Our Community, Our Mission
Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #278 – Law Enforcement with Heart: Officer Razo and the Power of Relationship
In this inspiring episode of Our Community, Our Mission, hosts Barry Feaker and La Manda Cunningham sit down with Officer Robert Razo of the Topeka Police Department and Daniel Dobson from TRM’s Outreach Team to explore the power of collaboration in serving Topeka’s unsheltered neighbors. Through heartfelt stories and candid conversations, listeners are taken behind the scenes of innovative efforts like the Co-Responder Program, City ID, and Take Me Home initiatives—programs breaking down barriers and bringing hope to those in need. This episode shines a light on the importance of relationship-building, authenticity, and vulnerability—both among service providers and with the individuals they serve.
Listeners will also hear about the back-to-school supply distribution, the critical need for men’s clothing, and the significance of celebrating small victories in the journey out of homelessness. With actionable insights and a call to community involvement, this episode is a powerful testament to what’s possible when organizations, law enforcement, and individuals come together with a shared mission and open hearts.
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Dear Heavenly Father. We thank you, lord, for this day and your blessings and your provisions. God, we thank you for this time and this podcast and, lord, we just thank you for our special friend and guest today and, lord, just the work that's being done in the community. And, lord, thank you for the servants who are being your hands and feet. Lord bless this time and Lord bless the listeners who hear it today. In Jesus' name, amen.
Speaker 2:Hello everybody. You're listening to Our Community, our Mission, a podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission on August, the 5th Tuesday of 2025. Good morning, lamanda Cunningham. Good morning we're on podcast number 278.
Speaker 3:I know that's incredible. Do you remember when we started?
Speaker 2:these? I don't, you weren't born yet, right? Oh, that's incredible. Do you remember when we started these?
Speaker 3:I don't, you weren't born yet right, I was born, but I was pretty much a principal in 501 while y'all were over here doing this good work, we're just hanging out doing stuff during pandemic and those kind of things.
Speaker 2:I'm your host today, barry Feeker, with LaManda Cunningham, who's CEO of Topeka Rescue Mission. And before we jump into the research and development Department research that they've done we do have the head of the Research and Development Department here today, josh Turley. Hey, josh, give us an update on back to school, because here we are August the 5th. Yeah, and you've been talking about back to school.
Speaker 1:We've been talking about back to school for months now, mm-hmm, months, yeah.
Speaker 3:Since last year. Yeah, back to school last year.
Speaker 1:Basically, you just start over.
Speaker 3:That's right.
Speaker 1:So it's happening? Yeah, it's happening. Like right now? Right, it is Tomorrow. So if you're listening today, on Tuesday it is happening tomorrow, august 6th, from 10 am to 6 pm Serving families in the community. I believe right now we've got a little over 400 kiddos yes, 400 kiddos that are being served. So it's incredible, that's a lot of Big Chief tablets, do we?
Speaker 2:still do Big Chief tablets.
Speaker 1:I don't know.
Speaker 2:I don't know about that. You don't know anything about that.
Speaker 1:I remember those? Oh, do you? Yeah, because I remember you'd like fold them and the like cool sounds they'd make. They made this weird sound, when you like, kind of folded them.
Speaker 2:Oh, when I was a kid, big Chief and the number two pencil, that was it.
Speaker 3:I thought you were meaning like the stone and the chisel that you used when you were in school. That's what I use now. Oh, that's right.
Speaker 1:It's called Apple. Oh, that's true, it's still a tablet. It's still a tablet.
Speaker 3:You know I didn't get numbers yesterday, barry, but I do want to give a plug that on Sunday, because we were watching donations on Friday and through the weekend, but as of Sunday, we still needed a hundred backpacks. So I want to really do that. Push out there. You know the Lord provides, and I shared that story last year of we had a family that had 10 or 11 kiddos and we didn't have the backpacks, and so the team was going back and forth of like do we go buy these, do we not? Um? And the next morning, when right before we went to buy the backpacks, um, someone called from out of town and was like we have 11 backpacks, we want to come bring you.
Speaker 3:So sometimes we just have to get out of the way, and the Lord works that way. And then other times he works through providing the financial needs, and so we've had a couple of people that have given to this cause specifically. Both online people can designate there's an area on there where they can say where they want their money to specifically go to and then others have dropped off checks and, in the memo line, put back to school. So either way, I know for a fact uh, today and tomorrow, all of the needs are going to be met, because that's how the Lord works, uh, but I just want to tell people if they're listening. Um, sometimes that prayer that we're asking is answered through you, um, and that might be your $10 check or a hundred dollar check, or it might be those, the one backpack you bring, or the 20 backpacks you bring, but we have a lot of kiddos who are depending on it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so people can be part of an answer to prayer. Yes, if they're listening to this right now, it's not too late, especially if they're listening here on August, the 5th of 2025.
