Our Community, Our Mission
Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #249 – Making Spirits Bright: Stories from the Christmas Bureau
In this episode, Jessica Lehnherr, CEO of United Way of Kaw Valley, and Brett Martin, Vice President of Community Impact, join us to dive into the incredible work their organization does across four counties. We explore the legacy of the Christmas Bureau, a decades-old initiative that connects donors, adopters, and families in need during the holiday season.
From its humble beginnings cataloguing with index cards to serving over 1,000 households today, the Christmas Bureau demonstrates the power of compassion and collaboration. Hear about the challenges of meeting growing needs in the face of rising costs, the unique role of volunteers, and the profound impact of providing dignity to families.
To learn more about Christmas Bureau, visit:
https://www.uwkawvalley.org/christmasbureau-adopt
To learn more about TRM Ministries: Click Here!
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Dear Holy Father, we thank you, Lord, for this day and your blessings. God, thank you for this time of Thanksgiving, Lord, and as we enter into discussion with some of our amazing partners. Lord, we're just thankful for them. Lord, we're thankful for our listeners and Lord, just all that you provide. Lord, pray that you bless this time and this conversation In your holy name. We pray Amen.
Speaker 2:Hello everybody. Thank you for joining us for our community, our mission on the day before Thanksgiving, wednesday, november 27th 2024. Podcast number 249. Miriam Crable. Good morning.
Speaker 3:Good morning. We're almost to 250. Almost to 250. That's a little hard to say. I know it sounded like I was stuttering.
Speaker 2:So, josh, number 250 is going to be a celebration, because when we had done this on our anniversary, you didn't even show up. I mean, I was just here soloing this thing, still making me feel bad about that one Next week. Yeah, yeah, I want cake or something okay for 250. I'll try and bring some donuts, Okay.
Speaker 1:Actually it should be for you, because you've been to be on Giving Tuesday. Oh, that's right, so we're going to record our podcast on Giving Tuesday.
Speaker 2:So it's going to be like two things we're going to have fun with it. Well, while we're here, let's do number 249.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it's the day before.
Speaker 2:Thanksgiving, you've got to have that one before you get to two. That's right. So Maren Crable, deputy Director of Supportive Services, here today. But before we go there, we do have to honor our research and development department of this extensive research they did of what's important about the day before Thanksgiving in 2024.
Speaker 3:I apparently don't pay them enough.
Speaker 2:Well, they probably agree.
Speaker 3:Because otherwise they would not do this to me every time, knowing what you're going to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's okay. I mean, Josh, can you read? You got a cheat sheet. We love you. So there are three major things that are very important about the day before Thanksgiving this year that occur every November 27th, and number one is National Craft Jerky Day.
Speaker 3:Now I am a fan of jerky.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what is craft jerky?
Speaker 3:Special. Okay, it's special, it's a small batch. It's not the stuff that you can get at Casey's. It's stuff that is more refined and it's high quality jerky. I can't even say this with a straight face to me.
Speaker 2:Well, oh my goodness, do you remember when it was first originated? Craft jerky. No, but I bet you do I think you were young, uh, 1550s as a matter of fact you know that kind of makes sense, though, because all those cowboys were like, carrying hard tack and jerky right they were they. I think that was the dark ages anyway.
Speaker 1:So like we're tired of this casey stuff. Let's make some good stuff in the 1550s. Anyway, it's a homemade stuff, it's a homemade stuff.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I did that once before. We did a hiking thing. That's all we had to eat. Yeah, in the 1550s.
Speaker 1:Anyway, it's the homemade stuff.
Speaker 2:It's the homemade stuff yeah. So I did that once before we did a hiking thing, that's all we had to eat, yeah.
Speaker 3:And how was it?
Speaker 2:It was very good ones. All you had to eat.
Speaker 3:I was going to say it's wonderful then, isn't it?
Speaker 2:It was very wonderful, so it's also known as National Jukebox Day.
Speaker 3:What's a jukebox these days? So it used to be that you'd put your money in and then the single records would drop down and you'd get to listen, but it was singles you know like, and vinyl little. You do remember. You're not that old, but you can't remember anymore.
Speaker 2:Thanks, no, yeah, exactly, and they're coming back. From what I understand, the vinyl is coming back. Even jukeboxes are coming back, and so I don't know why.
Speaker 3:Well, because it's kind of fun.
Speaker 2:Kind of fun.
Speaker 3:It's kind of fun.
Speaker 2:So everything that's on your iPhone today started somewhere, yes, and so jukeboxes were in restaurants and bars and I don't know Everywhere. Yeah, so, but you did have to put money in. You did yeah, have to put money in. You did yeah To rent the song and so and everybody had to listen to your song.
Speaker 3:Everybody had to listen.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so the best part of the day before Thanksgiving and I don't know quite how they arrived on this is Turtle Adoption Day.
