Our Community, Our Mission
Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #264 – Celebrating Volunteers: The Heart of TRM
In this episode of Our Community, Our Mission, we honor Volunteer Appreciation Month by exploring the vital role volunteers play at TRM. John Roberts, Deputy Director of Community Needs & Services, shares how volunteers impact every department, from food services to guest support. Suzie Paslay reflects on her journey as Volunteer Coordinator, emphasizing the personal and spiritual significance of each volunteer’s service.
With between 70 to 90 volunteer spots available each day, these dedicated individuals are essential to TRM’s daily operations. From preparing meals to supporting guests and staff, volunteers are the hands and hearts behind the mission, making it possible to serve those in need with excellence and compassion. Suzie also highlights the importance of being people-oriented in her role, recognizing each volunteer’s heart and unique contribution—turning what could be a numbers game into a deeply personal ministry.
Tune in for a moving conversation on purpose, service, and the power of showing up with a willing heart.
To learn more about volunteering with TRM, Click Here!
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Dear Heavenly Father. We thank you, lord, for this day and your blessings and your provisions. God, thank you for this time and this podcast and, lord, just for all of our faithful listeners. Lord, we pray your blessing over this time and this conversation and, lord, that those would hear it, would be encouraged and blessed and maybe even move to action. Lord, we love you and we praise your name. Amen.
Speaker 2:Hello everybody. Thank you for joining us for our community, our mission, a podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission. I'm your host today, barry Feaker, on this Tuesday, april 22nd of 2025. This is episode number 264. We've got a lot of things to talk about today on this. This is National Volunteer Month and this is National Volunteer Week in particular, so we're going to talk to a couple of folks here in a minute. National Volunteer Week in particular, so we're going to talk to a couple of folks here in a minute. But we do have with us today LaManda Cunningham, ceo of Topeka Rescue Mission, marion Crable, who is Deputy Director of Supportive Services, john Roberts, who is Deputy Director of Community Needs and Services, and Susie Pasley, who is also our volunteer coordinator.
Speaker 2:Good morning, everybody comes up with these amazing things that are important about this day, and so it's April 22nd if you're listening on this day or another day, but it's April 22nd of 2025. And so what do we think about when we think of the month of April? April, what Showers? Showers, that's right, showers. What made you think of that?
Speaker 3:Because it's on the sheet. But also April showers bring May flowers.
Speaker 2:Oh, uh-huh.
Speaker 3:There's a little rhyme. Well, the rhyme says so. I know so it must be true.
Speaker 2:It used to really be true at one time I don't know anymore, with climate change, whatever, but yeah, so April. We think about April as being that shower month yes, and April 22nd was chosen. Now here's the big question shower month yes, and April 22nd was chosen. Now here's the big question why was the 22nd, out of all the other dates in April, chosen to be recognized as April showers day?
Speaker 3:LaManda knows.
Speaker 2:Yes, what is it I know CEO, what is it you know?
Speaker 4:Answer woman, come on, but I don't want to always answer right, so I just want to be humble.
Speaker 5:So, is that why you would get a lot of wrong answers?
Speaker 2:from me so.
Speaker 4:I think John can answer Uh-huh, uh-huh.
Speaker 6:Who's to say I?
Speaker 1:know All right. Does anybody really know how any of these days are made.
Speaker 2:Susie, susie. One more last chance. Do you know? I have no idea. Hey, you're all right, because nobody knows where it originated from. Originated from, you're all perfectly right. You answered it in different ways. Okay, so April showers is on the 22nd of April because it rains in April and it was recognized, but nobody really knows why it was picked that day, so probably we don't know.
Speaker 2:For the same reason, any of these days get picked Right, but we do know where the next one originated from. This originated from the California legislature, declared official in 2009. It's National. What day?
Speaker 3:This really is yours. It's so appropriate. Lamanda Crying day no.
Speaker 4:Y'all talk about me crying.
Speaker 3:That's pretty much every day for you.
Speaker 4:School bus driver appreciation day. You're a former principal and teacher.
Speaker 2:I thought she'd be all over this. You don't wake up this morning and go.
Speaker 4:This is that day when I was a principal, I had a whole calendar of everybody we were appreciating. Not anymore, not anymore, but I still appreciate bus drivers.
Speaker 2:I'll tell you what. They are really important and a lot of kids, even when they get to be older, they go back and talk about the bus driver and how important they were. My father-in-law was a bus driver.
Speaker 2:after he retired he was a letter carrier, and at his funeral service there were a lot of kids that showed up as adults that remembered him as being that bus driver, sure, and so not only did he get them there and back obviously they become adults but he was kind to them and you know, and sometimes bus drivers aren't so kind, sit down now.
Speaker 3:They have a big responsibility. They do A lot of little lives I am thankful for.