Speaker 1:Or middle of the day, august 6th, or 2028. I mean, we can still take it.
Speaker 3:That's right. Or mailing a check or dropping anything by Topeka Rescue Mission. You know my own girls. There's always so much of a lesson that I've. Sometimes I feel like my life is a frame story of what I'm living with my own kids and then what we're doing here at the mission. This is a reality, show, you know.
Speaker 2:It is, it is.
Speaker 3:And you know, at first I thought, man, I'm going to TRM to really help and just serve and do, and the Lord was like no daughter. You have so much to learn and you need to learn it at TRM. But it's really cool because I have two girls and all of their school supplies are on the kitchen counter right now because I've not organized them and we're blessed every year that my dad and my stepmom either take the girl shopping or get their list and they buy for them, and they've done this for years. And so I have tons of memories of um, even sometimes it's pictures of the big boxes that came because they live out of state, and my pictures of the girls with the boxes and I send it to tell them thanks. But anyways, this year all the stuff was out and my youngest was looking at it all and I said, um, literally, are you excited about all your school supplies? And she looked at me and she said, as long as I know, all the kids in the hope center have supplies and it just.
Speaker 3:I had this moment of like, man, I'm doing something right, that she has all these cool things from her grandparents who love her, and has that, you know, has that memory and the history, the tradition of it. But, like she had that check of the kids at the Hope Center, have it. And so I said yes. I said, do you know? That's what we do first. So when we start asking people to help, we make sure. Uh, and right now we're looking at 48 kids not all of them are school age, but 48 kids in the hope center. And so I told her, I said yes, they do. And then she looked at me and she goes well, are there other kids that need school supplies? And I said, yes, honey, there's thousands in our community, but we're doing a drive and it's going to be over 400, and North Topeka Outreach is doing a drive. And then I named off some of the churches that are doing the drives and all that. And then after that she was like okay, I'm ready to do some stuff with my school supplies.
Speaker 2:She didn't volunteer to give her school supplies up and just stay home.
Speaker 3:I think you know well not that kid. She's too social, she's been counting down the day to go back to school. But I do think if there was still a need and she knew it she absolutely would be the kid that would just show up at school like do you all have supplies for me? Because I gave all mine away. My oldest struggles a little bit more with that, but little E is definitely a giver.
Speaker 2:Amanda. We have a couple of really good guests today. We always have good guests, but these are some guys doing a lot of amazing things and we're going to get into the research and development department, but it ties in with introducing these guys. So we have Topeka Police Department Officer Razo here this morning First time on a podcast.
Speaker 1:Yes, it is Good to see you here.
Speaker 2:Thanks, yeah. And Daniel Dobson, who is part of the outreach of Topeka Rescue Mission and has been here for a number of years. Your second time on the podcast, that's correct.
Speaker 4:Morning, Daniel Morning.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So, daniel, I want to kind of jump. We're going to talk what you guys do together and Officer Raza, what you've created in this community and manage, which is amazing things. But, daniel, what's one of the biggest needs, as you are helping facilitate the rescue mission clothing trailer for the MAP program, that you get an idea of what the volunteers on that trailer need. That gets filtered to you. Then you go out and try to find the stuff so you can stock the trailer so that on a Tuesday and Thursday it's ready to go. So what's one of the biggest needs that you have?
Speaker 4:Yeah, so men's clothing has always been a huge need for us because we just have so many more men than women coming in to get the clothing, but specifically men's underwear like mediums, larges kind of those sizes specifically, and it's gotten to the point where it's become quite the topic of conversation. But I remember a few months ago we had gotten in quite a few packages of medium underwear and we had our volunteers on our Friday restocking doing little dances. It was kind of hilarious.
Speaker 2:But yeah, it just continues to be a the simplest things in life sometimes can be the most you know important thing, right I?
Speaker 4:mean, I need underwear too. You know, it's like I remember yeah you get to that age where you're like man, I just need some underwear and socks.
Speaker 2:To that age? Is that post?
Speaker 1:diaper or pre diaper.
Speaker 4:Well, yeah, I won't go there, but I, yeah, I think at this point it's still. It's still one of the bigger needs that we have you know, and and I think it kind of makes me appreciate too, just like you know, some of those simple things that I take for granted you know, in my everyday life you know, but man, it's like it's, it's hard you know with you know no, and you know that I know that that can be such a such a huge thing for someone to get you know something simple like that, you know, for dignity's sake you know, as well, and just how much of a relief that can be.