Speaker 3:I have no interest in doing that.
Speaker 2:Josh, why Turtle Adoption Day? I'm going to blame Isaiah on that one.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:All right, this is a day of action for the protection of endangered reptiles, most especially the well-being of turtles. So, anyway, for all you turtle lovers out there, they could be cold, so bring them in.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, anyway, turtles are cool or not, or cool, I know Well they're slow.
Speaker 2:Anyway, yeah, it's adoption day. Adopt a turtle no-transcript.
Speaker 3:Like what do we buy with money that they give us kind of thing? So black Friday Topekacom is a way to shop air quotes that they can't see, um, a way for people to shop for items that we would need, but they're just giving us the money. But they can see, okay, well, this $5 will buy this many meals for people that stay in our shelter. Or this $25 will buy this many pairs of socks for people that are in need out living on the streets, or whatever. This $150 will go to helping people get back into housing. So it just kind of gives people a little bit of a visual of what their donations are doing and it's just kind of a fun way to do it.
Speaker 2:You know, Black Fridays are known as a bargain day, right.
Speaker 3:Yes or a bargain.
Speaker 2:Not day anymore like month months whatever. But typical rescue mission dollars can go further a lot of times than the average dollar can because of leveraging and how you buy it and you know, I don't remember what it is now, but it used to be able to get sometimes seven times the value of a can of good.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 2:So you know seven cans for what you could buy normally at store for one, and it's just a way to help people remember.
Speaker 3:okay, while I'm thinking of things for family and friends, I'm going to think about the people that may not be close to their families and friends during this time of year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so how do people find out how to find Black Friday?
Speaker 3:You just go to blackfridaytopekacom and that's where it will be. And they'll be able to see all the different kinds of things.
Speaker 2:Is there a link on Facebook or website too?
Speaker 3:It's on our website, as well as promoted on social media as well.
Speaker 2:TRMonlineorg. So there's different ways. Absolutely Go there. So go there now, absolutely, before it's too late. That's right.
Speaker 3:And it leads right into then Giving Tuesday, right.
Speaker 3:So all of these kinds of things that are encouraging people to really give back, to really give back right To, to think about those who are less fortunate, people living on the margins, just different kinds of ways.
Speaker 3:And, barry, I just have to say we are so very, very, very grateful for our donors and how loyal they are to us. You know, we've been looking at some of our stats. We have people that have been giving to us for over 30 years every month, and it's remarkable. It's remarkable, you know, and we have, we have one person that gives $5 in cash two times a month to us and has been doing that for years and years and years and years, and we know that it's sacrificial giving and it's it's just a beautiful thing. So, while we keep promoting, you know, yes, we need more resources and the needs are great we also want to remember that we are incredibly thankful on this day before Thanksgiving. We are incredibly thankful for all of the people that support TRM, whether it's financially or through prayer or through volunteers. I mean, we are just so blessed that people care about the people we care about.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Well. It takes a team to be able to help the many in need in our community, whether they be homeless or in shelter or food, or at Christmas time.
Speaker 2:And speaking of a team we got the team here, so it's our United Way of Call Valley. Used to be called United Way of Greater Topeka and now it's United Way of Call Valley. Ceo Jessica Lindherr here, and also Brett Martin, Vice President of Community Engagement. Good morning guys. Good morning, Good morning. Good to see you, and so, Brett, I've been seeing a lot of you lately. I feel like we've been seeing each other a lot.
Speaker 5:It's not a bad thing. It's not a bad thing.
Speaker 2:It's awesome, it's great. And so we talked to a former podcast about a way to tackle chronic homelessness in our community and to end it. And so we're out there on the campaign trail doing that as well as your bigger job and Jessica's bigger job and Miriam's bigger job and everybody's bigger job to try to do this as a team. So yeah, jessica, we've known the term United Way of Call Valley. Before that we were United Way of Greater Topeka, and so what's the change? It's not two different organizations, it's one. Now Explain to people who maybe aren't quite clear yet what that means.
Speaker 4:Yeah Well, we grew. We grew by an extra county. When we were United Way of Greater Topeka we'd served Jackson, shawnee and Jefferson County and our neighbors in Douglas County. They were looking to get some additional support and some help to really continue to advance their mission and so we merged about two years ago to become United Way of Kaw Valley. So we are serving four counties together and really kind of expanding our resources and our reach really to help improve more lives in all of our communities.
Speaker 2:You know, I think it makes sense to really consider things of this close proximity Douglas, shawnee County and the other smaller counties around to look at how we do this together. We're so connected now I mean people can work in Lawrence and live in Topeka and vice versa and so we really do look at things in kind of a regional way. We're looking at that with the homelessness issues as well, that with the homeless issues as well. So any major changes in when you took on another county, Is it still the target areas of United Way? Is there anything?