Speaker 4:You know we have Kansas central that serve as the school bus for a lot of our kiddos who are here at the Hope Center, and so I do want to give them a shout out. You know this is kind of their own route, right, in addition to everything else that they do. But for the past 30 to 45 days we've also had a lot of construction on Curtis and next to it, you know, south of the shelters. And so Kelly with Kansas Central is wonderful to work with. I worked with her when I was a principal. She was at 501 and now she's at Kansas Central. But she messages me if their times are going to deviate or anything and then I'm able to share that with shelter staff and I just appreciate the partnership. But even yesterday I was following the bus and I thought they have to kind of make their own route down here once they get down here. So a big thank you to them for sure.
Speaker 2:Pulling up in front of the Hope Center for kids to get on the bus and go to school is kind of a big deal it is.
Speaker 4:It's kind of like party time it is.
Speaker 2:They get to go to school, and then they bring them back home.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, so it never stops and it's kind of something normal.
Speaker 2:Yes, exactly In the midst of everything that's not so normal.
Speaker 3:Yes, our kiddos.
Speaker 2:Yep, well, god bless the school bus drivers on this National Appreciation Day. All right, the next one. Everybody always wakes up on April 22nd and knows about this particular day because it is national.
Speaker 3:Well, national. Well, come on, miriam, I'm really wondering did you bring me any? I know jelly beans, I actually like jelly beans, I know, but I never have them. Because you like them too much, because I eat them, exactly I can have chocolate in my office all day, because I don't like that, but no, jelly beans can't be there.
Speaker 2:It's National Jelly Bean Day, y'all, so run out and get your jelly beans, or go ahead and use the ones that you didn't use at Easter.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So who was the president who loved jelly beans?
Speaker 2:I think that might have been Abe.
Speaker 3:No, no, no. Someone more recent?
Speaker 2:Who was the president recently?
Speaker 3:Bless your heart. I know. No, ronald Reagan loved jelly beans, so they always had to have jelly beans in the White House for him. Really, y'all didn't know that.
Speaker 4:I don't like jelly beans. Yeah, I don't either actually Sorry.
Speaker 2:I like school bus drivers and April showers, but not jelly beans.
Speaker 3:So anyway, whatever, no wonder I don't have them.
Speaker 2:So anyway, the reason I said Abe, because they apparently were around during the Civil War Jelly beans were Really yeah. So I figured Abe, you know we're going to fight, we're going to have jelly beans Right, something sweet to.
Speaker 1:Need a treat with that, or maybe it's the other guys Need a treat with the war.
Speaker 2:Maybe it's the other guys in the South that did that, I don't know Maybe.
Speaker 3:Interesting.
Speaker 2:So those are the special 22nd that we wanted to bring to your attention today, which are very important, but there's one particular thing that trumps all other April 22nd, miriam. What would that be?
Speaker 3:You know, this is a really, really special day that we should all be celebrating Well or giving condolences, so one way or the other, because you know, I do believe that our beloved CEO has been here for a bit now, I think, like she's been the CEO now for three years and she's been here at TRM almost four years.
Speaker 2:And it has been a journey.
Speaker 3:for her, it has had enough. Let's see how do I refer to them. Let's call them challenges to fill a lifetime, to absolutely fill a lifetime, and she has just come through in flying colors, while flying around.
Speaker 2:So, lamanda Broyles excuse me, cunningham you have been here three years as CEO, as of today. Did you realize when you took the reins about 2 o'clock in the afternoon three years ago that it would be this much fun?
Speaker 4:No, I did not, but it has been. You know, I tell everybody, the past three years I have been learning how to be a CEO and you've been learning how not to be.
Speaker 2:And how am?
Speaker 4:I doing. You're doing good, barry. You have done great. You have done Um, and I'm thankful for that, you know.
Speaker 4:I I think that it's worthy to still be talking about and discussing, because I don't take for granted just the overall transition.
Speaker 4:I mean just how supportive staff was on that day to make it such a special welcoming of me and acknowledging your devotion, and that took a lot of work and I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful for community members by far that just kind of welcomed me into this, and I've made a lot of wonderful partnerships but really strong friendships, so I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful that I still have you as a mentor, you know, because, although I will say the last, like what 12 things I've come to you with, you've been like, yeah, a kid, I don't know, I didn't go through that, um, but I do appreciate you. At least sit in it with me, right, um, as we figure it out. But lots of gratitude, uh, for I'm not even sure I understood three years ago the magnitude of the position, and that's probably God's mercy, because I'm not sure I wasn't ready for it then you had to close your ears and I'm not going, that's right, and so I'm thankful for that.
Speaker 4:But I do think that one thing that I definitely don't take for granted is just everybody's kindness with it, but then also understanding that each year that passes there's a different depth to it that I take, that I don't take lightly, and then I'm very, very humbled that God would look at all of my imperfections and say, yep, you're who I want, there, with that team serving alongside them.