Speaker 4:you know, coming to a clothing trailer and saying, hey, like I need a new outfit. You know, I just fell in the mud today and I am like covered in mud. And then here we give you, you know, all of those pieces.
Speaker 2:Or show up to the clothing trailer, and there's nothing. Yeah, so that's the other thing too, and again, the clothing trailer is part of the larger operation called the Mobile Access Partnership. It's been going on for four years. It lets help right now, and Topeka Rescue Mission. One of the things that they do in partnership with that is provide the clothes and the supplies on a Tuesday and Thursday, and so Rescue Mission solicits donations, just like you just did about the underwear need to come here to take care of folks in shelter and also off the streets, and have that.
Speaker 2:Well, daniel, this is really good timing because you know what today is. What is today? The Research and Development Department discovered that today is National Underwear Day.
Speaker 4:Believe it or not, there's a National Underwear Day.
Speaker 2:That's why we had to go ahead and go there. National Underwear Josh. Thanks for really digging this stuff up. I did have to dig extra, no pun intended. National Underwear Josh, thanks for really digging this stuff up.
Speaker 2:I did have to dig extra so I got to read this. So National Underwear Day is on August the 5th every single year, and so it says let us briefly tell you why we love underwear. Well, we're not going to read the rest of that. I think that we don't need to read the rest of that. I think that we yeah, we don't need to read the rest of that, so, but you know my.
Speaker 3:I need to ask my dad if we still had it, but my grandmother had. It was made out of old washcloths Cause, you know, I grew up in the South, very Southern, and she had made these and they were tied and so they look like underwear, it's a family rated program.
Speaker 2:It is tied and so they look like underwear. It's a family rated program, it is.
Speaker 3:But she made these washcloths and had sewed them and they looked like underwear and they hung in her kitchen my entire life. But then there was a like note or an index card that she used a pen through it and it was her handwriting and it was a poem and I used to have it memorized. But all I can remember now is something about um, like, if you don't act right, um, she's going to get a switch and you're going to have switches on your britches and you may need stitches. And she watched all of us grandkids and stuff you know. And so that was our reminder of do you want to go have a switch on your bridge?
Speaker 2:And so she didn't call them underwear.
Speaker 3:They were britches.
Speaker 2:Everything was britches. It's really hard to find directors of homeless shelters in the country, and so Arkansas is a great place to go find some of these folks.
Speaker 3:We're really grounded, Barry. We're really grounded.
Speaker 2:I can just see those cloths up there that have dual purpose in Arkansas.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:We wear them as underwear and we also use them to wipe our face with. So anyway.
Speaker 3:That's how it is. I'm going to text my dad while we're on this podcast, because if he still has that, that needs to be the picture of today's thing, not a picture of Raza.
Speaker 2:So anyway, if we haven't got, your attention on the need for underwear. We need underwear Topeka Rescue Mission so they can help the guests of the Topeka Rescue Mission as well as those who are living on the streets or coming to the mobile access partnership. So, anyway, they can go to the distribution center to drop those off and that is at 401 Northwest Norris. Yeah, got it. I used to office there. So what was that address? Northwest Norris? Yeah, got it. I used to office there. So what was that address? 401s Northwest Norris, monday through Friday, 8 o'clock until 3 pm, that they can drop those off or send designated money for National Underwear Day for the Piga Rescue Mission.
Speaker 2:There you go and the Mobile Access Partnership. So while we're on this, we got one more, just one more today. Amanda, you know what this one's like it's National Work Like a Dog Day. Work Like a Dog Day, what's that mean, you work a lot.
Speaker 3:It's a dog-eat-dog world and you hope you get a treat, but that doesn't happen very often.
Speaker 2:Well, anyway, you know, I have a dog, my dog does not work.
Speaker 3:That's what I was going to say. I'm like it depends on what work I work for the dog. Yeah, I work for the dog and you have worked for her, like since you brought her home.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah.
Speaker 3:She's the master.
Speaker 2:She trained me really because she was seven months old when I got her and she was already ready to teach me. So anyway, no, she's good. But anyway, yeah, work like a dog, don't really know what it means.
Speaker 2:But you got to work hard, working, hard, working hard, yeah, okay, well, we'll go past that into back to our guests today, who really do work hard. Yes, and they're doing so many things, daniel. I want to start with you, daniel. You and I met for the first time. I don't remember, if you remember when we met, you were actually waiting tables in a restaurant and there was an ice storm and nobody came except me and this other guy who was a missionary from around, and you served us like we were the only guests in the restaurant because we were Daniel's, like I could have went home if y'all weren't there.