Speaker 4:that you can describe, that people would understand what all you do now. Yeah Well, we definitely doubled our workload. So that was fun, but so important and really our, our work and our mission stayed pretty true. We all we both focused on a lot of the same areas. I think what might be a little bit different is like, while we may be so close in proximity, how we approach things might be a little bit different. Each of our communities have, you know, some different, different partner agencies and different ways of doing things, but our overarching goals still remain the same as really education, you know, the financial stability and the health of our entire community. So, while it may look a little bit different in each community, it's not enough that our work is really impacted necessarily.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, I know that, having a little bit of involvement over in Douglas County myself, they're very grateful, and so it's awesome and you're just begun really.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 2:You've just begun where that's going. Well, in the Topeka area there's been something that's been going on for a very long time that's called the Christmas Bureau, and so talk about the history of Christmas Bureau and how you guys got it and what is it. People know the term, a lot of people get involved volunteers helping out financially or materially to help people in our community here in Topeka. But what is the Christmas Bureau? And do you know, maybe, when it started?
Speaker 4:And that's a good question, because we have some conflicting reports on what year it actually started. We actually need someone to help us at the library really dig into the files, because we've seen that it's been around almost over 100 years, so I really think it's somewhere between 85 to 100 years that it's been in existence.
Speaker 2:Is that right?
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Mary, you should have known that answer.
Speaker 4:Yeah, you didn't ask me that.
Speaker 2:You can jump in any time.
Speaker 3:For those of you who don't know, Mary Crable former.
Speaker 4:CEO of.
Speaker 2:United Way. We're surrounded with United Way here, Josh, so this is really really.
Speaker 4:You're outnumbered.
Speaker 2:I am, we are outnumbered, he's got the kill switch and I can say anything. So anyway, no. So a hundred, maybe a hundred years, yeah, in the Topeka area, and so that was a little before all of our times.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yep, and so Miriam. I'm sorry For those of you who don't understand. I really love Miriam, but she gives me such a hard time, and has for many, many years now. When I get the opportunity in an open mic. Too bad. So no, actually she's younger than me and she rubs it in a lot so um, so, anyway, so um. It's under the United way. It has been far back as.
Speaker 4:I can remember I think it's been many, many, many years, at least since the uh, late fifties. It was formally with the volunteer commission, um, and then that the volunteer commission kind of became a part of United Way and at that time we took over the Christmas Bureau.
Speaker 3:And it's come so far. When I was first at United Way, they were doing matching on index cards, so I want you to just think about that, yeah.
Speaker 5:That sounds like so much fun.
Speaker 3:Oh, I just think about it and I just cringe. I mean, because there were just cards everywhere. You all are doing so well.
Speaker 5:We're so great.
Speaker 3:You've brought it so far, yeah for sure.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so, um, it's there. So talk about Christmas Bureau. Um, in regards to the why, um, and then maybe today, then maybe today's numbers, the methods of helping people at this time. That can be a very joyous time during the holidays and Christmas, or not so much.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I think, when we think about the why of Christmas Bureau, I think it's important for folks to recognize because here, especially the day before Thanksgiving, oftentimes people think that this is the only time of year that people have needs. Right, and partially, I think, it's because those who want to give see this as a giving season and so for them, they maybe have a heightened awareness of the needs in our community. The people have needs throughout the year, definitely 365 days a year, but in this season in particular, we have an opportunity to be able to bring donors, adopters and families in need together in a unique way, in a more personalized way, as well, as those who adopt are often able to meet the families that they have adopted, which I think is a really important piece. But this is a time of year where families are together, many are together, and it's an opportunity for those who feel that sort of strong pull to give back to connect them in a direct way with people who are in need in our community. We start the conversation in July.
Speaker 4:Well, we say that we need to start having the conversation in July, but it doesn't maybe happen.
Speaker 5:Yeah, so maybe August or September but we're definitely having those conversations months in advance, or at least talking about having the conversations months in advance, or at least talking about having the conversations in advance, because it is a big process. It takes lots of partners to be able to pull this off. Intake is really the first process piece for us that begins in October and extends to the first part of November and that's the opportunity where families sign up for Christmas Bureau and they come in person and they bring sort of all of the pieces of identifying documents that they need. This is to establish need financial.
Speaker 5:Yeah, essentially to establish need, and then they also put together a wish list of items that they want, but really, when you look at it, it's more what they need, what they need. I think for us it's one of the most sobering experiences during Christmas Bureau is to see people put that they need a blanket, that they need socks, that they need cleaning supplies or toiletries, and-.
Speaker 2:The things that some people think about in regards to hey, this is my opportunity to really get something cool. Yeah, they're asking predominantly for things that are very practical.
