Our Community, Our Mission
Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #257 – Faith, Fatherhood, and Second Chances
This week on Our Community, Our Mission, we hear the powerful stories of Chris Harstad, Marcus Molinar, and Marvin Blanchett—three men who overcame addiction, homelessness, and uncertainty through faith, mentorship, and the support of the Rescue Mission community.
Chris, a single father, found himself homeless while struggling with addiction and the ability to provide for his son. Overwhelmed and uncertain, he turned to the Mission, where mentorship and faith gave him the strength to rebuild his life and create a stable future for his family. Marcus, now Deputy Director of Facilities & Security, shares how his journey of faith led him to serve others, while Marvin’s story highlights resilience, recovery, and the power of unconditional support.
Their testimonies prove that redemption is real, second chances are possible, and transformation happens when a community refuses to give up on anyone. Tune in for an inspiring conversation on perseverance, faith, and the life-changing impact of love in action.
To learn more about TRM, Click Here!
To support TRM, Click Here!
Dear Heavenly Father. We thank you, Lord, for this day and your blessings and provisions. God, and just thank you for this time to record this podcast. Lord, we thank you for the incredible work that you're doing here and the stories that we get to tell on this podcast. Lord, pray that listeners would be encouraged today. In your holy name, we pray, Amen.
Speaker 2:Hello everybody, thank you for joining us for another episode of Our Community, our Mission, a podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission. I'm your host today, barry Feeker, here on February 26th of 2025. This is episode number 257. Good morning, marian Crable. Director of Supportive Services. Deputy Director of Supportive Services. Good morning. There's a lot to talk about at the very beginning of this.
Speaker 3:There kind of is Lots of words.
Speaker 2:Lots of words, but you know what?
Speaker 3:What of this? There kind of is Lots of words, but you know what, what you were just doing your tongue got kind of tied.
Speaker 2:I know it does. It's kind of appropriate today. Is it You'll?
Speaker 3:see, she looked ahead. I did.
Speaker 2:She looked ahead, so she's prepared, josh. She's prepared for the things that are most important about February 26th. We're going to get to that in a minute, but how much difference a week makes in weather.
Speaker 3:Oh my goodness, Is that not like? It's almost weird.
Speaker 2:I thought that's what you were going to say about my tongue getting twisted. Still frozen from last week? Yes, absolutely.
Speaker 3:It could be, isn't it crazy? Yeah, it's absolutely crazy. Last week was frigid, frigid, and this week is spring.
Speaker 2:Yes, it is it really is.
Speaker 3:I mean, it really is spring like and we're counting on it staying that way? Yeah, I don't think so. It's not going to know, that groundhog.
Speaker 2:Oh, that groundhog, yeah, well, you know, someday they're going to take care of that. Saw his shadow six more weeks Right, so yeah, so last podcast we talked about warming centers and talked about it was frigid, cold out, and we had three or four of them this year as far as three warming centers. Hopefully no more this year. Oh, I know they're good. They're temporary, they're helping people get off the street, they're saving lives. A lot of people working together. Great, great stuff going on.
Speaker 1:But it sure feels good when you're in the 60s and 70s absolutely yeah I sat outside on sunday for like four hours, just like in the sun, just like I felt, like I was solar, just like recharging.
Speaker 3:I know Well, and that's the thing too, it was cold and it was gloomy. And I mean cold and sunny is one thing, cold and gloomy, that's like a double whammy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we've been so seriously focused on saving people's lives we haven't got to those special things that are important about the date. And if you're new to our community, our mission, you know that our research and development department comes up with these incredibly important things that you need to know about this today. It's incredibly important. Now, the rest of the podcast is that's okay, but we really, really have to know about these things. So today, Miriam and I don't know if this has already occurred to you have you checked your mailbox yet today?
Speaker 3:I have not have you.
Speaker 2:No, Today is National. Letter to an Elder Day. Letter to an Elder Day, so I'm going to run home check my mailbox see if there's anything in there for you.
Speaker 3:I'm going to send an email to staff and say you owe Barry and me letters.
Speaker 2:Miriam and I.
Speaker 3:I am her elder, not by much, no, but that's why I was saying we need to be getting letters. We do.
Speaker 2:I mean there's grandparents day, there's parents whatever, there's kids day, there's Valentine's day, I mean I didn't even know about this.
Speaker 3:I didn't either, and I'm really hoping that the people around this table are taking note and that we get letters.
Speaker 2:I don't want a letter. I want to give certificates to something. I just keep your letter, save your writing, send it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, just send me a gift card.
Speaker 2:And I'm up the ante here because we've been nice to people. So anyway, for a long time apparently.
Speaker 3:A very long time Without any recognition.
Speaker 2:Okay, so it's letter to an elder day.
Speaker 2:So if you have an elder in your life, go ahead and and send them a letter, but you better hurry, because you never know when it could be our last. You never know how old they are. So what goes along with this special day is Well, for Pete's sake. For Pete's sake, I mean, come on, miriam, how did you know it's for Pete's sake day, pete's sake day. I didn't know we had one of those either. So, yeah, I mean, without getting into all the stuff, somebody was looking at the day and go well, there's nothing happening today. So, for Pete's sake, what are we going to do?
Speaker 3:And so we said we'll make it a national day. Yeah, exactly, pretty much. Because that one's silly, so yeah, we'll identify it as that, because that beats the definition that's on here so well, but you know, didn't like OK. So when I read this one, though, I did think of my mom, because she never cussed.
Speaker 3:I took lessons sometimes from her because she just never cussed Of not cussing, yes, I'm not saying I was great at it, but then she would do things like this. So I was kind of interested that Pete's sake really came, because people didn't want to say things that were offensive. Oh for Pete's sake. But I wondered how Pete felt.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, yeah, that's a great point. At least he was recognized.