Speaker 2:And he stayed engaged with our information that we were talking about. I didn't know anything about him. Next thing, I see you. You're working at the distribution center at Topeka Rescue Mission. So, daniel, what brought you to Topeka Rescue Mission to work here, and how long ago has that been? And tell us a little bit about your journey. Sure, briefly, of course. Yeah, briefly.
Speaker 4:That's good. Well, so after that encounter at that restaurant, so I had actually left that restaurant back in 2022 in the summer, right at the end of May, and I kind of long story short, had been led kind of, I guess I'd say to me uniquely through that time and I felt like the Lord was asking me to go out to California and I didn't know anyone that was doing this at the time. Um but um, I just I I kind of left, everything, went out. Uh, didn't really have any plan, any money or anything, just go to California.
Speaker 2:Just went to California. That's what I particular location in California uh, san Diego. Oh, okay, Okay, Now we're getting a little. You know small little town.
Speaker 4:Yeah, a little bit, and I had one guy that I did have a contact with there that had a little Bible study home Bible study but other than that I didn't know why I was felt like I was supposed to go out there, but every time I was praying that whole year up until that summer.
Speaker 4:That's what was on my heart, and so I went out and saw some amazing things, got to meet some people through that contact and through many other people that I met out there. But one of the things that really impacted me was I got to for about six weeks just interact with so many different people that were living on the street and I saw things that I didn't even know were a thing up until that point. You know, I'd heard about those that were living on the street in California and in other places, you know, and I'd interacted with a few here in Topeka, but up until that point I didn't ever really think about the reality of the situation as a whole in a community. And so when I went there to San Diego, I remember stepping off of a Greyhound bus and the entire downtown area of San Diego that I could see, as far as I could see, was one massive camp, and so I my, my world, just kind of shifted right there.
Speaker 2:From Topeka to San Diego. Yeah, yeah, you know a tent city there.
Speaker 4:Uh-huh yeah, and just walking up these streets and you know, for like a quarter mile, all that's on either side of the street along these sidewalks was just tents, you know, and just um, getting to meet people, hear their stories. Um, you know, there would be days where I would just be walking around, I had nothing else to do. So I just like sit with a guy for like five hours and just talk with him and hear his story and just listen to what he was, you know, going through, and I just was like blown away by some of the things that I was hearing, some of the things that I was seeing.
Speaker 4:One other experience I'll share is I met a city bus driver full uniform, worked every Monday through Friday, regular job and he lived in a homeless camp because he couldn't afford the cost of living. And that's not something that we see maybe as much here in Topeka, but again, just a reality shift for me. And so, coming back from that, I just sat for a couple months and just kind of processed some of those things and really kind of wrestled with some things with the Lord for a while and then, come October of 2022, I felt like the Lord asked me to come here, and I had also been encouraged by Christian Stringfellow, who was a friend of mine before that as well, to come in. So, yeah, applied to come to the DC and became a driver for a little bit, and so that was in November of that year.
Speaker 2:And so from that point you came on the street reach.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah. So from that point worked about four months at the DC and then I got offered the position in a kind of fun way and then Voluntaled, voluntaled, voluntaled.
Speaker 3:So hey, I gave you a couple of months for you to walk that out with the Lord.
Speaker 4:Yeah, For him to reveal that to you.
Speaker 3:I just told him hey, this is coming. I can tell your gifting is on the streets.
Speaker 4:Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I think it was, it was like it was, it was even that like a, just a process of like, wow, like okay. So I've, I've encountered this, I've seen this. Now I get these touch points. You know, working here at the DC with people, you know, at the door. They'll come up to the door but, lord, does that really want you know something you want me to step into, like this? You know, in the, in that capacity where every day, I'm, you know, going out and you know, um, you know, helping with the resources and these things. You know what I saw from the outside, you know, and, um, man, um, it's been quite the journey since then.
Speaker 2:So you went to a bootcamp in San Diego. There's a lot of people go to bootcamp there for different reasons, but this is a different kind of bootcamp on the streets and then we're shipped back to Topeka, kansas. What a journey. And so, just before we get to, officer Razo, tell us what is important to you about what you do now.
Speaker 4:Sure, yeah.
Speaker 4:So I think what I do now it's like I get up every day and, you know, just thanking the Lord that I get to be in a position where you know, honestly, before this, like I said, I'd had interactions with people right here in Topeka and then in San Diego and you know, you pass somebody by on the street, you know you talk to them for a couple of minutes and man, maybe they need some food, and so we get them some food to them for a couple minutes.