Speaker 4:So it's had a lot of difficulty as well and, honestly, you know, two things I hope that I've done well. One I hope that I have somehow truly been a witness for who Christ is and who he isn't. The second piece is I hope that, as a leader, I have talked about the vulnerabilities just as much as I've talked about the successes, because I feel like that's something that is hurting in our community, and maybe not just our own, where there's pressures on leaders to have all the answers, to know what to do. You reach a certain level and you're there, and I just don't think that's really sanctification and I don't think that's really God's expectation of us, and so I hope that I've been a witness for him. But I also hope that I have talked about the challenges, the struggles, all of that transparently, to hopefully help other leaders realize that we still have a dependence on him.
Speaker 2:I think you've done very well and congratulations on three years in this position. I think when I think about you being in this position three years and I was before you and people were before me because 70-plus years at Topeka Rescue Mission I always so think about all the supporters, all the people who have financially contributed, materially contributed and volunteered.
Speaker 2:That's what we're talking about today is this takes a big, big team, not just the staff but a whole community that's coming together and the position of what we call CEO now is the one that casts the vision for that listens to what's going on out there, works with the team, gets great people in, like you have in your deputy directors and Susie here today, to be able to take it forward. And so it's very complex what's happening in our country today.
Speaker 2:What's happening in our community? Maybe more complex than it has been in regards to the homeless issue in our lifetimes, and so it takes a leader and somebody who God chose we know that for you to step in and you haven't heard him tell you to quit.
Speaker 2:And so thanks for not quitting. We need you to be in the seat that you're in, and so thank you for leading well. So that's April 22nd. Remember that everybody. And yeah, I saw our NARAD on the 22nd myself in kind of a cool ceremony that we had, and it was a blessing. So I'm glad to still be a part of TRM. So let's talk. Well, merrim, you have an update, and then we want to talk about volunteers.
Speaker 3:Oh, I think you should just go straight to volunteers.
Speaker 2:Oh, let's go straight to volunteers. So, john, susie, you guys are in this volunteer space, especially you, susie. John is a deputy director. You have some other departments, so let's start with you, john. You all are for distribution services and food services, and volunteers too, and housing, and housing.
Speaker 2:Okay, wow, anything else, and, and, and Anything else. Or are you just going to tell us later today? Right, it changes often, so talk about from your lens. You have Susie over here, which we're going to hear from in a second because she coordinates all this, but what do you see with food services, housing services, the distribution services, everything that we're doing here, what's the importance to volunteers from your lens?
Speaker 6:That's a great question, and it is something that we cannot do without volunteers. There is so much work that gets done in all of those departments, especially just thinking of with food service. In particular, we're serving three meals a day to all of our shelter guests, plus a meal outside. That's a lot of food that needs to get cooked.
Speaker 2:Plus, providing food for the Mobile Access Partnership. Absolutely, and it goes back outdoors as well and to different locations around.
Speaker 6:Yeah, a lot of food and then other events and opportunities that we can bless vulnerable community members with food that pop up, and so that is a lot of food that needs to be cooked every day, needs to be prepared. There's prep that goes in, it needs to be served, spaces need to get cleaned up and we just have such a really a force of people who come in and faithfully serve different businesses, who free up their employees time to come down and serve church businesses, who free up their employees' time to come down and serve church groups, who are faithful and that's part of the outreach that they do. Families bringing their kids and using it as an opportunity to help instill values of giving back and of service in their kids, and just individuals coming and every single day we just have teams of volunteers in there, face-to-face with our guests, with our community members, with a smile on their face as they help. And that's just one department and really in all of our areas then that same thing is happening, so they're really part of the workforce.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Takes a lot of organization. On that, though, it's not just a somebody walks in off the street and says, hey, I want to help, and then you plug them in because there's a need to coordinate that, to make sure we got enough volunteers in one area Not too many, not too few, if we can. Also, some training goes into that. You've got a lot of things on your plate. What's the value of having Susie as coordinating all that and talk about Susie, and then we're going to talk to Susie.
Speaker 6:Susie is wonderful. It is really a Herculean task because there are so many different opportunities that people need that people need, and different departments not only have different tasks that they might need help for volunteers to come and help serve with, but also just different types of volunteers. Some of just some of all of the different coordination that Susie does is a great job of balancing, getting the right people into the right spot and making sure that it's going to be something that they will find value and have success in, so that it's a meaningful experience not for the people receiving the service but for a valuable experience for the people providing the service. And I think she does that by getting to know the volunteers. So each and every volunteer that comes through, susie takes time to get to know them, to learn about them, to give them some orientation, some training, to get their skills and interests and so that she can pinpoint. I think I have an opportunity that would sound fun to you.