Speaker 3:He was recognized. Yeah, he was a substitute for bad words For bad words. But, anyway.
Speaker 2:So if you are feeling like you want to say something naughty today, just say for Pete's sake.
Speaker 1:For Pete's sake, just today, just today, just today, my favorite Miriam one, though, is oh bless your heart, oh bless your pee-picking heart. If it's like really serious and I'm like, I'm an idiot.
Speaker 2:Have you been on that end of the pee-picking heart?
Speaker 1:before.
Speaker 3:Josh, like once, like I've heard it used not no, bless your heart.
Speaker 1:Was it bad, Josh? I mean not because, he did something bad.
Speaker 3:He may have done something silly yeah.
Speaker 1:Oh, bless your heart. I get that all the time.
Speaker 2:As soon as this is over. Josh, I'd start working on that letter to the elder day and make it pretty nice for Pete's sake. Okay, last thing today we always do three of these if they're appropriate and we have another appropriate one. It's international, not just national, but international book day. Okay, he said, yeah, tongue twister contest day Contest. Yeah, like that's not hard.
Speaker 3:Right For me especially. Do you know a? Tongue twister Do you know a tongue twister.
Speaker 2:Do I know a tongue? Yeah, most of the time.
Speaker 3:Most of the time I talk Most anything you say.
Speaker 2:I have three presentations in the next 30 hours. Oh, do you, and so I'm practicing now not to twist the tongue too much.
Speaker 3:Okay, I would hope so too. Yeah, me too.
Speaker 2:But anyway, if the tongue too much? Okay, I would hope so too. Yeah, me too.
Speaker 3:But anyway, if I'm in the room, I promise only to giggle quietly.
Speaker 2:Well, I think you're gonna be in the room on one of them and so, but uh, yeah, so it was started, uh organized the first contest in 2008. So it really hasn't been around that long, right? Um, it's open to participants between the ages of six and 106.
Speaker 3:Well see, we're not quite that elder, so not yet Not sure we're going to get there.
Speaker 2:I know, but anyway, yeah, prizes include wonderful objects from beloved tongue twisters, like a peck of pickled peppers. Okay yeah, I won't try that again. So okay, all right. So I'm glad that we could enlighten everybody on our community, our mission. We're out of time for the rest of the program today, but we're going to squeeze it anyway. Miriam again. Director of supportive services. Deputy director of supportive services. Topeka Rescue Mission, which means back office stuff, working with things, communication, so forth. That's why Josh is very nice to you, because you're his boss. And so, miriam, are there any particular updates from your end of the spectrum?
Speaker 3:You know, there are so many things that go on at TRM all the time right, and it takes an unbelievable team to be able to accomplish everything that we do, and so we have positions open for people to join this awesome team that helps get things done.
Speaker 3:And I think in just about every department there are different kinds of positions open, whether it's in maintenance, whether it's in our shelter staff, whether it's in trauma education, there's positions open. There's an IT position open. There's just all different kinds of things, and we would just really encourage people to kind of pray and we would just really encourage people to kind of pray and see if God is really putting it on their hearts to join this organization, because it is a special kind of calling, and I think people would be amazed at what it's like to work at TRM. There's just a different feel when you walk in here. It's different and in a really good way, and so I would just encourage people to take a look at our website at trmonlineorg under the about and job openings under that, and just see what we have available and consider joining our team.
Speaker 2:You know, what I hear all the time is when people come and they start a staff position, or even volunteers that are pretty engaged had no idea that Topeka Rescue Mission did all this. Oh yeah, and so when you're talking about just some of those different positions, there's a lot of different areas there. It's not just as what some people would call three hots in a cot.
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 2:A place to eat, a place to sleep. It is way more than that. For what? Life transformation Right To help people to have an opportunity to do something very different with their life, sure, to experience the love of Christ in their life and to be able to finally be able to rest and say God, what's my assignment.
Speaker 3:Right, and then go do it. And then go do it, yeah, and. And then go do it and realize that we do really serious work and we have a whole lot of fun doing it. You know, but people, people's lives, depend on the things that we do, and so it is serious work and yet there is a camaraderie and what I believe to be a team atmosphere here that helps us get through those times that are sort of heartbreaking.
Speaker 2:So if you're interested in checking it out, go to the Rescue Mission website, as Miriam said, trmonlineorg and you can find out more about that and how you can inquire, maybe even apply.
Speaker 3:Absolutely and also volunteer.
Speaker 2:Oh goodness.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, we sure need a lot of volunteers. During the warming centers and and people came through and some people worked and worked and worked and volunteered. It was incredible and lives were touched in amazing ways Lives were saved.
Speaker 2:Lives were saved every single day at Topeka Rescue Mission, with the 240 to nearly 300 people staying in shelter every single night men, women and children. So, miriam, we've been at this podcast this is our 257th time, so this has been going on a long time and we've interviewed and had conversation with just almost about every kind of situation you can think of, and the conversation we're going to have today is probably one of my favorites of people who have been there when I say there have experienced homelessness and other situations in their life have come through the doors of Topeka Rescue Mission and today they are on a trajectory doing amazing things, and one of the guys that we've had on here a number of times is Marcus Molinar, who is our Director of Supportive Assistance.
Speaker 2:Did you get my job? Who is our Director of Supportive Services? Did you get my job? Tom Twister, who's Director of Security and Facilities? I think I did that the other day with Christian. I missed you, Miriam, last week. So you're Director of Supportive Services. Marcus is Deputy Director of Facilities and Security and, Marcus, thank you for being here today. You've got a couple of guys on your team that we want you to introduce in a minute, but Marcus, just real quickly, you've been there. You came through the doors of Topeka Rescue Mission a number of years ago. What's happened?