Speaker 4:And man, maybe they need some food, and so we get them some food. But now it's like in my position, I actually get to go and be intentional with my relationships with people and I think that, like beyond anything else, you know, because you know we want to be able to help, we want to be able to provide resources, we want to be able to, you know we want to be able to help, we want to be able to provide resources, we want to be able to, you know, help people kind of with that next step up right in life. But I think for me, like the one thing that I have loved so much about what I do now is I actually get to build relationships right every day with people that I, honestly, at times have been afraid to connect with in my life. I can remember times, even in this position, where I was questioning wow, like, am I the kind of person that's going to be able to connect with that person that I see right in front of me? That's on the street, you know?
Speaker 4:with all of their experience, with all of their trauma, with all of the things that they are dealing with, do I have what it takes to connect with them? You know, and is that going to work? You know, and just realizing that man, like so much of the time, like that's really the most important thing, not just yeah, yes for me, but I've noticed for a lot of other people and I think, for a lot of us. You know, we can all relate with this. Like, you know, that relational aspect, if I don't have healthy, good relationships in my life, like I crave that, like I want that for myself, I want that, um, you know, for those that I love, you know, and so, um, just getting to see that and getting to, to, to be with people in the midst of whatever they're going through, you know, so I guess you've discovered that this is something that God has equipped you to do yeah, and you're enjoying it, even though you weren't sure.
Speaker 3:Yes, yeah, lamanda what do you hear there? One thing that I hear Daniel saying is just how like the vulnerability of can I do this work, mm-hmm, of can I do this work, and sometimes I think we're our own worst critic, and there's different reasons why, whether it's a volunteer, whether it's Daniel or myself as the CEO, where we go, can we do it. One the need is great. Two, we might not have the same lived experience as the person right across from us that we're encountering. Maybe it's the fact that someone truly seems so far gone and so many other whether it's agencies or quote unquote the system, whatever has given up on them. It's like quote, unquote the system, whatever has given up on them. It's like can I do this? Can I make a difference? And so I love how he said.
Speaker 3:You know that there's a level of, of kind of fear with it, of can I do this? And, and sometimes there is also a level of fear because you are, you're trying to make yourself a guest in someone else's world, when, sometimes, their world doesn't even make sense to them, and so, um. What I think is so neat, though, is that the Lord makes the connection a common ground, and we see that time and time again, where it doesn't matter if it's Daniel, it doesn't matter if it's Raza, it doesn't matter if it's myself, that there are so many times where, if we just have the right heart, a smile and are willing to listen, that it might take several times, but there is a breakthrough that happens almost every time, where there is more commonality amongst ourselves and them than difference. It's just sometimes that happens quicker, sometimes that happens after years. Sometimes that connection and that common ground, you take five steps forward but you might take two steps backwards with someone, but it's incredible that it happens.
Speaker 3:And so, um, one thing that, as Daniel was talking, I just love that Daniel is who he is and that he doesn't try to be anybody, that he's not yet. And I think the world would be such a better place, myself included, if we all had this level of acceptance that what we're good at, what we're not good at yet and what we need to be better at, if every day, we realized where we were with the Lord, um, so that we know our limitations when we're trying to do a job, or we know when the Lord's asking us to get through that comfort zone, or when we shouldn't be um being too hard on ourselves because that person wasn't ready for a breakthrough yet, those kinds of things. Um, and so I love the, the walk in the relationship that Daniel has with the Lord, because that directly connects how he walks and interfaces with all of us, but also those that he serves.
Speaker 2:Well, and that is very important to all of us, but maybe even more so with people who have trust issues, who don't have been hurt a lot in life, have compound trauma, to know that the person that's coming into their world is authentic, that really does care and that wants to be there to serve. And so, Daniel, I'm really glad you went to San Diego, glad you came back, glad you're a part of this. And so part of what Topeka Rescue Mission does, I think very well, is network with other entities in the community that have special things to offer to what our common goal is to help our neighbors. And so one of those is working with the Topeka Police Department, which has been a longstanding, great relationship. And it's only great not because it's the Topeka Police Department, it's because of the people who work in the Topeka Police Department, and we've got one of those guys here today.
Speaker 2:Officer Razo, Again thank you for being here today. You've got a lot of hats in your responsibility as a law enforcement, as a foreign law enforcement officer, so we have something called the Behavioral Health Unit of Topeka Police Department. Tell us a little bit about that.
Speaker 5:Well, first off I'd like to say thank you for having me. It's great to be, here and God bless everybody. But also it's so it's kind of funny that we do have a program. We'll get back to it. It's called the co-responder program with TRM, which is great starting at it. But I got to know Daniel and the difference between me and Daniel is the fact that you know he could be my son like he's actually half my age, that's because you have a gun and he doesn't.