Speaker 5:Yeah, that they probably can't afford Very much, or things like pots and pans, yeah. And dishes and again, not the special dishes, right, not your china that you pull. This is I need something to eat off of, because it's either broken or I haven't been able to replace it, or I've been using paper, or I've been using paper right, or I've been eating out of the pan, exactly I mean, it's just. It's remarkable, and for those adults who come, I think it's sobering as well when they want to ensure that the children in their household are taken care of. Can't tell you the number of times it can take. When we're talking to an adult and we say you didn't put anything on your wish list, is there anything you want? They say I just want to make sure the kids are taken care of, right, and we say that's important. But you're important too, and let's put some things down here. Let's think creatively about some things that you can put on this list so that it can be a brighter holiday for you too.
Speaker 2:What kind of numbers are we talking about? Of people maybe you've identified so far this year, maybe you've identified so far this year.
Speaker 4:Well, we had over 1,166 households came through to be adopted this year, which is up by about 30 to 40 households from the prior year. And that's households, that's not individuals. You know many individuals can live in a household, so we're looking at about 4,000 individuals that are needing assistance in just our community this year.
Speaker 2:Well, that says a lot. And then was there some reduction in numbers during the pandemic. I think that we were talking about that because people were afraid to get out and you still had distribution different way, because we're wearing masks and everything else we were doing back in those fun days. Is this number of around 4,000, is it lower than it was pre-pandemic or is it built back up? Is it more? Where are we at right now?
Speaker 4:It is definitely built back up. I believe this might be one of our higher years. There were times years ago that I think we were over that, but we've done a lot of system improvement to streamline our processes and make sure that, you know, individuals are just going through the process once and reducing duplication, and so, honestly, I think it's probably about the same as it was pre-pandemic, but there certainly was a dip during the pandemic, just because things were just a little chaotic during that time we did, we did food distribution out of Washburn parking lot.
Speaker 3:We did, and a truck, and a truck yeah, a truck.
Speaker 5:Yeah, we partnered with TRM in that way to be able to do that, and you did distribution differently that year as well out of the where, out of the where.
Speaker 3:Out of 401, so our distribution center, because, yeah, we had to do just a drive-through. It was so different.
Speaker 5:It was. It was so different. We all pivoted that year for sure, and some places around the country stopped. Yes, some did.
Speaker 2:Shelters stopped, feeding programs stopped and it created great suffering that some people just never really kind of recovered from. Sure, but here, the will and the desire to help our neighbors, regardless of the obstacles, really shone strong during that time and we pray we'll never see it again in our lifetime.
Speaker 3:That's right, or anybody else's right, that's right.
Speaker 2:But still the need's there, but still the needs there. Economically, we all know that people are more challenged today than we've known in a larger scale, just with the prices of living and cost of groceries and so forth. So 4,000, roughly, people. They're getting food, they're getting gifts, any you know, we never prep for these, right, she's smiling, it's common, it's common. So, brett, what's the kind of general dollar figure that we're talking about here that is invested in these 4,000 people with food and gifts, if you?
Speaker 5:know, yeah, so we. So first to talk about prices, just to give people a sense of where we're at with this, because we increased the amounts this year because of inflation, because we felt like folks wouldn't be able to provide food, for example, to families with the dollar amounts that we had before, but to kind of give people a sense of where this is, and it's not going to surprise people, because everybody is buying food, regardless of income level. But USDA figures show that from 2017 to present that, food costs have gone up 50%. So pre-pandemic, no wonder, no wonder 50%. And so we took a look at our numbers and decided that we would make some changes to allow folks to stay within the, to be able to stay within that framework, which we feel like is important for consistency, for our adopters, but also our adoptees. But we did decide to add, so we added five, five dollars to the food.
Speaker 5:Yeah, five dollars per person on the food piece, in order to be able to kind of keep up with that Just a general rule of thumb to guide the donor.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and they can spend more if they choose to. Yeah, okay, yeah.
Speaker 4:We highly encourage them not to spend more, because if a family can afford to spend more, we'd ask that they adopt additional family members to ensure that we get everyone adopted.
Speaker 2:That makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 4:And that kind of helps keep it a little bit more of an equitable process so that everyone has somewhat of a similar experience that have come through the intake process and so the amount per gift per person is it's $45 per person?
Speaker 5:Yeah, so $45 per person. It's a little hard to give an exact dollar amount right now, because the food price for one individual has a base price and then it's $5 for every individual after. So it's kind of hard to be able to figure that We'll probably get on the back end of it and have, let's just say, it's a lot.
Speaker 4:It's over $100,000.
Speaker 5:Oh sure.
Speaker 3:It's just the gifts At $4,000, it would be $180,000, just the gifts.
Speaker 5:Yeah, and then we've got food on top of that of all of our partners in terms of their staff costs, that they have that that they have expended as part of this process, and then we've got all of the volunteers who have helped with intake or who have helped with data entry. Throughout the process, a lot of money is invested, both with time and just direct dollars, in ensuring that these families have what they need to make their holiday a little brighter and, on top of that, the investment of the investors and their time and the adopters right and so yeah, we're talking about this is significant.