Speaker 4:What was it like then and what happened, and what's it like now? What it was like then was, uh, it was really dark and um, with obedience and surrender, it's become light, so I could uh see what the lord's been doing on my life, and that's uh blessing upon blessing upon blessing. Since 2016, after after my encounter with Jesus, it's just been positive and uphill.
Speaker 2:So you came in need of the Speaker of the Rescue.
Speaker 4:Mission? Very much so. Yeah, I lost everything due to bondage of drugs and alcohol and bad choices A little mental in there, things like that. But in God's Jesus' name he's healed me from that. I'm a new man, new creation.
Speaker 2:So you not only overcame homelessness and addiction, but you got a position at Topeka Rescue Mission. Did you ever realize, when you walked through the doors in 2016, that you would be a deputy director at Topeka Rescue Mission that supervises a team and responsible for six incredible facilities and all the safety issues and the maintenance and all that? I'm sure that probably didn't cross your mind at the time?
Speaker 4:No, it didn't crush your mind at the time that? No, it didn't. It was uh is it was uh again a blessing, where I had to learn to follow where he was leading me and, uh, I was forced in fire, going through it a little bit. It was tough, um, but I'm stronger now and I continue to follow him and I know it's actually unfathomable where I was and where I am now. I don't understand it, I just have faith in it.
Speaker 2:If you know Marcus, you know what a cool guy he is right, miriam.
Speaker 3:Without a doubt.
Speaker 2:Without a doubt, and if you haven't met him yet, he's a great guy to meet. But, marcus, it's not just up to you as the deputy director of security and facilities. You have a team. It's not a big team, but it's a team nonetheless. And so, how many positions are on your team to take care of two shelters, a distribution center, warehouse, children's palace, education center and now a building for community meetings it's a church that was donated to speak at rescue missions. So six total facilities, plus a maintenance shop, plus some property built grounds, right, miriam?
Speaker 3:The list goes on, and on, and on, and on and on and on Vehicles.
Speaker 2:Vehicles, yeah, yeah, a fleet of vehicles outreach four-wheel drive off-road Pest control. Oh yeah, pest control, Because pests do come in.
Speaker 3:It's his favorite. Yeah, the pest control is Marcus's favorite.
Speaker 2:Do not say the word bedbugs around here no.
Speaker 3:I mentioned no or a Ziploc baggie. If you say Ziploc baggie Marcus kind of freaks out because it means there's a bug somewhere.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so anyway, all that stuff, how big is your team? They?
Speaker 4:got 30 or 40 on this team. No, we're Got six, including myself. Correct, Seven, Seven, we have seven. So I mean, if you put that into six buildings on top of what we talked about and for us to be productive and stay on top of things, I consider us a small army. We're really thorough in what we do, we're gung-ho get it done and we're enthusiastic about our jobs and I think that helps us complete many tasks every day.
Speaker 3:And you know, barry, don't forget that they do all of that here and they also support NODO.
Speaker 2:Right, talk about that.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, I love Pedro and them. I love that. I love the community down there. Um, and just being a servant servitude's a big deal. That that, um again, I had to obey to understand, um, because I I didn't want to serve anybody but myself. But I've learned that servitude and relationship are big deals in life and I am obliged to help Noto out in any way I can.
Speaker 2:And that includes emptying trash receptacles, taking care of snow removal, yes, sir, helping the basic things that Noto needs somebody to do, and Topeka Rescue Mission, for yours, has been serving in that role and this is the team that gets to do that. So great relationship with No-Tow and Topeka Rescue Mission. It's something very important to do and it's being done. So we wanted to talk about not just your story, because we've heard your story and we've heard one of our other guest's stories today, but we have a new guest here with us today as part of your team. So introduce these other two guys and kind of want to get into their story and where they've been Helping people understand that.
Speaker 2:You know a rescue mission is a unique place in that and I heard this when I very first started. My first rescue mission I ever visited was Oklahoma City and the executive director there had been homeless at one time and he told me this. He said a rescue mission is the only place where you can crawl through the doors as a hopeless alcoholic and 10 years later be the executive director. And so you know it's just that opportunity, that second chance, third chance, fourth chance and to help people to have an opportunity to heal and rescue missions are full of different people from different backgrounds. Not everybody came through the doors in need, but everybody came here because they believed that they were on an assignment to be a part of something very, very special. And so there's no anybody better than anybody else, maybe different positions, but everybody working as a team together to honor God, love God and love their neighbors themselves in very practical ways. So talk about these two guys and why you thought it might be a good idea for them to come today.
Speaker 4:Right on, before that, before I introduce these great men of God, I have a serious question for our listeners, and that is how much wood could a woodchuck chuck? If a woodchuck could chuck wood and I've been pondering on that my whole life so if anybody has the answer to that if anybody has the answer to that. You see, I didn't get tongue twisted.
Speaker 2:Well done, well done, bravo Super.
Speaker 4:Bravo, better than Miriam and me. Call the hotline and let me know the answer.
Speaker 2:I would like to know the answer to that as well. So we were talking about you, you were kind of serious there for a little bit about things, and then all of a sudden you got into.
Speaker 5:Marcus, marcus things, and then all of a sudden, you got into.
Speaker 2:Marcus, that's right, so thank you for helping us to kind of center on. So now, while you're waiting answers from people calling on the hotline, I don't know what that number is either. So don't be surprised there's somebody responds to this. So somehow, in our vast array of communication opportunities today, talk about these two guys. Who are they and why did you invite them here today?