Speaker 5:So we got to know each other a little well and then I don't remember if you had told me that you went and did this retreat in San Diego. I know we talked about it, but I couldn't remember if it was San Diego or not. But it's kind of ironic that that's where you went, because I'm actually from California and so I was born in Redlands, raised in San Bernardino and then raised some of my teen years in San Diego, so I lived there for a while, so I actually saw that stuff.
Speaker 5:Yeah, it was at a later time than you went or earlier, but I think it's pretty much all the same. I mean, you probably saw the same stuff because they were going through the same issues back then as well.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 5:And that would have been like the nineties or something like that. So, um, but yes, and then I got to move here, um, so, and then joined the force, uh, probably about 23 years ago, so, uh, you name it. I've been through the department, concerned with different units and stuff like that, then had kids. One of my sons is artistic and has a disability learning disability. Once we and his mom or when I say we, me and his mom found out that that's what he would be dealing with for the rest of his life, it had me given another passion in life.
Speaker 5:And besides enforcing law enforcement laws and working in that part of the community of the police department, they created the BHU unit Behavioral Health Unit which acts to response to individuals that are in crisis, ongoing in crisis at the time of those events, which is accompanied with a social worker, and then when they respond to that, they try to get them the services that they need. Shortly after that I think I was already three years plus in that unit I got deployed. So I got deployed for a little while over in Cuba. Basically it was a small 164 personnel unit that I basically was like a small police department.
Speaker 2:So are you in the reserve as well?
Speaker 5:Yes, so I'm in the National Guard as a captain.
Speaker 5:I was a commander for the 35th MP Company and then. So we took them over there and I basically had a small police department around Grittomino the prison down there that they have and so managed all that To person down there that they have and so managed all that. Um, to my knowledge, I didn't even know that. Uh, the whole unit changed. So I had one supervisor, um, he was my supervisor when I left. When I came back I had a new one. So not only that, the whole unit changed and expanded. So um had different people.
Speaker 5:Had to get coming back and get used to it, didn't realize what was going on, trained back up becoming a police officer again doing all the stuff on the civilian side, and then worked the crisis side for a little bit. Sergeant Matt Rose, who's now his lieutenant. I had spoke with him and told him hey, I need to some more flexibility with the co-responder unit as far as the crisis side is concerned. And it couldn't happen just because of the social workers having a strict timeline that they had to be on at work and stuff. And he said well, if you take the homeless outreach officer, you can be as flexible and help you out. And the reason why I needed.
Speaker 5:It was because of my son and dealing with his schedule and what he needed to provide for himself and then didn't realize I was going to like it so much. But I think for me at the time was that I was needing something more. And you know, you talk about vulnerabilities and stuff like that, like the difference in experience between me and Daniel, obviously because I had so many years on him that I went through a lot of myself personal traumatic events, stuff like that, and growing up as well just not a very good life, I guess you can say.
Speaker 5:And then so I learned how to deal with all that stuff on my own and learn how to deal with all that stuff on my own, and so, with that being said, I was never how you explain like can I do this work? Is it able? I always had the confidence that I could do the work. It's just being vulnerable to do the work because of the traumatic events that I've been through. You know, how can I be that vulnerable to someone who has gone through those things? How can I be that vulnerable to someone who has gone through those things? Would I be able myself?
Speaker 5:to deal with it mentally and what they're going through on those days and stuff. But what it did help me do is be vulnerable and understand their trauma and understand what they're going through or you know not everything they say, because I'll call it the way it is. Sometimes within law enforcement profession you do get jaded and you think everybody's bad, and so when you come and experience their lifestyle and understand like they have a story too and it's not always bad, it's just they had circumstances that were bad, that helped them or that got them to where they're at and they don't know how to get away from those situations. So but I don't know how it came about, but I guess LaManna can let me in. I know that I.
Speaker 1:I know that I know that my boss came in one day.
Speaker 5:My boss came in and he goes hey, I need you to meet me at TRM. And we got a meeting and I was like, okay, am I in trouble? What did I do? Because when you hear from your boss and knowing that everything's going good, and all of a sudden he goes, hey, I need you to get here now.
Speaker 3:Okay, Go to the principal's office.
Speaker 5:Go into the principal's office. So, and then that's well. We met, I think, occasionally, every time, throughout, when I first started, and then I think that was the first big meeting with LaManda.
Speaker 2:So you haven't asked for a transfer.
Speaker 5:No, I have not.
Speaker 2:So thank you for being vulnerable. I think it's important for people to realize that law enforcement officers are people.
Speaker 5:Yes.
Speaker 2:And that they're not robots, they're not AI with a gun and a badge.
