Our Community, Our Mission
Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #251 – The Spirit of Giving: Holidays with Heart
In this episode, we visit with John Roberts, Deputy Director of Community Needs & Services, and Andrew Lucas, Director of Distribution Services, about how their team, alongside dedicated volunteers and supporters, is bringing holiday joy to our guests and unsheltered neighbors. From hosting heartfelt Christmas parties filled with games, treats, caroling, and personalized gifts to adopting 650 individuals from 115 families through the United Way Christmas Bureau, their combined efforts embody the spirit of intentional giving and community care.
This episode delves into the transformative power of connection during difficult times, as volunteers come together to deliver not just gifts but meaningful moments that bring joy and uplift spirits. Hear touching stories of hope, including how acts of kindness have brightened holidays for families in need. These efforts remind us that the true reason for the season is love and compassion for those around us.
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Gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day and this time to record this podcast. Lord, we just thank you as we continue through this Christmas season. Lord, I pray that, god, you would continue to be at the forefront of our thoughts and Lord, just how we treat people and interact with people. Lord, may you be glorified. Lord, we thank you for this time and our listeners and pray that they would be blessed and encouraged today. Father, in your holy name, we pray, amen. Listeners and pray that they would be blessed and encouraged today. Father, in your holy name, we pray.
Speaker 2:Amen. Hello everybody, you're listening to Our Community, our Mission, a podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission here on Wednesday, december 11th 2024. I'm your host, barry Fieker, and this is episode number 251. Good morning, marianne Crable.
Speaker 3:Good morning. We crossed that 250 threshold, didn't we?
Speaker 2:We did. It's moving so fast. I think 300 is going to be here sooner than we know it.
Speaker 3:You know what? That's true, just like 2025 is going to be here before we know it, right.
Speaker 2:It is. Yeah, miriam, we're going to be talking about a very kind of unusual topic today called Christmas. I know we don't focus on that a lot around here, do we? Well, you know we do our best not to, but it keeps sneaking up on us.
Speaker 2:It's that month of wonderful remembrance of what Christmas is all about, but also helping those who are in need in our community, but before we do that, for those that tune in to our community, our mission, who really wait for those special events that would occur every year on the certain day that we're doing this podcast, they came up with one this time. Yeah, I don't know what's the deal here, but anyway it's. What's special about December 11th of every year? It's Noodle Ring Day. Noodle Ring Day. You know, when you think of Christmas, do they ring noodles? What do they do?
Speaker 3:You know, I've never seen a noodle ring. I don't do that. No, well, maybe a little bit more before they're cooked.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, Well, yeah, I suppose in the package they would crack you know whatever. So anyway, they tried really hard on this one they did.
Speaker 3:It was obviously a slow day, some days there's just not that much.
Speaker 2:I think people that were you know by the time you get December 11th every year. You're not thinking about the special of this day. You're thinking about what's coming, and that's going to be Christmas, and so then the end of the year and so forth. But anyway, somebody came up with the noodle ring day, which could be then translated in our modern vernacular SpaghettiOs.
Speaker 3:So Anyway, just taking noodles and make them into a ring and so anyway, yep, so you can know. Not really, though, not really. No, if you're redefined, okay, cuz yeah, no, this is like baked spaghetti, kind of thing.
Speaker 2:Well, that's what SpaghettiOs are Baked spaghetti.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, chef Boyardee, open the can, throw them out, warm them up.
Speaker 3:They're good, right, okay, a lot of baking involved with pouring it out, right, yeah.
Speaker 2:Okay, so we're over this part today. Yeah, we'll do better. Next, be something a little more interesting next week.
Speaker 3:Yeah, josh, you got to get with those guys I know they work and work and work on this, but anyway.