Speaker 4:Okay, so we have Marvin Blanchett, which is my right-hand man when it comes to facilities, and he's taking Chris Harstead under his wing as a great example of walking with God and exhortation the way he speaks, the way they get along. These guys got incredible testimonies and stories of redemption and what God can actually do in one's life once they hit rock bottom, and I just wanted the listeners to hear just a portion, a tidbit, maybe more than that of their stories, just to be encouraged to do the same thing that they're doing for one another and that god's doing within us. Um, I'm getting a little emotional, but these guys are really. My heart really goes out to them for their, for just their hearts, for what they do, and they're just incredible.
Speaker 2:And you guys will hear a little bit about how incredible they are. So, yeah, thank you, uh, marvin. Chris, thank you for joining us on our community, our mission. Um, marvin, you've been on here before. Uh, we heard a little bit about your story and um, just, uh, give us a brief on that Cause. Um, I want to talk to um you about this guy that's sitting right next to me who I've seen around hearing great things but the relationship between the two. And then, chris, we want to hear your story, if you could unpack, about you coming through the doors to Pika Rescue Mission. So, marvin, talk about how you got here again for a refresher and what is it about this guy? What is it about this guy?
Speaker 6:Well, I, uh I came from the same situation that Marcus did. Uh, I was struggling with bondage, drugs and alcohol, uh, and the vicious cycle of uh what comes with that, and just kept repeating over and over the same mistakes. I think, maybe naively, I had expected a different outcome a few times early on, but toward the end I just went with it and just kept going around in circles and doing the same goofy things over and over. And so then I'd been here as a guest before and, seeing that there was an opportunity for change, I'd went through the care program but had still went back to drugs and alcohol, and it just took a lot of soul-searching and introspection, you know, and just being real, with not lying to myself anymore. I joined a church and it all just kind of went from there. The church that I joined ended up being Steve Stutzman's church and I was applying for a job, but I had just started volunteering with facilities, and so some of the people who I bunked with thought that that was convenient, that I joined that church and I hadn't even approached Steve Three Sundays in a row. I cried like a baby when worship came on and I couldn't understand why I kept crying and I'm sitting there covering my eyes, trying to keep from people seeing me, and that church just overwhelmed me with love. They really exemplify God's love.
Speaker 6:This giant of a man, david I don't know his last name, marcus, probably knows who I'm talking about he came over and gave me what was one heck of a big hug and I left tears all over his shirt and he was like it's okay, brother. And so the fourth Sunday I'm walking to church and I'm like please, god, don't let me cry today. And so I didn't realize that it was the spirit convicting me, you know, of all the things that I had done wrong, and just to let go like the big arm around you saying I got you, you know. And so it was okay. Once God wiped those tears away, I was able to start moving forward with all the blessings and starting to become a new creation. And so Steve approached me and said I heard you have an application in and I was like yeah. And he's like how come you never came to talk to me? And I said this is church. I came for church. I didn't come to talk to you about a job. He's like good answer, good answer.
Speaker 6:And that was kind of his thing, you know. He's like, yeah, good answer, mark. And so, uh, or he'd say good stuff, and that was time to go, because there was times when I'd talk to him in his office and he'd be like, yeah, good stuff, good stuff, and that was like there's the door toward the door and like, oh, I get it, now it's time for me to take my, take my leave, and so, uh, yeah.
Speaker 6:So I ended up with a job, and it was a job. At first I was seeking a job. I had no idea of the atmosphere and the camaraderie and just the family that I was going to be a part of, and I'd made a few mistakes. I relapsed and they surrounded me with love they being the rescue mission, my coworkers and then I relapsed again, and out of embarrassment, because that's what drugs and alcohol do to you they blind you and you start thinking that nobody can love me, nobody can accept me, they're just gonna judge me, and then you alienate yourself, away from everybody. And that couldn't be further from the truth. But that's probably the culture of drugs and alcohol and the perpetual cycle. So I mean, a lot of people stay grounded in addiction due to those insecurities and listening to those lies in your head. And so I had my kids in the same daycare as Marcus's kids, and so six months later, you know, I'd seen him every day for or not every day, but quite a while, you know. And so I would see him and I was lying to myself oh, he's going to hire me back. He's going to hire me back. I realized the error of my ways. He wasn't going to hire me back and and he was being nice about it, like, yeah, marv, sure we'll talk about it. And then I'd call and he wouldn't answer and I'd be like, oh man. And so I really realized what had happened, you know. And so I sobered up, I quit in March. I sobered up sometime in April and didn't realize what my sobriety date was. So I just picked May 1st. So this May 1st will be two years sober, and God given two years sober. And so he seen me and he says, hey, I could have used you last week. And I was like, oh really. And I was like, funny story, I think I'm available.
Speaker 6:And while I was working for the city at Topeka at that point and he was like I thought you liked the city at Topeka, but it was asphalt and it was hot and I'm 52.
Speaker 6:And I don't know that I really wanted it as bad as I thought I did and I thought it was going to be a little bit more glamorous. You know, being a city employee and I see these roads and I'm glad I'm not a part of that. A lot of work ahead, yes. And so I keep thinking, man, I know how many crews they have, why ain't they fixing these things? So Chris came along and I really didn't know what to think of him at first. I mean, well, we get so many people, we get such a high turnaround and we get a lot of volunteers that, oh man, I want to join maintenance, I want to be on facilities, and they volunteer for three or four days and see that it's not quite as glamorous as glamorous like potholes, right and so well, everybody gets this fixed idea that they're just going to jump in with tools in their hand.