Speaker 2:That would be Sounds like time to ask for a raise. Susie, that's a good promo. You do know Susie wasn't here or doing the job she's doing. You get to do it too. You know that, right. Sorry my eyes. Susie, you've been on the podcast before. We've talked about volunteers and so kind of refresh us how many volunteers, roughly, do we have on the list that you could get a hold of that? Either regular and or on-call type folks. What's your list?
Speaker 5:We are at about 900 right now a little over 900.
Speaker 2:That's cool 900 people who've identified as they want to help.
Speaker 5:It is, and like on a Tuesday or Thursday, when we have MAP going on and the food distribution, we have 90, if every spot is filled, we have 90 volunteers on site here, which is more than the number of employees that we have here more than our staff and on any given Monday, Wednesday, Friday, we have close to 70. So that's a lot of people in a week, that's a lot of people here.
Speaker 2:Miriam, you've calculated these numbers before about that financial value back to TRM. If we had to hire all those people, because you really have to have those jobs done Volunteers aren't extra, they're part of the workforce. What do you recall? I'm putting you on the spot here. Do you recall generally what that number figure?
Speaker 3:is. It's about seven full-time volunteers. I mean seven full-time staff that it would take to replace all of the volunteers that are assisting us regularly, and that kind of doesn't even count. Different kinds of things, like when we do special projects. You know Christmas is a big deal, but I mean you heard what Susie just talked about in terms of just what we need in a week. That's a lot of assistance $150,000 roughly or more.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, last month alone we had.
Speaker 4:When you look at the volunteers, we had over 21,000 volunteer hours. So then when you look at that and you put it to a dollar amount, we're looking at like $685,000.
Speaker 2:Okay over half a million dollars that volunteers help this, and that's the volunteers on your list. That doesn't include the volunteers out collecting food through their church group which then that dollar amount. So it's like multiple millions of dollars benefit from donations of time or efforts in addition to cash.
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 2:So it just takes that. I think people need to know that it's not just about writing a check. Checks are extremely important, giving is extremely important, but there's not enough in an organization like this to be able to do that without this too.
Speaker 3:Well, and Barry, the other thing too is it doesn't always require that people be on site, like I think about our prayer volunteers that pray for our requests, that come in to us from donors or staff or whatever. We have all of these different kinds of opportunities that meet different people's needs or abilities. Right, because not everybody can come out and work at MAP.
Speaker 2:I want to go back to Susie, but you just brought up something. There are volunteers who pray for people who send prayer requests. Talk about that for a moment.
Speaker 3:Well, to me that's a really special, special thing, because we do have volunteers that have been volunteering or care about the mission a lot, but they're just not in a position where they can still come here and do some things, but they can be in their home and pray for us. So they get lists from us every week in terms of people that have requested prayer from us, that are our donors, and we then forward those to people, and then we have a volunteer that writes notes saying, hey, we prayed for you for this, so that people know that we prayed for them. And so it's just this wonderful way for people to be supportive of the work that we do and the people that support us. So not just about us, not just about those we serve, but even the donors that so deeply care about what we do. They also have things going on in their lives that they need prayer for and they trust us with that information to be able to then lift up their needs to the Lord as well.
Speaker 2:So there's sometimes people say I'm going to pray for you, Don't mean it. It's just a phrase, but this means it, this really means it.
Speaker 2:Actually, when somebody says I have a prayer need, like my husband has cancer, or we lost a job, or we need this or that or the other thing and would you please pray for us, it actually gets done. Yeah, so there's volunteers that do that. So, suzy, 900 on your list All kinds of different walks and sizes and trying to help then supplement the ongoing work with TRM. How long have you been doing this now?
Speaker 5:It was two years in March, yeah.
Speaker 4:And just so you know, her contract she signed was until 2099. I may not be on planet Earth by then, and the only exception is if Jesus comes back before then, through technology, we expect you to do it from wherever you're remotely at that's right.
Speaker 5:Remote in heaven? Yes, that's right.
Speaker 2:Susie, I've worked there's been some great volunteer coordinators over the years at Topeka Rescue Mission. I tell you you were really an all-star there at the top.
Speaker 2:And I hear that not just from staff, but I hear it from volunteers as well. And so two years ago, when you stepped into this position, I know you were familiar with Topeka Rescue Mission, familiar through your pastor being one, clark Johnson, who was a board member here, who had passed away before you came on board here, and different experiences with TRM. But what's changed in these two years, from your perspective, as I'm the new kid on the block doing this job to a veteran of two years now?
Speaker 5:I feel like I understand better all of the things that happen here at Terium. And that is one of the things that I so enjoy when I do the volunteer orientations, because I have the opportunity to educate, which is a field that I was in previously education but I have that opportunity to open people's eyes and to realize so many things that are going on here that are helping people. We're not just, you know, as a lot of times we're referred to as maybe just a bed and a meal, and there's so much more here, that and how we walk with our guests and our folks as they move on into their own housing and into their own jobs, and how we help them to not only just become stable but be able to have success and move forward. And that's what the volunteers love.