Speaker 2:So, miriam, just give us some updates and we've got a couple of guys here we're going to talk to Christmas about and what we're doing in that regard. But this is a great time for people to give to their favorite nonprofit, their favorite charity, their favorite ministry Topeka Rescue Missions all of those favorite for everybody. What profit their favorite charity, their favorite ministry Topeka Rescue Mission is all of those favorite for everybody. What about year-end giving? What can people know about that?
Speaker 3:It's incredibly important to us. All year long we have people that are giving to us, but it seems like the last couple of months of the year, people are really focused on blessing Topeka Rescue Mission and Barry. It's just an incredibly important time for us to know that we will end the year strong but also be able to start the next year strong, and that's why end of year giving becomes so important. People were so generous with us on Giving Tuesday. We raised over $7,000. And some of that was new donors, some of it was regular donors that gave extra gifts. I mean, it's just, it's really really beautiful, you know. So giving end of year is critical to our ability to keep moving things forward and I'll tell you we have our numbers are high again in terms of people staying with us.
Speaker 3:You know, we're averaging between 235 and 260 people every night and anywhere between 40 to 50 plus children every night. So people are absolutely in need of our services and support from us. They need that place that's warm and safe. So all of every gift that people give us whether it's financial or whether it's tangible things like food or gently used clothing, and how all of those things go to support the people that are staying with us, and it's just really important. It's really important and it means a ton to us and we know that people will give.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, it's been over seven decades. The Topeka Rescue Mission has been around and people have been very faithful. God has just touched hearts in amazing ways to help people with those basic needs, but also, even more than that, to be able to help people know that they matter, that they're loved and that there's a hope and a purpose for them. And it's not just people that are sheltered, there's also the unsheltered with outreach, yes, and there's the people who are seeking Topeka Rescue Mission for food with the food baskets, which are off the charts right now, and it has been that for a while. And so everybody who gives to Topeka Rescue Mission, those dollars are going to go to provide so much more than just shelter. There's the trauma education. There's the trauma education, there's the job training programs. There is basically staff that can be there to really kind of help somebody through their hardest time in life. Absolutely so, mary. How can somebody give in regards to Topeka Rescue Mission financially?
Speaker 3:before the end of the year. Sure, so they can go online and give at trmonlineorg and just click that Give Now button. Or they can mail us a check. They can mail it to 600 North Kansas, topeka, kansas, 66608. Or they can do different kinds of things, like if they're trying to figure out, what in the world do I give this person that already has everything. Regal Theaters is partnering with us and we will get 20% of ticket packs that are purchased, and that would be a great way to give somebody a gift. That kind of is more than just something they put on their shelf or something like that. It can be a family experience then to go to the movies.
Speaker 2:And people do buy people movie tickets for Christmas. They do, so they can go special holidays. Absolutely.
Speaker 3:And so businesses are stepping up to help us in different kinds of ways as well. You know, we were just blessed with an incredible donation from Qdoba of $10,000. I mean, it's just all these different kinds of ways so supporting local businesses, um, and then making purchases there. Very often than the businesses give back to us, so there's all different ways that people can give.
Speaker 1:Keep an eye out for that, regal on our social media That'll be coming out soon because it'll be through a special link, so you can't just go in and buy those, but keep an eye out for that. On TRM social media.
Speaker 2:Wonderful Thanks. Josh Kudoba is one of the businesses in the community that's been very faithful for Topeka Rescue Mission. This is their second store. They started in North Topeka, had their grand opening and proceeds came to the mission $10,000 check presented. They did this when they first opened on Wanamaker.
Speaker 3:Oh, did they really.
Speaker 2:Topeka Rescue Mission was their organization of choice. And here I don't know how many years later, but they did it again and chose Topeka Rescue Mission, and there's other organizations that do that whenever there's something special, as well as many individuals who remember Topeka Rescue Mission in their monthly, annual, sometimes some celebration or whatever.
Speaker 3:And that's how it gets done. It's probably dangerous for us to mention anybody because we will inevitably leave some people out. You know, we were just talking before we started here about the different schools that are doing food drives and that kind of thing and all the churches that are doing drives. I mean, there's just so many people that are being incredibly generous and remembering people that, like you said, barry, very often feel unseen and as if they don't matter, and so I think it fills my heart.