Speaker 6:And I did, uh, months and months of custodial and I mean a lot of toilets and a lot of scrubbing and a lot of cleaning. And I was listening to this morning show. I found found this station out of Chicago that was Love, hip Hop and Hope, and so I would listen to them and they had this morning show and it was J-Bo and Yoshi and they would always talk and have some funny banter and I was scrubbing a toilet and she says, you know, j-bo, she's like all work is good work in the eyes of the Lord. And that's when it hit me. I was like, oh, my goodness, I think I just found a sense of purpose scrubbing a toilet at the Topeka Rescue Mission. And I was. So it changed me that from that day on I was a different person, because I don't think I've ever had a sense of purpose or even realized what a sense of purpose could be.
Speaker 2:Words matter, and just that they probably had no idea that God was going to use that statement for a guy in Topeka, kansas, uh, to have a moment where God was working all this together, and then boom, right then, and there that was, and I love it, I'm so thankful that I was listening that day, because I wasn't expecting that that wasn't.
Speaker 6:I was just trying to get through my day and a little bit of music helped, and so that's what I try to relay to some of our new guys that you know, I did my time as a custodian and then I was able to fix things, so tools found their way into my hand and now that's pretty much what I do, and some days I wish I could just go back to being a custodian, because I feel like I've seen some shirts online that said I'm here because you broke something.
Speaker 2:Exactly, that's the tools in hand part. Yeah, well, it sounds like God didn't give up on you, which you found out. People didn't give up on you, you didn't give up on yourself, right? So you know, and God used a little thing like a radio program one day, that one thing that just triggered it. Words matter. They can be blessings or curses, and people blessed you that day and they only know you. So you're talking about Chris. He walks in the front door and Chris, I want to hear your story. But, marvin, what was your first impression when you saw this guy?
Speaker 6:For you listening, he's a mountain of a man. I mean seriously. He towers over me. He's a big guy but he is a teddy bear and he's got a heart of gold. I had no idea of his story and his background and so I kind of had a fixed opinion of let's just see how he lasts, you know, and he went above and beyond. There wasn't nothing that we didn't give him, that he couldn't handle or that he didn't graciously say yes, I'll do that. Uh, he's never once complained about I don't want to do this or that's beneath me. He, he just he seemed like he was part of the team all along, and we've rarely had that. We get a few people here and there, but they still struggle with addiction or some mental and they always end up leaving. And so Chris has been just like not necessarily our long lost brother.
Speaker 6:But sometimes I wonder if we're related because he finishes my sentences sometimes and it's kind of creepy.
Speaker 2:Chris, these guys, like a lot of you, talk about before Topeka Rescue Mission, what led up to you coming and seeking help at TRM.
Speaker 5:Well, I was living in Lawrence, kansas, with my son he was five at the time, no four at the time. We lived in a tent for about 11 months. Thanksgiving of 2023, we woke up to an unfortunate incident where a lady got hit by a train and it was right outside our tent. And that's when I told myself I'm done with this life. I need to get my son out of here. I need to change. So the people at Radar could try to get me out of there and I just never really followed up with them. I didn't really want to be sober, I didn't totally want to change. I would try, but I wouldn't quite get there. I called them up and said I'm ready for a change, and there was nothing in Lawrence. And I up and said I'm ready for a change, and there was nothing in Lawrence. And I kept trying to go sober while I was still out there in the woods and about December 15th, they got me a motel room for about two weeks to work on getting sober, and for Christmas and while we tried to get me into Oxford House. Well then I ended up getting denied for the Oxford House because I had my son full time and I called Topeka Rescue Mission and at first I was denied here and then we called and let them know that there was no shelter in Lawrence for a father with a child and they made an exception for me to come here. So December 26, we took an Uber here.
Speaker 5:It was a rainy, sleety, cold day. I was covered in mud packing up all our stuff on the woods that day, but it was a change. I was on my way to a new future with my son and I. I got here and it was about 5 pm. I didn't know if I should go in yet or what I should do.
Speaker 5:I still had drugs on me at that time and I went for a walk. I sat there thinking about keeping them, throwing them away, keeping them throwing them away. And I got to this trash can by a church later to find out that that church was owned by Topeka Rescue Mission. I went up to the trash can on the corner there, threw everything away. I said, all right, if I'm doing this, I'm doing it the right way, and then went to Quick Shop and walked back here, got here about 6.30. And I walked in and got all settled in, felt a little out of place at first because it was just different. Coming in with mud, with a kid, I felt embarrassed. Um, we get to the room and I wish I could say this prayer off the top of my head, but said something about the son will set you free.
Speaker 2:The son set you free. You're free indeed.
Speaker 5:Yeah, and I looked at my. I know that prayer means something different, but I looked at my son. I said all right, this is a new beginning, we're going to do this. I'm doing this right for you, we're free now. Well, anyways, we started to get settled in and I kind of slept and kept quiet for a while, just getting back to normal. We didn't really have anything at first and I started getting some help and I started getting some people at a caseworker who wanted me to get my son in school and at first I was so overwhelmed by it just having to go take care of that and I didn't know how to do it. I didn't have a working phone at first and just to do all that schooling. She helped me through it and I got into preschool. Then I started doing care class and it's back up here a little bit.
Speaker 5:At first I didn't come to Topeka Rescue Mission thinking that I was going to do education. I didn't think I was coming here to work on my faith with God. I didn't think I was coming here to work on my credit, to do all these different classes. I thought I was coming here for a month or two and then I'll be back out. But once I got here I liked everything that I was doing. So I've just stayed here for a while and pretty much repaired everything I had damaged. And once you get to the point where you realize they're here for you and if you're doing what you're supposed to do, they're going to help you. And I've been here now for 14 months. I've been working here for about 11 months, but back to so. Then I went to the care program.
Speaker 2:I've been working here for about 11 months, but back to so. Then I went to the CARE program. And that stands for Career Readiness and Education, yep. For those that aren't familiar with that, it's a career equipping readiness program for jobs.
