvie
What if partnership is the most practical form of love? In this episode, we sit down with GiDeanLeigh Ogilvie, Organizational Partnerships Officer at Phoenix Rescue Mission, to explore how relationships with churches, companies, and foun...
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58:07
Ep #291 – A Season of Hope: Faith, Food, and Community at TRM
As the holidays draw near, the Topeka Rescue Mission is facing both celebration and challenge. A critical SNAP suspension has stretched already thin budgets and heightened the need for food, faith, and community support. In this episode, we unp...
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41:41
Ep #290 – United Community: Preparing for the Season Ahead
As our community works to prepare for potential changes to federal benefits and rising costs, local partners are coming together to stay ready and responsive. In this episode, we sit down with Jessica Lehnherr and Brett Martin from United Way o...
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54:10
Ep #289 – Stories That Connect: A Conversation with Sarah Rieger
This week on Our Community, Our Mission, we sit down with Sarah Rieger, Communication Specialist for Citygate Network, for a heartfelt and eye-opening conversation about the power of story...
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46:41
Ep #288 – Walking Humbly, Loving Mercy, Acting Justly
What if the life God wants from us is simpler—and harder—than our best performances? In this episode, we dive into Micah 6:8 to discover a way of living that trades polished offerings for a posture that changes people: act justly, love mercy, a...
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47:03
Ep #287 – Opening the Mailbag: Facing a Hard Question About Love and Limits
A quiet prayer and a reminder about peaceful communication open this heartfelt episode of Our Community, Our Mission, leading into a discussion that moves from Christmas logistics to deeper reflections on grace, safety, and change. We ...
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52:16
Ep #286 – One Voice, Many Stories: Night of Praise 2025 Recap
Headlines may feel heavy, but hope sounds different when a city sings together. At Night of Praise, hundreds gathered as blended worship teams lifted one voice, prayers filled the room, and powerful testimonies of transformation reminded us why...
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47:24
Ep #285 – Rediscovering Your Childlike Faith
Rediscover the freedom of childlike faith in a world that often pushes us toward skepticism and guardedness. Drawing from the beloved film Hook, Mike Schoettle, TRM’s Director of Spiritual Wellness & Discipleship, reflects on how w...
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10:50
EP #284 – Holy Discontent and Bold Innovation with Matt Dildine
Matt Dildine, CEO of the Fresno Rescue Mission, shows what happens when holy discontent collides with bold innovation. Leaving behind a successful law career, he stepped into leadership with a vision to reimagine how communities respond to home...
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54:33
Ep #283 – Loving in the Gap
What does it truly mean to love someone through their darkest moments? In this episode of Our Community, Our Mission, Mike Schoettle, TRM’s Director of Spiritual Wellness and Discipleship, explores the transformative idea of “Loving in...
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51:29
Ep #282 – Unity in Worship: Night of Praise 2025
What makes Night of Praise more than just another event? In this episode, John Ostenson, TRM Board President; Greg Armbruster, Vice President; and Mike Rinehart, Treasurer, join CEO La Manda Cunningham and Deputy Director of Supportive Services...
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54:48
Ep #281 – More Than Supplies: Transforming Lives at TRM
When a child shows up ready for the first day of school, the impact lasts far beyond the classroom. In this episode of Our Community, Our Mission, we sit down with Hope Bency, Distribution Center Administrative Assistant, to talk about...
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39:58
Ep #280 – Foundations of Care: Building a Purpose-Driven Team at TRM
What inspires someone to devote their career to serving people experiencing homelessness? In this episode of Our Community, Our Mission, we sit down with TRM’s HR Director, Kim Turley, to explore the unique challenges and deep rewards of staffi...
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52:05
Ep #279 – Leading with Heart at Turlock Gospel Mission: Meet Thomas Hall
Thomas Hall’s unexpected path from applying for what he thought was a janitor position to leading as Director of Emergency Shelter and Outreach at Turlock Gospel Mission is a testament to the power of purpose-driven work. In California’s Centra...
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54:40
Ep #278 – Law Enforcement with Heart: Officer Razo and the Power of Relationship
In this inspiring episode of Our Community, Our Mission, hosts Barry Feaker and La Manda Cunningham sit down with Officer Robert Razo of the Topeka Police Department and Daniel Dobson from TRM’s Outreach Team to explore the power of co...
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