Speaker 2:So you spent a lot of money here, a lot of money, 4,000 people. What if we didn't do this?
Speaker 5:Yeah, I think about that sometimes.
Speaker 5:I think there are the material benefits of Christmas Bureau which I never want to underestimate right, Because it's important that folks have food and gifts but I think there are consequences, in a positive sense, of Christmas Bureau that come with the opportunity to be able to provide for your family in this way.
Speaker 5:So sometimes, for example, when we go to deliver gifts, sometimes folks will say they want the kids there.
Speaker 5:Sometimes they say they don't want the kids there. Right, Because there's a dignity piece to this as well, where you want to be able to feel like you're using a resource that you can use to be able to provide for your family. You can't measure that there's no quantitative measure or metric for that but that's huge because you see that in the eyes of the parents and when you walk into the house and you see nothing under the tree and then you've been able to fill that and for the parents and the adults in the house to be able to say I used a resource in the community to be able to go from nothing under the tree to this. There is something that happens there in the family that I don't think we ever measure or ever fully capture, but that's what I think of when I think what if we didn't do this and we would have families in our community who weren't able to celebrate in a way that so many others are able to?
Speaker 3:celebrate Right and feel like they matter.
Speaker 3:You know, I think I love doing intake at Christmas Bureau. It's one of my most favorite things ever, um, and people are so grateful and humble and vulnerable, you know, and to just hear them, um, and hear their stories and there's just something about that piece of this that is a connection for these folks, um, that they know people care, because I watch the other volunteers that are doing intake as well and there's no this is just another box to tick off kind of volunteer there. Right, they're all engaging with folks and caring, truly caring, you know, and urging them to talk about things, not in an intrusive way, but just urging them to share and make a connection with those people, right, the people that are sitting on that side of the table, and for those people to make connections with the volunteers. It's just something really special, isn't that?
Speaker 2:the bigger story? Here I mean, obviously, an administration of these things. You're looking at numbers and people and processes and no longer index cards and something. But isn't the greater story and the greater value the connection that people understand that people matter? Yeah, and you can't put price tag on that. It does cost. It also costs when people don't feel like they matter.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:There's a different kind of cost there. We've been talking about that a lot, haven't we? In regards to the homeless and the different costs that aren't necessarily just financial, those are there but the cost of who we are as people, who we are as community, how people look at themselves a lot of times, because nobody dropped by, um, there's just so many stories, but I think my favorite one was um, um, the post office sent me a letter one day. Um, that was addressed to Santa Claus, that had come to the post office, cause it was general delivery, and they said you probably want to read this.
Speaker 2:There was a guy that was late sixties, early seventies, who wrote a letter to Santa Claus and he said I'd really like something for Christmas. And so, um, sure enough, we went to his house. He had nothing. I mean, he was disabled, he was in his home and we took care of him really well, and he could not believe that somebody dropped by to let him know he mattered. We think of the children, we think of the families. This was just an individual, and you guys do have individuals who apply for Christmas Bureau. They don't have family, they don't have anybody else, this is it.
Speaker 2:And so to have that person come to their home, meet them, where they are to say in so many different ways, you matter. The man cried and it was just, it was beautiful, and you can't, you can't put a price on that.
Speaker 3:No, you can't. I'll share one of the stories and I could share many of them from when I did intake. But there was one woman I'm guessing she was probably in her later fifties and she was going through the normal thing, the things she needed, that kind of thing, and I just really pushed on her a little bit to say now, give me something special. Is it lotion, is it this, is it that? And she goes.
Speaker 3:She sat there for a bit and she looked at me and she kind of smiled and I smiled back and I'm like you can tell me what is it that you would really like? And she looked at me and she said you know, it would be wonderful if somebody would bring me a red dress, and I'm like a red dress. And she goes yeah, and I wish you could have seen her face because it was so full of joy talking about this red dress. And then she described it to me and then she told me how she was going to wear it. She might wear it out, but she was going to wear it to church. Told me how she was going to wear it she might wear it out, but she was going to wear it to church. And she said and maybe you shouldn't really wear a red dress to church, but I'm wearing my red and she.
Speaker 3:And she was just like I really hope I get a red dress. So here you just saw this woman who does not ask for things for herself, right, and would never think of buying it for herself, right, and she even said it doesn't have to be expensive. Where'd you find it, miriam? I haven't yet, barry, but it was just so beautiful. But again, I'll go back to what you said, barry, to this relationship, because she and I just bonded over this red dress and laughed, you know, we were just giggling and that kind of thing, and it was just just to.
Speaker 3:was willing then to just share with me. What she really wanted in her heart was just this red dress, and she's wearing it to church.
Speaker 2:So Miriam is an example of people who volunteer that really want to get engaged. It's not just checking boxes here, and so how do you get that kind of volunteer? Not everybody's a Miriam Crable, yeah.