Speaker 2:Having been affiliated with Topeka Rescue Mission for a while, I think one of the exciting things that I remember is when somebody would be staying at the mission and they'd be here for a while. They'd see the volunteers coming in. They would see the resources coming in to help them. They would be stunned to know that the lion's share of everything here over the decades has been out of the generosity of people's hearts. Not a government program, not something that is mandated that anybody does, but people do it because they care and getting an opportunity to talk with them about how that works and they feel very, very special in a different way, rather than just assuming it's going to be here because Uncle Sam's taking care of it. Uncle Sam's not taking care of the rescue mission. God is touching hearts to take care of Topeka Rescue Mission.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, and whether it's the guests that we serve here at the mission, or the unsheltered, or people that are coming through the community, or folks that we adopt through the United Ways Christmas Bureau, all of those people are blessed because of people blessing us.
Speaker 2:Yes, so we're going to talk about Christmas because we're getting really, really close. Well, christmas is a day, but it's also a season, and so it's a long season here at Topeka Rescue Mission of Giving. Miriam, you know this very well. You came into Topeka Rescue Mission as Christmas coordinator, so you, miriam, you know this very well.
Speaker 3:You came into Topeka Rescue Miss as Christmas coordinator so you know all the moving parts. I'm telling you that is still the best bait and switch I think you've ever done.
Speaker 2:Well, I got you in here because I knew you were such a kind. You love Jesus. You want to celebrate it? Hey, you want to be a Christmas coordinator? Yeah, sure, Okay. Well, here you are today. Deputy Director of Community Needs and Services Brought him in, John, you came in as an intern.
Speaker 5:As an intern yeah.
Speaker 2:Intern, yeah, in school, and then you worked in the shelters men's side and now here you are in this kind of a multitasking community needs and services. Have Andrew Lucas with us? Director of distribution services? Had you both on the podcast before, but when we talk about Christmas, a lot of people are involved in this, but a lot of this falls in your guy's lap. So what are we doing for Christmas at Topeka Rescue Mission? What's been kind of done before? Andrew, I know you're kind of new at this, but you don't stay new very long around here. You can get right into it and swim hard. But what have we done before? What are we doing now? What's exciting? Here we are at the 11th of December. We're going all the way through the 25th of December. What's happening?
Speaker 5:Yeah, so Christmas over the years here has had many different iterations and styles, and currently what we are doing is we are making sure just to make the holiday special for all the folks that we serve.
Speaker 5:So we are going to be taking care of our guests first and foremost, that we will have Christmas parties.
Speaker 5:We already have all of our shelters decorated, and we'll have Christmas parties, and each of our guests will receive both an intentional gift that's something that they have chosen and then also a generic gift that will be some more practical items to fill some needs. We're also going to be doing the same thing for our unsheltered neighbors who are in services with us, so we're going to have a party with our unsheltered neighbors and get them an intentional gift that they've selected. Our Street Reach team has been doing a great job of going out and getting those kind of surveys of what their interests are and what their wish list would be for Christmas, and then some practical items as well, and so those are coming up. And then we also adopt families through the United Way Christmas Bureau, and so this year we were able to adopt 650 individuals from 115 families, and so our DC team has been hard at work, getting those all put together and making sure that we are able to just bless people in our community through that, and it's going.
Speaker 2:It's going, you know, fast and furious. So there's a lot of different pre-giving things that have to take place in regards to actually sitting down with people, finding out what their needs. What are some of the things that people ask for?
Speaker 4:We get a lot of requests for, depending on who we're dealing with, sometimes they're looking for tents and backpacks, a lot of clothes, hygiene items, survival gear, electronics, survival gear, anything and a lot of toys, things that children are looking for. The list is varied children are looking for. You know, the list is varied as we, and again, it depends on who you're dealing with. Unsheltered versus the Christmas Bureau is a different animal.