Speaker 5:That's why they love to be a part of TRM is because they see that we do serve a lot of meals I think it's over 1,000 meals a day but we also come along and we nurture and care for them as far as the journey that they're taking from where they have been to just those steps forward. And oftentimes the volunteers will ask the question I think this is common how long do you let them stay? Well, as they are moving forward and that can be a different pace for each one of us and for them, it's just whatever they need to keep moving forward. And that is the beauty of TRM, and I think I feel like all of my life God has been preparing me for this season of my life to be here and to be a part, to just watch it is beautiful.
Speaker 5:To be a part of it is just so incredibly fulfilling and a blessing in the depths of your soul. That's different than other things that you can do.
Speaker 2:You may have already answered my next question, but what's your most enjoyable thing about what you do?
Speaker 5:Wow, there's a lot of things. It's hard when you say one or two.
Speaker 2:We're on a limited time here, so you know, I love the volunteers.
Speaker 5:I love seeing their hearts come in and be open to how can they help and what can they do, and seeing that change in their own lives. And then, when I take new volunteers on the tours, to see them say, oh this is, you're going to love this, you're going to love this. Walking into our shelters and getting to see our guests that I've come to know from being here and having them stop and talk to me and tell me what's going on with them or you know, um, just that comfort that they feel, just being together with me, and I love. I love that privilege too.
Speaker 2:So it really takes that people oriented person which you are. Uh, amanda, a lot of moving parts, a lot of different people doing different positions um front lines, midline, backline. Susie is in all of those positions. Yes, so um as CEO talk about the importance of a people oriented volunteer coordinator.
Speaker 4:Yeah, you know, I was thinking about Susie last night and Because I think we've all described her as like any, any type of positive adjective that's out, there is Susie Right From just the kindness, the tenderness, the good listener, friend, all of that, and so I was kind of like but that it still doesn't sum her up like. She's just so different. And the thing that I came to was the phrase that we often say quality over quantity. That's Susie. So Susie's position could be very quantitative, it could be numbers based. She knows how many spots she needs to fill, she knows how many volunteers she has, she knows when schedules change, she knows when we're doing alternative food schedules, all of these things. Like she's involved in the numbers piece of TRM, which is very important, right, we've got to know what we need and we've got to know what meets the need, know what meets the need.
Speaker 4:And it could be very easy for Susie to fill spots, Like we've got four that we need right now in this area and I'm going to put four people there, but that's just not Susie. Susie has been able and honestly, other than and I know it sounds cliche, but just the gifting from the Lord, it's the only way I know how she can do it, Because she takes these numbers and these needs and then understanding. The next layer is what do those numbers represent? Well, it's not just standing in a food line to serve, she understands. And when you're standing in a food line to serve, we want you to smile, we want you to interact, we want you to do this. Yes, you have to have gloves. Like she gets it.
Speaker 4:She probably could be the balance between a volunteer coordinator and an operations director. Like she has to know the details, and so I appreciate that she has the skill sets to understand the quantity piece and why it's so valuable, Because if those spots aren't filled, work is not done. I mean, it's really that plain, but yet she does it with quality, and what I mean by that is kind of how John touched on earlier. She wants to be as personal as she can with the departments to truly know the need. She also wants to be as personal as she can with the departments to truly know the need. She also wants to be as personal as she can with the volunteers so that it's a quality, even if that person doesn't understand it.
Speaker 4:She understands that it is a God occurrence and I think that when we peel back all of just the amazing layers to Susie and there's lots the fruit of it is she understands everything she does is for the Lord and she also understands that everything she's working with that she probably truly is putting the puzzle pieces together of divine intervention and I love that. She values that. That that's not something that I can instill. We can teach organization, we can teach email etiquette. We can do all of that.
Speaker 4:But to know to embed in someone you are doing the Lord's work on so many different levels and you have no idea why God has that individual person in the DC car line. But God knows it and she loves the Lord so much that she's just obedient and to me it is truly invaluable what she does. And to try to put that in words is somewhat difficult, other than saying she understands her assignment from the Lord. Everything she does is for him and somehow she's able to do it with a love of people that come to us different backgrounds, different personalities, different needs. We have some people who would be here seven days a week if they could. We have some people that say I only want one hour and I'm not going to be a minute late, and she just handles them with love and care, and to me it's amazing.
Speaker 3:And you know, I think the thing that we also need to recognize here is Susie is very often the first contact that people have with TRM. You know emails. I monitor the general TRM email address and we get emails like the one that I recently received from a company that says look, we want to be a part of the community, do you want to partner with us?
Speaker 3:I'm not going to do anything with this email except forward it to Susie right, so she will be the first contact that this person has whose title happens to be people in culture, senior manager, right? So it's about how can being at TRM and helping TRM build our culture in our business? So the reasons people come here are different, but Susie will be the first contact that this person has with us.