Speaker 5:And the first week it was almost overwhelming. I got there and I was like, oh my gosh, they want me to wear a special type of pants, they want to get me all ready. And then I woke up a little bit. I realized they're just trying to help you. They want you to be wearing something you're proud of, to get you ready for work, to show you're presentable. And once I realized that and I did that they were there for me. They helped me very much. They got me a phone and they helped me get a job here and I did a forklift training and we also got OSHA certified. These are all. I didn't think I was coming here to do all this. I thought I was coming here to maybe get some assistance on rent to get out. But it's better than just getting assistance.
Speaker 2:I thought I was coming here to maybe get some assistance on rent to get out, but it's better than just getting assistance. You're repairing your life. Chris, you had a. There was a tragic situation that happened in Lawrence yes, with that train, and you'd been out there for about 11 months or so. Yes, had you ever been homeless, living in a tent outdoors, before then?
Speaker 5:Um. So June 4th of 2020, I came to Kansas from Minnesota. Um, I'd never been homeless in Minnesota. I got down here. That was the day that I got out of prison in Minnesota and came down here. Um, I stayed with my mom for the first six months and then I ended up going out on my own and I lived out at Clinton Lake for about six months until I got a room at a motel and I stayed there for about eight months and then that just wasn't affordable anymore. I'd quit my job I was using again.
Speaker 2:Was drugs a big part of why you were homeless, or did homelessness for other circumstances lead to drugs?
Speaker 5:A little bit of both. So I've used since I was 14 years old. Uh, 2010. I quit for a little while, uh, for a woman I had met and had my oldest son with um, but it only lasted about three years of sobriety and then I I started using it again but I had hit it kind of. But then when she found out and left me, that's when I started going downhill 2017, I got some criminal charges due to drugs and doing the wrong things. Then I went to prison in 2019 and got out in 2020. Then I came to prison in 2019 and got out in 2020.
Speaker 5:Then I came to Kansas and I was sober for a little while, but that was basically just for parole. It wasn't for me and then. So I lived out at Clinton Lake for a little while and used and went to a motel and then I got an apartment for a year but I wasn't in a good position to have an apartment. I was still using. I wasn't working. Basically, somebody had gave me the apartment. It was through the COVID Foundation. I mean, it's a good program, but if you're not rebuilding somebody to be ready for that, they're not going to do nothing while they're there.
Speaker 2:So it's just a place to be, which is maybe better than on the streets, but it's not preparing you for life after that.
Speaker 5:And that's why Topeka Rescue Mission is different, because, yeah, they gave me a house, but I didn't do anything there except for use drugs and not better myself at all.
Speaker 2:What did you feel like during those episodes? You are utilizing drugs which are kind of taking the pain away temporarily anyway, and there's really no known direction. Maybe it wasn't on your radar and you have your son with you. Describe for people who have never been there. What's that feel like?
Speaker 5:Well, it's scary. I got to the point where I really thought I was going to lose my son. My blood pressure was so high every day, especially when I was living in the tent, and it got to the point where I was looking every day for coughs or DCF to come to take my child away and I just wanted to change so bad but I just couldn't do it. And it's really hard admitting that, that I was so addicted but I still couldn't quite make a change. But in my head I wanted it but I was still using because I still wanted that.
Speaker 2:Through circumstances, you came to Topeka. Yes, you didn't want to be in that tent anymore and there was no long-term services in Lawrence. Lawrence still today does not have a family shelter, and so you know, merrim, we've talked about people from Lawrence coming to Topeka and Topeka going to Lawrence and so forth and people busing people, and none of that's true. But there is some agreements to help people, just like Chris and his son, that didn't have an option there. In Lawrence, there's a Lawrence community shelter, but it's for single women, single men.
Speaker 3:Right, and I'm so thankful that we have that kind of partnership, that Chris and his son could be here, you know, because there's just nothing and you know to have Chris in a tent is sad. To have Chris trying to raise his son in a tent is heartbreaking, right, and so to be able to be here then I'm glad we were here, yeah.
Speaker 2:No kidding. So, chris, you got the Uber, you came here. It didn't sound like you went through any kind of drug withdrawal program. You threw your drugs in a trash can and came in. So was it that easy, or was there something that took some time?
Speaker 5:This was the easiest time I've ever quit, and I think it's because I just had enough and I did not want to lose my son. I wanted to be a father. But the thing that made it all so easy is I was able to have a roof over my head, food I didn't have to worry about going out and getting something for my son, so it gave me a little bit of time to prepare for life. Then I started doing some classes also and it started opening up my mind. I started thinking about things like the trauma classes we have here. I didn't use those classes mainly for my mind Well, I did in a way but for the way I raised my son or the outcome that changed his future.
Speaker 5:So in a trauma class they talk about how what impacts now could have something to do with their future. By me hearing that I try to change the way I do things. Yeah, we're all human. Some days we're not the best parents, but we're still learning. You learn from every day as your parent. But I want to try to make my son's life not how mine was. If it ends up that way, I'm going to be there still for him and help guide him the right way, but I don't want the same outcome for him.
Speaker 2:So how was it for your son? You're living in a tent. You then go to a motel. Can't be there for any longer. You get an Uber, come to this town, topeka, kansas, walk through the doors of the rescue mission. What was his response to that? Is he five years old at this?
Speaker 5:point. He turned five on January 30th 24. So he was still four when we got here.