Speaker 3:And you're thrilled about that.
Speaker 2:I was going there but I decided not to. Since you went there, I figured I'd trump you. I figured I'd trump you before you did it. So do you have people come back every year that want to do this? What kind of guidance do you give the volunteer who is meeting with people? At one of you said, one of the most vulnerable moments, I'm actually coming and asking for help and they have to prove it. Yeah Right, what kind of volunteer really is essential to help that person know it's all right?
Speaker 4:Yeah Well, I mean, we certainly do have the same volunteers that come back every year, the same core volunteers who are the most fantastic dedicated group of volunteers, and when they get to a point where they no longer feel like they can sit down and do the one-on-one application process, they still stay involved.
Speaker 4:They may help us be a greeter or help with other aspects of Christmas Bureau, but we still always are looking for new volunteers each year to kind of fill those spots. But you know, it's really just someone who's willing to try something new, to be a little bit vulnerable themselves, who's willing to try something new, to be a little bit vulnerable themselves. We do provide a training ahead of time and try to do our best to explain what kind of situations or encounters they may have, because you will have individuals who are really excited to be there. You'll have some that are ashamed to be there, tearful, that are ashamed to be there tearful, lots of tears. Actually, it's hard to ask for help and intimidating to be in a room with all of these other individuals having to ask for help.
Speaker 4:And I think, especially families who maybe it's the first time having to ask for help. It's a pretty intimidating process and here we are sitting there trying to, you know, review their income verification, and you know it's a hard place that we you know that we're kind of in. So we try to help our volunteers, you know, understand what those different situations might be like and how they can respond to individuals in all of those times. And then we always have a staff member who's there to help with absolutely anything that comes up or to provide support. If someone feels like you know, this really isn't in it for me, we're there to take over. But I think what we find almost all of the time is that you sit down with a family that first time and you're kind of hooked. You're hooked, you're just hooked.
Speaker 2:So you've got families mom, dad and kids. You've got single parents. You have individuals, and your volunteers are then going out and shopping based upon the intake that was given, and so they go into the homes to present these gifts to folks and they get to know them, maybe for a short amount of time or maybe for a very long time. So how do you get people to sign up and I'm aware of some of this, I mean, I know some of the answers to this, I've been there, done that but explain all the different types of individuals, companies, church groups and other nonprofits that help make this happen.
Speaker 5:Yeah, we have a lot.
Speaker 4:We have a lot.
Speaker 5:Yeah.
Speaker 4:We have a lot. It's impossible to get over a thousand household adopted without the incredible support of our community.
Speaker 5:Yeah, so we have a lot of our nonprofit partners. So we have Topeka Rescue Mission, we have Doorstep, we have Topeka North Outreach.
Speaker 4:Let's.
Speaker 5:Help. We have, let's Help. We have, let's Help. We have those kind of core social service providers who are in every year for a significant number of families.
Speaker 5:And then we have companies who will come forward and say our floor or our team wants to adopt, to adopt, and those show up in different ways every year who want to be able to do that, and so they're able to go and they're able to sign up online and to be able to adopt. And then you've got church groups, faith groups across the community that will adopt as a group for a certain number of people. And then we've got the individuals who do it with a group of friends or a civic organization, a rotary group for example or something like that.
Speaker 5:And then we've got those folks who don't adopt but who want to give in some type of way, and so they contribute financially to Christmas Bureau and just about everywhere in between. We've got folks who hear the clarion call to be a part of Christmas Bureau and participate in whatever way, whatever way they can. And then sometimes at the end of the year we've got some, as we're getting right close to Christmas, where we have folks who we may have had some adoptions fall through, or we have some who are left, and then we have individuals who will volunteer to go shop. They're meant to be able to come back to our office or to go to their homes and wrap those gifts, and then we either facilitate delivery with them or they make that delivery.
Speaker 3:So the intake as well, well, and it goes even beyond that. So after I did intake, I went to visit some friends in Southeast Kansas and I was. They had a friend that was over for dinner and we were talking about and I was talking about United Way and Christmas Bureau and this kind of stuff and he goes well, how do I get involved? Okay, this is southeast Kansas, a little town called Fall River, right Tiny town. And he said I don't think there's anything like that in Wichita or around the area. And he goes so can I adopt? And I'm like well, here's kind of how it works.
Speaker 3:So now I wasn't exactly trying to discourage, but kind of cause like, do you really get what you're going to do? And he goes and I said so, you know, you, you get the list. You, you get your family, you get the list of stuff. You talk to the family, you get the gifts and you deliver them to their house. And he's like, okay, and I'm like but but it's in Topeka and you need to deliver them, right. And he goes I think this is just the best thing ever. And so just give me the link so that I can sign up whenever he can do that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, she can be your at large.
Speaker 3:Yes. Of course At least in Southeast Kansas, but I think that talks about how special it is how it touches people in a different way, to be able to give back in a personal way.