Speaker 2:Well, susie, if you stop breathing by now, all this reflection of this big job that you have. I do hear that they're looking for traffic controllers at O'Hare Airport. If you are looking for a different job.
Speaker 1:It sounds like you're kind of like that.
Speaker 2:You've got incoming outgoing, you have landings, takeoffs, those kind of things. Susie, this is how your team sees you. This is how leadership sees you here, and then I'd also said, this is how the people who are volunteering see you, which then translates into that greater value that LaManda was talking about in regards to what God is doing in all of this. So it's a big job. I want to talk about a little bit of the nuts and bolts here in a minute, but before we do that, we talked about what you enjoy the most. What's the most challenging part of this?
Speaker 3:If we haven't already said that with everything that you're having to do here, or getting to do what's the most challenging thing personally to you and we know it's. John is your supervisor and we're sorry about that, susie.
Speaker 6:We're sorry, can't fix that one.
Speaker 3:That's right, but we've tried. I actually like John. And we keep trying, he's great too.
Speaker 4:It's great too.
Speaker 5:I'm good. Most challenging Probably the 24-hour shifts on the warming center. To be honest, those overnight those are challenging.
Speaker 2:What was challenging about that? What isn't?
Speaker 3:I was going to say, people volunteers.
Speaker 2:Getting enough of them, because we're 24-7. It's a crisis, emergency situation. There really is not a lot of time to equip and train. I mean all those things.
Speaker 5:Well, you know, the community of Topeka is amazing and so many folks that volunteer with the heart to be there to come. I mean, we even had regular volunteers during the warming center that would come multiple days to serve, but that overnight, that 24-7, especially as you go out the longer distance, more than just a couple of days. It's tough because folks are trying to figure out how to get out of their houses or how to work and help others. It's not that they don't have the heart, they have the heart to want to help, but that's just really challenging, especially as the week goes on.
Speaker 2:How do you deal with the? Okay, I've got this responsibility of finding these people to fill these positions and there are some that are the ongoing. We need to have this done at this time. We do it every day like this. Then there's those unusual times. We plan for a Topeka rescue mission and, through the community, we plan for now what we call extreme weather events. We just don't know when they're going to happen and how long they're going to happen. So you plan for something you know is probably going to come, but it may not come. But when it comes, you weren't sure when it was going to come and how long it's going to last when it comes, and on and on. Exactly, do you? How do you handle the stress of that when they're saying, susie, we need somebody for the four hour shift, starting at one o'clock in the morning at a warming center, with people coming off the streets and maybe they've never done that before? How do you handle that stress?
Speaker 5:One of the biggest things I've learned in my life is that God is the provider of all things, and so there are times, even during the week, if I'm short volunteers in a particular spot and I know that they need at least another person or two, I just stop and pray and then I trust that, if God provides for, and then I trust that if God provides for, that's what we needed. Those are the people that we needed for the opportunity that we are providing volunteers for, and I trust, and then, you know, sometimes I still go really.
Speaker 5:Lord, was that enough? And I pray, help it to be enough, help it to come together. And I pray, help it to be enough, help it to come together. However, lord, you know and you foresaw that it would all work well and that the experience for everyone involved would be a blessing and encouragement, in a way that it draws them closer to you.
Speaker 2:So, susie, people oftentimes talk about prayer. They talk about that. It's important. This is like serious prayer for you, because we're talking about serious lives at stake. Have you seen God come through in ways that you didn't think it was going to happen? You've got a big smile on your face right now. Talk about that, and what does that say to you?
Speaker 5:Absolutely. Oh my, it's so beautiful to watch. You know, somebody will send me a text or they'll send me an email or they'll give me a call and they'll be like, hey, I can come, I can help.
Speaker 5:And I especially love it when I haven't even sent the request out to everyone, I think it's really cool to just see God pop that in their thoughts to move forward, and then they reach out to me. So I think that's why I see the relationship as very important to this role, because I want people to know that they can reach out to me at any time, because I'm just the connection for the Father.
Speaker 2:Do you find that there are volunteers that come in who maybe have a different level of spiritual understanding by being involved in Topeka Rescue Mission maybe an enrichment in regards to the reality of Christ and being a part of this Do you get any kind of feedback in that regard?
Speaker 5:Yes, yes, being a part of this, do you get any kind of feedback in that regard? Yes, yes, a lot of times I've had volunteers serve with the drive up food distribution and just the beauty of being the person who picks up the bag of food and puts it out there and offers a smile or a hello to that person that's picking up food that needs it.
Speaker 5:Just, you know, I've heard them make reference to it's like offering a cup of cold water, you know to someone who's thirsty and you can tell that it spoke very deeply to their soul, that they can see they're that conduit for the Father to give food to that person. So, yeah, there's a lot of times to give food to that person. So, yeah, there's a lot of times. And, too, just the volunteers have also commented on the blessing of the staff to them, just how they feel that the staff really cares about them and cares about those that we work with. They can see it in staff as well as each other. So, yeah, very definitely.