Speaker 5:This point he's. He turned five on january 30th, 24, so he was still still four, four when we got here, okay, and now he's six. Um, my son is very loving and caring, um, when we first got here. But about a week after being here, we go for a walk and we're up on top the topeka bridge here and he sees some tents. And he asked me dad, should we go check on top of the Topeka Bridge here? And he sees some tents and he asks me Dad, should we go check on them, make sure they're okay? And part of me loves that because in this world, the sad reality of it is a lot of kids would be, oh no, don't go near them, or they're just homeless, or they would talk bad about them. But no, my son was like, are they okay? It's cold out. Part of that I'm really proud of. So by him experiencing an event of living outside homeless, he has compassion also for others, which I know is going to help him in the future.
Speaker 2:That's pretty proud of him, aren't you? Yeah, I would imagine that, without saying that he's pretty proud of his dad, yeah, and that's got to feel pretty good, yeah, but you didn't realize when you walked through the front door and you've already kind of unpacked, that you'd go into classes, there'd be a career, right, and if you didn't know, you were going to be getting employment, um, and uh, getting um some really cool guys in your life. Yeah, what, what, um, what does it meant um to you to have marvin and marcus in your life?
Speaker 5:um, so I started working in march. Maybe it was apr, end of March or first week of April. At first the main person I was working with was Sylvia. She started taking on a really good role as like adopted grandma, through Christ, at work towards me and my son. She helped me with getting him to school. She also would talk about. We'd talk about the Bible, we'd sit down and start doing some prayers or ask each other on our thoughts, and at first I wasn't talking to Marvin and Marcus a lot because they were in other buildings.
Speaker 2:Sylvia was on the team. Yeah, one of the folks at Hope Center.
Speaker 5:Like Marvin said, he first came in, I saw him look at me like he didn't know what to think about me at first.
Speaker 6:I still don't.
Speaker 5:A month or two came along and I could see he's like, hey, you're still here, you're doing good. And then he started encouraging me. I remember the one time he told me he said save your money. I hadn't really had anything saved at that time. I started saving real hard. Then I'd have to pay a bill that I owed and I'd save again. And at first I started out just wanting to hit the $500 mark and then I'd get there and be like, can I get to a thousand? And then I get to a thousand. Well then something would come up where I owed some stuff and I'd pay it off and go back down again. But I kept doing that, building it back up, and he would encourage me to save.
Speaker 5:And that right there helped a lot because Marvin became somebody who it wasn't just support for work, it was support for financially, for God. We'd even talk about some of our problems family stuff, our struggles, where we've been and then also with these guys, we'd have our truth and testimony. And the first time I got to talk there, the first time I heard Marvin, I was like God, I want to do that Because I could feel the energy, the power in what he was saying on his testimony. And then finally, my type came to talk and it felt really good just to let out everything that I'd gone through in the last year. And we sat there, we had hot dogs and played some cornhole, then we sat there having some prayers and playing some music.
Speaker 5:It felt good to have a crew of real friends real friends. So when you're using it out there, yeah, they can be your friends, but they're really not there for the better of you and it's hard to say it that way, but it's the truth. They actually wanted to hear your story. They didn't want you there for either your money or your drugs. They wanted you to be better. They didn't want you to go down the wrong path because my old friends would be let's go get high.
Speaker 6:Accountability yeah, accountability yeah.
Speaker 5:And then it got to the point where, even like Marvin would be talking to me about something he has to take care of and Monday would come along and be like hey, did you take care of all that? Yes, I did, I'm all set. So it felt good to kind of encourage each other to take care of our family needs, our life needs, spiritual needs.
Speaker 5:What's your hope for the future? Hope for my future is to get my own place, to have a vehicle, just to raise my son right, also to work on my health. Never really cared about that stuff before until I started sobering up and now I'm like longevity for my son and for me.
Speaker 3:When I was getting high, it was all.
Speaker 5:I cared about was that day. Now I'm thinking I want to see my son graduate, I want to be there for him, I want to see when he has a kid, I want to become a grandpa. I didn't think about that stuff before. I mean it's weird just talking about it now, because I just realized that too, that you don't care about that when you're in not a right state of mind.
Speaker 6:This guy. He's so humble I got to get in here. He's not even telling you everything, so he was able to pay off quite an extensive amount of fines. He's getting his driver's license within the next week or two. He'll have it back legally so he'll be able to be put on the insurance and drive company vehicles. He's going to have money to get a place. They're getting a place. He's going to be uh, he's already a great dad, so he's gonna. He's going to succeed because we're going to be friends after work.
Speaker 6:Uh, and so I can't. I've got a five-year-old, he's got a five-year-old, these got a five-year-old, these two knuckleheads are gonna know each other, and so he's. Uh, we go to lunch all the time. We, uh, we hang out a lot. Sometimes I'll pick him up and I'll be like hey, I'm going across town to go do this, do you want a ride? I don't always tell anybody that I'm picking him up, but I get him, I get him out and and we just hang and we talk and he's got a lot going for him. I mean, the accountability of this job is one thing, but the accountability to himself. I tell him this all the time intentional, be intentional, do things with the intention of right and wrong, good and bad, blessed or unblessed.
Speaker 5:I got another thing to add too from Marcus, so he's helped me with opening up in prayer in front of him, it doesn't matter who's around you. I remember one of the first times I saw him do that and just like when we all went out to eat, we all just sit there and pray and I would tell him God, it reminds me so much of my aunt, who would, wherever we're at, or she'd see an ambulance, and she would pray for somebody, and when I was a kid I'd be like it just felt odd to me, and now it doesn't, and I've learned from these guys somebody's having a hard day just to pray for them. And one other thing that's good about working here and most people would not admit this I love getting my drug tests.
Speaker 6:I was going to bring that up.
Speaker 5:Because I'm not saying that I would have used, but by the crew that I work with. We all know, once we get a little comfortable or something goes bad, we could use. But that little extra security of knowing that I'm going to get a drug test sometime and that pretty often has really helped me because I want my job, I love what I'm doing, I don't want to use. I want my job, I love what I'm doing, I don't want to use. So it helps, encourage me and it's given me that much more longer sober, to the point where it's going to get even easier. So in the beginning it's definitely helped.