Speaker 2:Isn't that? What we've all experienced is that there's always some naysayers, there's some you know, downer people. There's a whole lot of great people out here that really want to help, and you have to have a vehicle sometimes to help them. Ok, so the adoption phase has come and gone now, and so you're not still adopting, I mean, you're still not doing intakes.
Speaker 5:No, not still doing intake. That's the adoption process.
Speaker 4:It is still very open, yeah, still very open.
Speaker 1:Jessica's eyes got a little bit in there. Wait a minute. Do not say that. Thanks for the clarification.
Speaker 2:The intake part has stopped and so you're still looking for adopters, right, correct, okay, yeah.
Speaker 4:We have 566 households still left to be adopted. A little more than halfway there by a hair, but yeah, still over 500 households, but we're going to get there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so when do people start giving the gifts?
Speaker 4:They can begin giving at any at any time. Okay, as soon as we find that a lot of people like to sign up to get their families before Black Friday so that they can get all the best deals possible, and so we'll get a lot, we'll get a lot of matching done in the next day, today before, so that they can go do all their shopping and then you can deliver. They can deliver whatever time is convenient for them and the family that they've adopted 566 yet to go.
Speaker 2:Maybe some have been adopted while we've been talking. How do people find out how they can plug in?
Speaker 4:Yeah, they can go to uwcawvalleyorg backslash Christmas Bureau. I believe yes.
Speaker 2:That is correct.
Speaker 4:Just.
Speaker 2:United Way maybe.
Speaker 4:United Way it would be on the main page.
Speaker 2:The main page. Okay, we'll get in the description. For guys like me that aren't sure what backslash is, that would be helpful. Yeah, the main page. Okay, we'll link it in the description For guys like me that aren't sure what a backslash is.
Speaker 5:That would be helpful. Yeah, you just click on a Christmas Bureau and you can go and there's a full description of what is the expectation of adopters. That communication is really key so that folks understand as you were mentioning with your friend, that you want to make sure it's a good experience on both sides. Yes, so you want to make sure. So we've done a really good job of being clear about communication, about what this looks like, and then, um, our process this year is folks can go on yeah.
Speaker 5:We, we, we, we have another sort of evolution of the process this year in terms of adoption.
Speaker 4:So yeah, so, thanks to an incredible community partner that many of us know, advisors Excel, they created an entire new database system for Christmas Bureau. So if you can imagine, miriam, going from the index cards to this glorious database, that data entry is so easy. And this year, families that are wanting to adopt they can match themselves with the family they're wanting to adopt. So they'll go to our website, they'll enter how many households or how many members they're hoping to adopt and they'll fill out a little bit more information about if they're wanting seniors or veterans or a single mom with children. They can kind of put some of that information in there and then the system will automatically show them families that meet that description and then you can choose. You don't get first yeah.
Speaker 4:You don't get first names or last names or anything, but you'll see, you know age and a description of what they're hoping to receive so you can actually choose. You know the family that you're or individual you're wanting to adopt, and once you select that family, you'll then get all the information that you need to contact them.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that even engages people more on the personal level. They don't have a name yet, but they have enough information Help out a veteran or something like that.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so, jessica, you sounded very positive, that this is going to give you enough people to adopt. Why are you so positive about that? Because it's got to be better than next year or last year? No, really, we just I think it's because we have such an incredible giving community. This really is a time that I think most people majority of people are wanting to find a way to give back or to be more a part of the community, and this is just such a special way to do that.
Speaker 2:It does seem like there's kind of a fresh new hope in our community of helping people and seeing lives changed and those kind of things. And you don't get those windows all the time. So, Miriam, Topeka Rescue Mission is taking care of the folks who are in shelter. Yes, Also, the unsheltered is participating in the mobile access partnership with the unsheltered and also adopting from United Way. So talk about how that works and what Topeka Rescue Mission is doing in conjunction with Christmas Bureau.
Speaker 3:Sure. So we make sure that we serve all of the people that are staying with us, and right now I think we're bumping up against 260 people and over 50 of those are children. I'm guessing we will serve anywhere between 80 and 100 folks that are on the street still in partnership with MAP and being able to have them access their gifts that way. Additionally, I think we've adopted Now here's where you all may need to correct me, because what I heard was 150, but I think we might've adopted 115 households from United Way, so you can correct me on that, but that's definitely households, not people, Right? So? But you know, at this age the hearing kind of goes 115, 115.
Speaker 2:I also know where you start and where you finish are two different things. So you may say that today, but there'll be more it can be.