Speaker 2:Some people have their own homes that they live in, some people have nowhere they're living except in a car or in a tent, and some people in shelter, so there'd be different needs. If somebody's in the shelter and asked for a tent, there might be an issue there. Good question, so right, so so there and ask for a tent, there might be an issue there. Good question, so there are children involved. Do we know approximately how many kids are going to?
Speaker 4:be Hundreds. You have the 650 that we've adopted, the 115 families. Most of those families have multiple kids. We see a lot of families of 9, 10, 11 people in them.
Speaker 2:And recently I think, there's been about 60 children staying in Topeka Rescue Mission and shelter and of course that may be on this day and then there may be some people leave, some more come in and so it's not the same 60 all the time. So there's additional gifts that are going to be acquired for quite a number of kids as well as the adults. So how do you distribute these? Okay, you got the particular needs. The community has a needs list. They go to the website. Different schools, as Mary mentioned, will do gift drives. I think it's really cool, when you go to those great schools and all those gifts are all laid out, that the kids went to their parents and said give, so you know, or else to be able to give to the people. So how do you distribute? How does that work?
Speaker 4:We have a wonderful team of volunteers that Susie has worked tirelessly to get to us. So for the Christmas Bureau we have dates set for people to come and they gather the gifts for the family, they go out and they distribute them. The feedback we get is that it's a lot of our staff's favorite opportunity of the year to serve. They love doing that. Our volunteers love to come and do that. We have specific shelter parties for our sheltered and unsheltered neighbors to give them the gifts that they've signed up for. You say party.
Speaker 2:What do you mean party?
Speaker 4:Well, I don't know, I haven't seen one yet.
Speaker 2:So if you know, they're going to have one. You better be there with gifts right, that's right. John, what about the parties? Or Miriam?
Speaker 5:what do those parties look like? Yeah, absolutely so. We'll have parties set aside, and so that'll be the week just next week, actually right before Christmas.
Speaker 3:I'm starting to sweat here. Yeah, I know your heart started to palpitate just a little, didn't it?
Speaker 5:But no, they're really fun and so it's just a chance. We'll have them at both shelters in the evenings, and so just after dinner we'll have guests come in. We'll have activities. Normally we'll have people come and volunteer to do some music, so we'll have some caroling.
Speaker 2:We'll have games, activities like coloring or, uh, different sometimes some fun competitions of so it's just just go to your room and then come out and get your gift, go back to your room.
Speaker 5:No, no, yep A time for us.
Speaker 2:I'll get off your cot and go do that.
Speaker 5:Yeah, yep, for to come in and spend time together. Um you know there's some good. Our kitchen does a great job of providing, you know, nice goodies and snacks for you know hot cocoa and peppermint and cookies and all sorts of things.
Speaker 2:Sorry folks, it's not open to the general public. It is not.
Speaker 3:Yeah, right it is a very exclusive group, right, right, and so it's just a fun time.
Speaker 5:And so a fun time, and it's there that we'll have a station for our guests to come over and we'll be able to give each one of our guests a gift with their name on it and wish them a Merry Christmas.
Speaker 2:Their name on the gift. So it's not like here's a bunch of gifts and we're going to you know, here you go. Right, it's like personalized. Absolutely Like what kid doesn't like to go under the tree and see their name on a gift right yeah.
Speaker 5:And that's a really meaningful thing and it's something that I'm so thankful for the people who have come before Andrew and I who have set that up, because I do think that's important, more than just hey, here's a gift, hope you like it, but something that has your name on it.
Speaker 5:And we've had people say you know, I haven't had a gift with my name on it in 10 or 20 years you know, and so and that that's so meaningful and and, like you said, though, there is also there are times where, um, just due to different factors, people are coming in and out of the shelter, and so that's, uh, that's why we always try to have, um, some extras on hand and just, and so that, in case there's someone who may be checked in that morning, the day of the party, that we can can still get to know them there in that moment and find something that they would like um and give it to them personally.