Speaker 5:Right.
Speaker 2:They are people. I grew up in a law enforcement home, so I know that's from that angle, where my dad was a police officer at Topeka Police Department, and so you know it's important that we understand the responsibilities of law enforcement, but also that they're our neighbors and they may have children who are struggling, or a marriage is struggling, or or or or, and yet we expect them to be perfect out there on the streets, which you really strive to do that and you do. You do really, really well. So part of the behavioral health unit is to understand vulnerabilities, not just enforce the law, but also you are a law enforcement officer, so you got to play that balance there of understanding where somebody's at and having empathy for that, but also not empathy to say, go ahead and shoot up right in front of me, those kinds of things, right.
Speaker 2:So part of Topeka Rescue Mission's working with the homeless in this regard. Obviously we have a Daniel here who's been doing this for some time now and this program's been going on for a number of years. But you guys decided with LaManda and your now lieutenant, who told you to be here, that we're going to look at doing something called co-responder, and so talk about what co-responder is and how you and Daniel have intersected on co-responding.
Speaker 5:So, coming from the crisis side, we have a co-responder, but I didn't know how it was going to work originally. None of us did Right and I actually didn't know it was going to be Daniel. So when I was pitched the idea prior to the meeting that we had, I'm like well, I don't do TRM because I didn't know anything about TRM. Does TRM have social workers? Is it going to be that kind of aspect? And I wasn't given any answers because we didn't have them.
Speaker 2:Exactly Because there were no available. Exactly yes.
Speaker 3:Now, Lieutenant Rhodes and myself, we were building the plane as we were flying, but let me tell you, Daniel and Razo have been great co-pilots of that plane Still flying still building that's right, exactly.
Speaker 5:So we came to the meeting. They said, hey, we got this pilot program, this is what we're going to do. Let's get some numbers, let's see how this is going to work out, especially with you, I mean, if anything else right like a relationship, building those relationships and building relationships with partners is a good thing, and to see if we can mesh together One. I thought you know just where I'm at in my life as far as like my career and stuff like that. Could I mesh with somebody who's younger than me and God bless, we had some experiences. We had some conversations, deep ones too.
Speaker 5:Just not about religion, different aspects of people's lives. We even talked with about, you know, people that are out there that we help and our neighbors and stuff and what causes those issues and stuff like that.
Speaker 5:So it was a good uplifting and it helped me be more vulnerable. And it helped me be more vulnerable and he actually helped me go through that and make me want to go back to when I was vulnerable at his age and not have all the heartache that I went through. So it was kind of a blessing and I know at this time in my life and my career that that's what I was seeking for. I knew that I wanted to do that, but am I going to put this in action? Like, am I really?
Speaker 5:going to seek out the Lord and want to understand that concept because I've had and have not had it in my life for so long. But I think it was a blessing for him to be in my, the whole program itself to be in my car and we go out and help out other people, because he helps me understand a lot about life and from his angle.
Speaker 2:So it's it's really important to gel with your partner in this regard. And so what do you guys do together? You get in the car, you go do what.
Speaker 5:So basically what we do is we get together, we plan out our day and see who we need to go talk to. We go out there and kind of try to see what kind of service they're needing. It's not just giving out, you know, new clothes or new stuff like that, but actually providing resources and understanding who to talk to. One example we had was an individual who was out there, had housing ready for them, had everything. They were out in the street for a while. However, this individual did not know how the system worked. So it was kind of being a liaison through the agency that was providing the housing and financing for it and try to understand.
Speaker 5:So I didn't understand the program and when it was explained to me and, mind you, this is all over the phone, we're trying to act, you know, get all this stuff together all over the phone and it could get frustrating, especially when you're trying to understand. So now I understand why it's frustrating to them because they don't understand and they can give up so easy. Right, and so when I was talking to the person that was providing the service, you know, I was like okay, step back, explain back. Explain to me, like I'm a five-year-old what you want me to do? Yes, because if I can't understand how the system works, how do you expect this individual to to understand?
Speaker 5:And then they explained it to me and not but what we got it done in that day, and then they were housed the next week and because there were some kind of things that that they needed, some kind of that they need to jump over so they can get it all scheduled, which she didn't have completed, like signatures and being able to meet with the people that she was getting the monies from to help out, right, so we got her to where we need. Sometimes we give rides, sometimes we to wherever they need to go, depending on what it is that their day. So we're just basically a mobile service that we can take them to wherever we need to go as well, and sometimes get them off the streets into housing.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, daniel, what's it feel like to come this direction and now see what you have an opportunity to do with, officer Roso.