Speaker 3:So then we're in the process and have been probably since September about putting new gifts together, right. So trying to get all those things that all of the folks in the shelters and on the street and that we adopt through Christmas Bureau, getting what they want, packaging those up, wrapping them. So we have volunteers, volunteers, volunteers that are helping with this process, and then we will also then recruit to go out to all of these places. Now the shelters is different, but with the unsheltered homeless and then the households that we've adopted, we'll go and deliver those. It'll be staff and volunteers, because we have volunteers that want to help us with that too. So it's a big process. So by the time we're done, we'll have served a whole bunch of people.
Speaker 2:A whole bunch. How many?
Speaker 1:A whole bunch of them A whole bunch, a lot of money it's a whole bunch.
Speaker 2:So Topeka Rescue Mission is like some of the other organizations or a company or whatever, that that group will then organize their system and then people will support that system to be able to meet all these needs. And so, while people may be giving directly United Way for this, if they want to give directly to Topeka Rescue Mission for those adoptees, that they can and go into the Rescue Mission website and see what those needs are too, that you've extracted from the United Way, those intakes to be able to.
Speaker 3:Well, I'm asking John how many people are in our 115 or 50 household?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so well, I think we've kind of covered a lot of bases here and it's just an incredible effort that has been going on for maybe 100 years in the community, which says a lot about our community, and continues to grow, and the value. I think you got your numbers coming in here, miriam so 660 individuals Okay.
Speaker 3:And 115 households.
Speaker 2:That's a lot 660 individuals, that's a lot, and those are 660 souls that are going to be touched with. You Matter, yes, you Matter in so many ways and Topeka Rescue Mission is delivering, as well with your volunteers, out into To those 660 people 115 homes, 660 and Topeka Rescue Mission is delivering as well, with your volunteers, out into those 600 homes 115 homes 660 people so that lets you know how large some of the homes are.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 3:When you think about 660 people in 115 homes.
Speaker 2:So this is exciting. It's not just a thing you do, it's a thing we get to do and to be a part of. What else would you guys like to share with people listening today?
Speaker 5:You know. I would just say this this year was rather unique during intake for me. I wasn't there as many days as I usually am, but I had more people come up to me after they went through the intake process. So these are people who are coming in to be adopted, people who came up to say how can I give back? And maybe in a way that I haven't quite seen before, who say, hey, I'd like to volunteer to help this year or next year, and so we had a brief conversation and I directed them to the place to be able to do that.
Speaker 5:And so there's this amazing thing that happens Again. There's no metric for it, necessarily, but people who receive these gifts also want to give in some type of way, and we hear that from our partners over and over and over again. One of our longest standing volunteers volunteers with us and has for a really long time and provides food for us by asking local businesses. Or she makes it herself us by asking local businesses, or she makes it herself. She has been volunteering with us for a long time and when you ask her why, she shares that. When she came back to Topeka a long time ago as a single mom, she got help from Christmas Bureau and she helps every single year. In amazing ways she's there at intake all the time, all the time.
Speaker 5:She brings food, she works with local restaurants to ensure that we have food, and it's such a powerful story. Because she received that help, she has given back hundreds fold Right what she was originally given.
Speaker 3:And I wish everyone would hear that piece of what you just said Because, barry, sometimes I think people who are skeptical or pessimistic about this kind of situation think that folks just expect and they don't ever get to see this beautiful side of things on how much people want to give back. And how do we share that effectively? Whether it's people living outdoors, whether it's folks that are just struggling, whether it's people in our shelters, people just want to help as well.
Speaker 2:Merrim, I think the skeptic boat is beginning to sink and I think one of the reasons for that is we have opportunities that we didn't used to have to have this kind of a conversation that goes out.
Speaker 2:You know it used to be. You had to wait on the newspaper to be dropped in the driveway before you knew what was going on, and then it increased, increased, and now we have a lot of opportunities for people to say this is the real story, this is my story, and so I really think I'm sorry if you're on the skeptic boat right now, but there's a lot of leaks in your boat and I'd recommend you get off that boat and get onto the hope boat, because that's what we're talking about here. We're talking about hope and we're talking about people whose lives are really being changed, and you, as a contributor, you know what it's all about. You're as a volunteer that you're listening here today with United Way, topeka Rescue Mission, other organizations, mobile access partnership. You know the value of this and you know how it's not only changed others' lives, it's changed yours as well, and because that's what we're about is we're about doing it together. I think somebody coined a phrase the United Way, and so pretty cool.
Speaker 3:Is that for sale For the right?
Speaker 2:amount of money? No, probably not. Jessica Brett, thank you for being here. United Way of Call Valley Christmas Bureau. You guys are just incredible friends and partners and, and just with all the heavy lift that you guys got going on, know that you're making a huge difference because you know everybody matters. So thank you for being here today. Thank you for listening to our community, our mission. If you'd like more information about the Christmas Bureau on this day before Thanksgiving or maybe you're listening to this afterwards hope you had a great one you can go to the United Way of Call Valley and find out how to plug in, and or the Topeka Rescue Mission at trmonlineorg. Thank you for listening and happy Thanksgiving.