Speaker 2:So, so it sounds like you're pretty excited about it. Um, but you had a panic attack here almost a minute ago when you talked about oh my gosh, next week. So how do you guys, and how do the staff here, keep focused on the real meaning of the season Prayer, okay, the joy of giving. When you are responsible for hundreds of individuals receiving, but also hundreds of people giving and matching those up, how do you so prayer? What else do you do? John Merriam, you know you guys are deputy directors here. What do you do for staff and volunteers who maybe could give, get compassion fatigue?
Speaker 3:You know, barry, I think what's so interesting is that I don't see a lot of that fatigue, especially in our volunteers. Right, I mean, this is a busy time, but we are doing something for people that don't have people to do things for them, and there is joy in that, whether it's not that we're not exhausted I mean it's tiring, right, not that we're not exhausted, I mean it's tiring right but there is something about being able to see the joy in people's faces when they know either something is coming for them or that they've just received something. That is incredibly filling, and I think it's really important while we're trying to figure out okay, are we going to have to open a warming center? Are we going to have to? Where are we going to put all the people that are coming to us that we do?
Speaker 2:not lose sight.
Speaker 3:Those normal life things that we recognize. This is our opportunity to love the person in front of us and absolutely pour into them, and not make any of the staff or any of the guests that we serve, or the community members or the volunteers feel anything less than the joy that we should be exhibiting Because of what we know is the reason for this, all of this stuff right, all of this amazing gift that we all received through Christ, and so I think that can keep us motivated and looking forward in ways that nothing else could.
Speaker 2:So a lot of times we, you know, lose sight of what Christmas is all about because it's very commercialized. I mean, that's been this way for ever Well, not ever, but a long long time and so you know, Jesus is the reason for the season. So, without being a church, without being a institution that tries to get people to believe a certain way, how do you introduce this advent of a Savior that has come to the earth, that was for all people to be able to bring good news about the forgiveness of our faults, of our sins, and that God's love is here? How do you do that without being religious in that? How does that work?
Speaker 3:Well, I would, barry. I think it's what we do 365 days a year, or what we work to do 365 days a year, which is just love, the one in front of us, right? Because often what that does is people will ask the question why? Why would you do this? You know, why do you take your time, why do you spend time away from your family, the wise, and then you get to, without having to be really preachy, get to share with them because we love you and we love you because we were loved first, and people can see that joy within us, and I think that is the way we share it. Oftentimes, less words and more actions can speak volumes, more than any of the words that we would ever use.
Speaker 4:Yeah, no kidding. We encourage at the DC every day after our stressful day, you know, volunteers in the building, things thrown at us at the last minute. We always stop and we recap. You know cause? We're still doing the normal things, we're still giving out food distribution, we're still meeting the needs of those that come to the door, and we stop, we say bring everybody together. How many have we fed today? How that come to the door and we stop, we say bring everybody together. How many have we fed today? How many gifts did we prepare today? And we recap. St Francis said preach the gospel at all times. When necessary, use words. And we're preaching every day, just through our giving and our stewardship and the time that we can donate.
Speaker 2:It's not just distribution. It's actually, as you said, mary, I'm loving the one in front of you while you're distributing and it's actually as you said, mary, I'm loving the one in front of you while you're distributing and that's the introduction to the good news of Jesus Christ, because Christmas could be a Christmas Eve service we're done or sitting around the tree and having parties and those kind of things. But here you're right, it is not one day a year, it's not a month a year, it's all the time, because this is who God is he's all the time and he loves people all the time. And the Topeka Rescue Mission is a place that he's ordained to give an opportunity to people to know that they're loved all the time, all the time, so Talked a little bit about kind of the nuts and bolts here, talked about the reason for the season and how that's exhibited and communicated.