Speaker 2:So there's opportunities for the volunteer to even grow spiritually, being a part of this, because sometimes we hear about what the Word says to do. We've studied it, gone to church faithfully. Whatever the case might be or maybe we're new to it this is a place where rubber meets the road in regards to a need and then being able to fill that need. John, being over food services in your time here, you've seen some of those needs met miraculously with food coming in. What does that do to you and speak to you and your team?
Speaker 6:It's definitely encouraging when those things happen, right when moments of panic or anxiety of how are we going to make this work, and exactly what you need, comes at exactly the right time and sometimes, especially with volunteers, exactly the right person shows up.
Speaker 6:And it's also it's always funny when someone shows up and they're just here to do one task and then you get to know them and maybe they have a funny story of how they ended up hearing about the opportunity. And then they tell you about their experience and their skill set and their heart and they have. And all of a sudden you're like, oh my gosh, this is perfect for this opportunity that we have here. And just seeing how people God leads people through a door to maybe start by, you know, wiping down tables after lunch, or maybe it's helping collapse boxes after a food distribution and that's maybe their ticket in the door and then just seeing God pull on their heartstrings and that exactly the right person shows up with exactly the right skill set to then come in and make a big impact for God and for our community here that we're serving at TRM, and so those are always just it's moments like that that keep you going.
Speaker 2:So God answers prayer all the time, because we have to have God answer prayer all the time and sometimes the volunteer is the answer to the prayer and I would imagine, susie, that when a person gets a clue, wow, you prayed and I showed up. I just felt like I was supposed to pick up that phone and call you or go online.
Speaker 5:I tell them you are an answer to prayer and I mean it.
Speaker 2:Who doesn't want to hear that in their life right?
Speaker 3:Yeah, and you know, barry, though I think it's important that the people that are listening realize, too, not everyone is coming here because they feel like the Lord has called them.
Speaker 3:That's true.
Speaker 3:It may not be that that is where they are on their journey yet, and I think that, then, is what gives us whether it's Susie or all of our staff the opportunity to be a reflection of Christ for them.
Speaker 3:So they may have had church hurt, they may have not ever really known what a relationship with the Lord looks like, or not even known that it's what they want, but they know that they want to help people and they know we help people, and so the opportunity that our teams have to then be a witness in a very tangible kind of way, to why we do what we do, why we are called to do this, can often change their lives in ways that we maybe can't even imagine, because it isn't a requirement that you know the Lord to come be here right, we need your heart to be willing to serve. But it gives a different kind of opportunity for how we get to witness, not just to those that come to us because they're experiencing homelessness or because they need food, but people who may just be hungering for something more that they don't even know what it is they're hungering for.
Speaker 2:And there's an opportunity wherever they are. Susie, let's get into the nuts and bolts just very briefly. So what is the requirement for a volunteer? How does somebody find out about where they can volunteer and how do they get connected with you?
Speaker 5:So we have a great location on our website. Trm onlineorg has a volunteer tab, and if you click on that tab, you can look at what are some of the opportunities. You can sign up and open an account with us to start, and you can also see what are the expectations for volunteers, and so that's a great spot to just go ahead and sign up in there and then I'm notified when you sign up and that gives me an opportunity to reach out to you and invite you to our orientations that we have. We have those one in the afternoon and one in the evening every month, and so that's the start and then people need to come through the orientation.
Speaker 2:What's the value of that?
Speaker 5:That is a fun time Everybody loves it honestly because we tour buildings so you get to see our shelters, our dining room, our distribution center and our children's palace. And then they get to learn about all of the inner workings, of all the programs and opportunities that we have here for our guests, so they get to see how it all fits together. I love it when they say I had no idea.
Speaker 5:And I just smile because I'm like yeah, and then we can talk about what they're interested in. Usually people come with something that sparked their interest and that helps to give me a starting spot, and then we can see you know what skills. If they don't know where to start, you know what their skills are and looking for opportunities. So, yeah, that's the starting spot.
Speaker 2:So how long is that orientation?
Speaker 5:The orientation is two hours and I've had people say two hours, but when you tour buildings and you're hopping around, it just takes a little bit of that travel, kind of like going to Disneyland, not going to Disneyland.
Speaker 2:One hour Travel time. So well, this is National Volunteer Month, national Volunteer Week. Anything special going on this week with the volunteers?
Speaker 5:Yeah, this year we're doing some department celebrations, so a little bit of a different instead of everybody all coming together in large scope. So it's really been fun. We've had a couple of them already and the volunteers have really appreciated the opportunity to get to know the staff and those departments better, and staff that they haven't met before, as well as each other. So it's been fun hearing their stories about how they came here, how long they've been here, what they've been doing, but also they've commented on how much they've enjoyed that chance to get to know our staff in that specific area as well. So we're doing that and then we have some fun thank you videos coming out to volunteers too and thank you notes.