Speaker 2:You know, chris says you're dependent upon these guys. They're dependent upon you now, yeah, and it's a, it's not just a one way street. You having clean drug tests is encouraging to them. You now, yeah, and it's not just a one-way street. You having clean drug tests is an encouragement to them as well. Yes, and it's not just you on the receiving end, you're on the giving end. Yeah, that might feel pretty good to you. Huh, it does.
Speaker 5:Yeah, I felt like that with Marvin before, Like all right let's go take our UA.
Speaker 6:I'm always the first because Marcus always tells me hey, get the guys together and I'm like I can go right now. So I always get mine done right off the bat.
Speaker 2:So it's not like hey, you used to use, we're going to believe that you're not using anymore. There's an accountability factor here to keep the team clean and going forward, because there's nothing worse than assuming something when somebody's struggling with something that we don't want to deal with, and we deal with it here. Miriam, you're going to hate me for this, but I'm going to put you on the spot. How does it feel? You remember why you came here? You've invested in Marcus. He's invested in Marvin. Marvin invested in Chris.
Speaker 3:You are really a mean man, I know sake there you go, thank you, um, I am just so in awe of the lord and what he's done and I'm just so grateful that I have the opportunity to work with these guys and have the opportunity to see the power of God each and every day, you know, in small things like having to do a UA right, and I feel so incredibly blessed to be able to witness and hear about these kinds of transformations and I just really am mad at you that you are making me cry.
Speaker 2:You've been crying through most of this podcast. So I just didn't want you to. But, Miriam, I think it comes to that point is that you've not been homeless before.
Speaker 3:No.
Speaker 2:You've had housing and stable jobs and career and education and God puts you in this place with these guys. That at the foot of the cross. It's level ground.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and I'm just so honored.
Speaker 2:Nobody's better than another person, but he puts it all together and he uses you, and he uses Marcus and Marvin and Chris and this uh cool six year old guy, um, who um go make you a proud grandpa one of these days.
Speaker 3:Yep. Well, hopefully not just yet.
Speaker 2:Now one of these days, one of these days, one of these years, one of these years, yes, yes, um, but, uh, but, uh for but, but for people who are listening today. Guys, thank you for sharing the story. We could go on a lot longer and sometime let's do go on a lot longer, but you know to to to see how this works and that that God has created a system for us to truly love our neighbors ourselves and to take chances with people and to not judge them and to accept them right where they are, and, yeah, sometimes kind of getting each other's lunch and keep each other accountable and to look for ways to find solutions. Yeah, there's rules. Douglas County has a shelter and, sorry, you can't come to Shawnee County to the rescue mission unless there's no options over there. And so, working with Lawrence and working with Topeka, the Rescue Mission, lawrence Community Shelter, the Homeless Solutions Division in Lawrence, and on and on and on, to really try to say can we find an answer for somebody in their crisis?
Speaker 2:The same thing happened here three times, with warming centers, temporary emergency people coming together, but those are things that we only see on the surface.
Speaker 2:What we don't see always is what we heard today. And so, chris, thank you for being so transparent to help us to understand Marvin you've been like that, marcus, you've been like that as well on other podcasts for us to understand. And just remember, if you're listening, you may be that one person that has that one word that you say to somebody, just like Marvin was talking about a radio program that he heard and it just was what was necessary. That day we might do something at the grocery store or see somebody at an intersection, or maybe a co-worker, maybe a neighbor that's really struggling. I mean, it's all part of this system that God has created so that we can truly be light in people's darkness. And so, miriam, thank you for saying yes to come to TRM, to be able to be here for a guy like Marcus, and I love that guy, I love these guys and I just love what I'm seeing God continue to do here.
Speaker 2:So last word, chris anything you would like for our listeners to know today.
Speaker 5:I'd just like to first of all thank my whole crew and everybody here. Even if they're not on the maintenance and facilities crew, I still work with everybody and we are all a team. Thank you for all the shoulders that have been there for me, all the support that's been there for me. Thank you for the help that has allowed me to become a better father, to learn the time to have this without struggling as much. If anybody else is out there and they're homeless and they're out there with their child, come seek help. It's worth it. See the proud moments with your child doing the right thing. It's an awesome feeling. Even when I pay my bills, it's an awesome feeling.
Speaker 6:Yeah, it is.
Speaker 5:The other day I ended up buying something for my son. It was a little bit more expensive than I normally would have bought, but I told myself it felt good to be able to buy it. Well, I bought him a Nintendo Switch and at first I sat there thinking about not doing it and then I was like I'm doing it. I said there was a time before where I would have took that money and bought drugs and thought I was going to flip it or make more money and never do it. Now it feels good to be able to take care of what I have to in life. So if you're out there and you're with your child, you're homeless. Find help, because getting up every day with your child, watch them go to school, it'll get easier. The longer you have sober, the easier you get better support around you, and the high of watching a child grow is way better than any other high well said well said.
Speaker 2:Chris marvin, marcus, miriam, thank you, and thank you for listening today. Those of you who are supporters of topeka rescue mission, this is how you're making a difference. Um, this is lives being changed through circumstance and through relationship and through a father in heaven who cares and has given us not only a direction to go, but he walks with us every step of the way. If you'd like more information about Topeka Rescue Mission, you can go to the website at trmonlineorg. That's trmonlineorg Tongue twister again and just Google Rescue Mission in Topeka. You'll get it there. Also, as Miriam had said, there's opportunities for people to join this team, whether it's volunteer or being on staff, to be a part of what you've heard today. Thank you for being a part of our community, our mission.