Speaker 2:What do you see? And I know, andrew, you're new in this You're still like, ok, it's all academic at this point, until you've experienced and it's over, john Merriam, what have you seen over the years as the response on the part of the people who are receiving?
Speaker 3:as well as giving. Go ahead, john, because this always brings tears to my eyes.
Speaker 2:So you take it she's going with the hankies here real quick. So, John, you start.
Speaker 5:Yeah, no, it's always just. It is just really wonderful to be able to pause and it just provides an opportunity to connect with folks on a deeper level, right. And so, like I had mentioned before, last year, there were guests who came and told me this is the first time that they had received a gift, and so that opened up an ability to have a conversation and to talk with them. And that's why we just encourage our staff and our with our folks and play games with them and have a cup of hot cocoa and talk and talk about the holidays and Christmas and things, and relive old memories, kind of normal stuff when life's not really normal compared to a lot of us right, yes, normalizes, just connecting.
Speaker 5:It's not really normal compared to a lot of us, right? Yes, yeah, and so just connecting, and you know that is. The holidays are a wonderful time. They're a fun time. It's a busy time, but for so many folks, regardless of whether they're sheltered or not, the holidays can be a hard time.
Speaker 5:And it can be a time where people are feeling lonely, maybe because of a family who's gone or whatever reason may be, and so just having these opportunities to just sit and be intentional about talking to someone and connecting with them and letting them know they're cared about and we're not trying to do an assembly line of, yeah, you get a gift and now move on and next and next, but connecting with each person and so encouraging our staff and our volunteers to get involved in those opportunities as well, I think also helps prevent some of that burnout of busyness.
Speaker 5:Right, you know, in our preparation there's so much things that need to get done and compiled and organized and set aside, but then getting to see the end result of smiling faces as gifts are being unwrapped, it's just really a beautiful experience.
Speaker 4:And I would say on the other side too, I can see the impact in the volunteers that come, the dozens, maybe hundreds of volunteers that we have over Christmas that come in and they, when I talk to them, when I first get there, almost every one of them are repeat. This is what we do. I love to do this. We can't wait and they're excited Some people actually in the summer. Make sure you've got a spot for them to serve. This is their ministry.
Speaker 2:And this is where they like to give, and it's neat to see that. Miriam, you've been around to see some of these parties, see the Christmas distribution, the gathering. When you walk into a room, if you didn't know better, you wouldn't know who the volunteers were, who the staff were and who the people staying at the. Pika Rescue Mission, are you would?
Speaker 3:not, you wouldn't know.
Speaker 2:No, because everybody's together.
Speaker 3:Everybody's just having a good time.
Speaker 2:Just a good time enjoying, and it's not like here's this line over here. You come over here and you go to this station. This station, like some places, do what has been your, your experience, maybe a story or two that really touched your heart during, I mean again, topeka rescue mission is distributing and helping all year long, but around christmas time, anything come to mind oh, there's a number of stories, but one that stands out is when we still set up that whole big Christmas store.
Speaker 3:Oh Barry, why did we do that?
Speaker 2:This was pre-pandemic.
Speaker 3:But I can remember one gentleman came in and he was very he was a really serious guy, right, and he was gathering the gifts that he wanted and you know, we try to make sure that we have gifts for everyone and different kinds of gifts and he had a number of things that I would call kitchen equipment, right, whether it was some crockpots and this and that and the other thing, and we were distributing in a different kind of way, and so someone had to tell him you know, we can only provide one of this and one of this.
Speaker 3:And he was incredibly distraught and what I would, what I would probably say, was angry, right, and he was saying look, I've got X number of children to feed and this is the only way I'm going to be able to cook for them. And I don't know why, you people, he was just really, really angry. And I watched one of our team members be incredibly compassionate with this man and say you know, this is not what we can do, but tell me more about your story. And he goes I don't have a stove, I don't have this, I don't have this, I don't have this. Now, I can tell you, most of the time, we're not able to provide stoves and refrigerators for people, but for some reason, some reason, we know the coincidence right.