Speaker 2:So just a lot of different little things going on, A lot of organization there. So, as we wrap this up again, thank you, Susie John, thank you for what you guys do in this arena. Mary Lamanda, thank you for just the leadership. Congratulations again. Three years now as CEO. How many more do you have to catch up?
Speaker 4:I know what 34? Because I got to go past you.
Speaker 2:Well see, but I'm still hanging around TRM, and so yesterday was actually my 39th day.
Speaker 4:I don't know if I'm ever going to catch up.
Speaker 2:I don't think you're going to catch up until you get me out of here, so anyway, let me add this one more group of volunteers, I know you will want to mention that you work really closely with. All volunteers are equal in importance. They all have different roles, but one has a unique role. What is that?
Speaker 4:Yes, that is the Topeka Rescue Mission Board of Directors and despite some of the rumors out there you know I do have to giggle sometimes, barry, but I have been told that our board of directors make a lot of money yeah. I've heard that too, and are given vehicles and all sorts of stuff. And our volunteers, that are our board of directors, their wages right, their pay is going to come in heaven and extra jewels in the crowd.
Speaker 2:It started out zero and zero.
Speaker 4:Yes, so it's zero and zero, zero. So our board of directors, though, on a serious note, they are completely volunteers and sometimes I think that we forget that a little bit because they have such an important leadership stewardship of this ministry, but they are doing that on their own time. I mean, many of them have their own professions or are retired and very well involved in other areas, and so I appreciate them, I appreciate their love for the Lord and how they walk their own journey, and all of them talk about their testimony right, and what links all of them together is they are all driven to help lead others to Christ period, and it's because of how they've recognized that they've been drawn to Christ and what a difference and a transformation that is in their lives. And so it truly. I can say this with no hesitation it is a blessing to have that board, and I tell them that all the time. That does not mean we're always unanimous in our votes and it doesn't mean we always see things at the same timing, you know. And it's all this beautiful package, but what is amazing is when we're having crucial conversations or we're trying to figure out the Lord's wheel we're trying to look at is this the timing for this. Is it not the timing for that? There is so much respect and dignity and really just reverence for the Lord and also trying to find this balance of. They're responsible for action, though, and so to me.
Speaker 4:You know I've served on other boards, I've been parts of other boards. I hear stories of other boards, and I can truly say that I am thankful for ours, and we're kind of in this season of transition. The board is evaluating what more should they be doing. They're looking at what's coming next for TRM. They're looking at how better to support me as the CEO, but not micromanage, and I just love that. I love and respect our board president, john Austinson. Um, you know, I think we've had incredible board presidents in the past, uh, that I have a lot of respect for, but there's something different about John and and he's really bringing this balance of spiritual maturity and and accountability with also walking the walk and talking the talk, and so I'm thankful for each and every one of them. They bring their own talents.
Speaker 4:You know, I tease Mike Reinhardt a lot, because he's our treasure, and I tell him all the time like if it wasn't for you, I would just go cross-eyed at all the stuff that you and Miriam have to do with the budgets and the financials, and I could just go down the list of every board member and how they use their specific giftings and talents that God's given them. And the cool thing too is it's almost like every quarter. I find out something that a board member's doing that I had no idea out, something that a board member's doing that I had no idea. And so I also look at our board as I see what they do every month and I see the text messages, because there's several exchanged in between meetings. There's emails that go back and forth. I give them a CEO report once a month. There's all of this. So we're very involved and we're very engaged.
Speaker 4:But there's still so much that they do either individually in the area of homelessness or for TRM, preventative measures, those kinds of things that they just kind of are silent heroes too. They just do it in their private lives. That bless a lot of people and that's just neat. Just when you think you get to know them, then you find out this other great quality about them. So I'm thankful. I'm thankful to get to serve alongside them and, despite what's out there, they are volunteers. They are not paid employees. That's right.
Speaker 2:Volunteers are usually not paid, that's right.
Speaker 2:Well, we've heard a lot about volunteers today and you may be one, and we are so grateful to you who are listening, and you may be wondering if maybe yeah, I want to do that Maybe it's at a level of serving food, or it might be in street outreach, maybe a mobile access partnership, it could be distribution, shelters, the list goes on and on, and maybe even a future board member with Topeka Rescue Mission. And so Susie's your gal. You can go to trmonlineorg. That's trmonlineorg, and go to the volunteer section and thank you for volunteering to listen to our community, our mission. I know there's many of you out there who do this faithfully, whether you're washing the dishes or you're driving your car or you're just chilling out. Thank you for being a part of this, because when you spread the word about Topeka Rescue Mission, you are indeed a volunteer we need. Thank you.