Speaker 3:Exactly. For some reason, we had a refrigerator and a stove and this staff person said we can help you and to watch this man, then just break down and to watch this man, then just break down Right Because he didn't expect that.
Speaker 3:He expected to get no's, you can't have this, you can't have this. He expected all of that. And to watch the change in him and to watch the compassion in this staff person as they just walked with him and knew what he was facing and just said we are here for you and we love you. And we ended up delivering a refrigerator and a stove and the food that he was going to be able to cook for his children on Christmas day, and that was beautiful.
Speaker 2:Some people could look at that and say, well, he's just an ungrateful guy. You know he should be grateful for the crockpot he's going to get in. Sorry for your bad news and your life and you know like what did you do to create?
Speaker 2:this in your life, but that individual went the extra mile. And when you say a no, how do you find a yes? You know if we have to say no sometimes in life, and so if we say a no to here, where's the yes that we can come up with? And that's where they came. Talk about an impact that it probably made on both people as well as you, as I watched it right.
Speaker 3:And I'll share another story with you, because this was a reminder to me, because I was the Christmas coordinator. And let me tell you, when you are doing that and you are trying to run that Christmas store, you are constantly thinking of okay, do we have enough, do we have enough? Et cetera, et cetera. Do I have enough things?
Speaker 2:There's a whole nother set of stories in that, but not having enough, exactly Last minute.
Speaker 3:But somebody knocked on the door at two oh six, and I opened the door and it was a man and a woman that looked at me and said is it possible that you could just give us a set of towels? And in my chaos of Christmas I'm like, oh, I'm so sorry, we can't do that because we have all these people that we need to serve and, you know, I can see if we can't get you, but I did all of the things that I look back on and just want to kick myself, but I closed that door because they live down by the river. I closed that door and the conviction that hit me in terms of these are not your things, miriam, these are not your things to control, these are not yours, that you had anything to do with. These belong to me, as did those people, and I opened that door and I tried to catch them and I couldn't. I couldn't catch them for some reason. It was cold and windy and I'm yelling at them wait.
Speaker 3:And it was this reminder.
Speaker 3:And they went around the corner and I stopped right and was just so much reminded about the fact that the Lord has blessed us so that we can bless others, and that not one of these things, not one of these things that we have to share with others belongs to us and we can't hold on tightly to any of this, that we have to just be willing that, when God brings us those special people, that we give them what they need.
Speaker 3:If at all possible and it was possible, it was possible I could have given a couple of towels and washcloths. I say it now and just go oh, miriam. But so the other thing that happens during this season my point with this story is is that it is this unbelievable reminder that we are blessed with the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ in really special ways, and he will bring the provisions that we need, sometimes in the 11th hour right, but he will bring all of the provisions that we need as long as we are willing to have a genuine and kind heart and love the one in front of us.
Speaker 2:What an incredible and painful lesson. Yeah, I don't want those anymore, no, but you learn from those.
Speaker 2:You say, okay, how do we do better next time, but to realize that there are a lot of moving parts to all of this all the time, especially in the month of December November 2, that could get bogged down in just the academics of it all. And, yeah, we don't do it that way. But yet the Lord is saying, yeah, I'm going to send you some people and you're going to make an exception, just like the towels or the refrigerator or those kind of things to do. And I think people who are listening right now, I think this is maybe very refreshing to them to know that their resources, that they're giving out of their generosity, sometimes very sacrificially, are really making a huge difference in people's lives. And so, yeah, I've told this before. I'm going to tell two quick stories. But I was coming out of the distribution center one time it was Christmas Eve, I think, and we were helping the different guests here the men were the last ones that we were helping and there was an individual sitting waiting for his ride back to the shelter and he had his black trash bags of gifts that he had gone in and he had actually got a chance to wrap them. And so there was two trash bags there, one guy, two trash bags, you know, of gifts. And I said okay, he got a pretty good haul here, but he's crying. And I just I better pause and ask him are you okay? And he said not really. He said I don't understand why people are so kind. And he said lost my wife, lost my job, got four kids, didn't have any clue how we were going to get through this Christmas because of all the loss, with no gifts. And here you all invited me in and I have presents for my kids. He said I'm not sad. He said these are tears of joy, but he says I didn't realize people cared this much. And that was just one guy really stuck out, you know.
Speaker 2:And then had a lady and I've shared this here recently on the podcast before but she volunteered for the point in time count that we do every January and she wrote me a letter and said hey, I really want to thank you for the opportunity to volunteer at the rescue mission. I'd like to know if I could do that again and bring my children with me. I have two girls, so I'm thinking, well, yeah, but I want to know how old they are to make sure that's a good fit and those kind of things. So I called her and I said hey, thank you for the letter. And I said how old are your girls? And she told me and I said well, they're awfully young to be able to come here and volunteer. Probably you could bring them. I said why do you want to bring your girls? She said, well, I want them to know what it was like for their mommy when she stayed at the rescue mission. And I said so you stayed here? And she said, yeah.
Speaker 2:I said how are you doing today? And she said well, I'm vice president of the insurance company here in town, so I'm doing okay. I said what was the circumstances? And she said, well, I don't remember much, but I had a sister and we didn't have a dad and so we were staying in this room and it was the main building. We didn't have Hope Center yet and she said I don't remember much about it, but I remember the beds. I remember there being a chair in there, but the biggest thing I remembered was Santa Claus at Christmas time and all the smiles on people's faces. And she said it was a really rough time, but we felt like we were okay because people cared and I said, yeah, you can volunteer with your girls here, and so the impact of every day, and then especially this time of year, is a life changer for people. Was there anything else we want to share with folks today, um other than reminder of how they can participate in this? Um, guys, anything like pray for you, um, uh-huh.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and it's going to be yep, we can use that yes, you can, yeah and just uh.
Speaker 5:You know some things that that are common requests. If I could just add kind of uh that that would just be a blessing if anyone would be able to bring in uh, we're, you know, in need of some backpacks still, headphones, um, and especially coats of larger sizes. So XL and above are harder coats to come by, and so those three items in particular. But just Men's or women's, or both Both yes.
Speaker 4:And I would include sweatshirts in that. We're low on a lot of those warm clothes.
Speaker 2:So where do people bring these?
Speaker 4:401 Northwest Norris, the distribution center on the north side of the building.
Speaker 2:So it's North Topeka. If you right before the railroad tracks, if you're coming from the north, take a right and go on down to the distribution center. And so we're talking today, on December 11th, and so you need these for Christmas. But if they come a little late, you're still going to need them right.
Speaker 5:Yep, it'll still be cold December 26th, and so we'll make sure that those quotes- get to people, and we hope January doesn't repeat itself like it did last year.
Speaker 3:Oh goodness, that's for sure.
Speaker 2:Very many things else.
Speaker 3:No, no other than just to thank people for their consideration for what they might still do, but also thank you for everything that they've already done.
Speaker 2:Absolutely and really, you who are listeners, because you've taken the time to listen to our community, our mission, and you probably are givers as well or maybe not yet, but know that you are part of a team.
Speaker 2:You may not be able to volunteer, you may not have an opportunity to work at the Topeka Rescue Mission, but you are and, being the caring individual you are, there would be people in our community that really, really would not have any hope, and so you are bringing hope because of your love, because of your generosity, and here, on December 11th of 2024, if this is when you're listening, or any time between now and Christmas you can be a part of this team. If you'd like more information on how to do that, you can go to the website at trmonlineorg. That's trmonlineorg, and you can see some current needs lists that are going to be needed even after Christmas, as well as a way to give financially. And just know that what you do now not only helps for Christmas, but helps set the stage for being able to help people in this new year to come. Thank you for listening to Our Community, our Mission.