Speaker 4:Yeah, I think honestly it's a lot of fun. You know, I was kind of like a kid in a candy store oh my God, I get a radio.
Speaker 5:Do not touch me.
Speaker 4:It's like what's this button do?
Speaker 3:And I just have to say, those first couple of days when I'm going to get tingled, days when I'm going to get tingled, you know, we I want to say there was a lot of thoughts and prayer and stuff from now Lieutenant Rose and myself for months, okay, so we did just like slop it together. There was a lot of intentionality with it, but we knew like, hey, this is not really piloted and so we're going to have to really do it and then learn as we do it. And so I had a couple of meetings leading up to this. But then, you know, it gets to the part where we're like signing off on, well, what can Razo have access to here and what can Daniel have access there, and those kinds of things.
Speaker 3:And so I love Daniel because he is so honest. And I just giggled so many times when we first started this because I would get an email or a text message from him and it would be like am I able to do this? They're going to take my picture for this. And I'm like, yep, you can do it, you can do it and then it was hey, I might have a space here, is that okay?
Speaker 3:Yep, it's okay, um, and there were a couple of different things like that. And then finally, I remember telling him you can do everything but sign employment with them. I am not losing my Daniel to TPD, um. And then I remember one of like Christian's touch bases because Christian uh is uh the deputy director over street reach. And I remember one of like Christian's touch bases because Christian uh is uh the deputy director over street reach. And I remember telling Christian now, if it gets to documents, you make sure that you know what Daniel's signing, because I don't want them to take him on as an employee and we lose him and he just
Speaker 3:laughed. But then he was kind of getting all of this stuff and and I love how there was some cross training because, um, really on our end it was about deepening our welcoming of razzo and making sure that razzo knew whatever resource we had here at trm was razzo's and we had done that with rose, um, lieutenant rose. So tpd had a whole section in either 401 or 206 where it was like, hey, that's y'all section, you can pull from it and if there's stuff in there that you need for the back of your police car yes, Um, and then gave a badge um, so that they would have, you know, access where he could come and go.
Speaker 2:It's not as fancy a badge you already have.
Speaker 3:I have told Lieutenant that a couple of times I was like I gave you a badge. And I have told Lieutenant that a couple of times I was like I gave you a badge and I have yet to receive a badge. That's not right.
Speaker 2:These little stick on badges. That's right. The sticker.
Speaker 3:So we did work on that, but really on the other end it was a lot more for Daniel to be kind of welcomed into the TPD world and and Razo did that well with him. But anyways, go back to being a kid and a candy store. I just had to say it was so funny on my end yes, yes, no, you can't be employed with them.
Speaker 2:You really look right now. You look like you're a kid in a candy store. Right now, you're remembering this, your eyes are sparkling.
Speaker 4:Well it's, it's. It's so fun because, like I think, you know, as a kid, like I, you know, I I think in some ways, like every kid like wants to be something that is awesome, right, and for me growing up and I know that this is not everybody's story, so I understand that but, um, I just thought police officers were like so awesome, you know, like they were just out there doing all the cool stuff, you know, so I'm like getting to come in to that world, but like I have like I didn't have to go through training, I didn't have to jump in the car with a guy that like has all this experience and I'm like man, you know, like so what? And like I'm trying to listen to the radio, I'm like, how do you understand this? This?
Speaker 4:is like a foreign language, you know, and then like all these things, and I was just, and you know, and then like all these things, and I was just, and you know, like walking in the office, I know it's, it's just so funny, but like like there was just so many little details of things that I was just blown away by you know, um, like finding out that animal control is a part of the police department.
Speaker 4:I know, that sounds kind of funny, but like I just didn't put the two and two together, you know, at first, and just like all these different pieces of that, and then, like, as time's gone on, like I feel like I've found more and more, that's like, yes, like I still get so excited about all these pieces, but also like, just like I've not realized, maybe, how important it is to have like a functioning law enforcement in a community and like the appreciation that I've had for TPD has like just went through the roof because of all the different things that they do, you know, and just the respect for people that have dedicated their lives to serving a community in a way that most people, like you, don't want to hear about.
Speaker 4:The stories that people bring home, you don't want to hear about that night or that day, but these guys are living that every single day and so, like you know, I think that I know that that's a little bit of a downer, but like I just I have to add that in there because like it was all of those things you know, and it's still been all those things like, as we've, you know, gone out or as I've, you know, you know I've gotten calls sometimes you know from Razo and like you know he's kind of dealing with a situation or something and I'm like, oh yeah, and there's also that, and like you know, all of these things that I think um have just helped me to understand, you know, as a person, just like in the community, like what, what is it that TPD does? What does it mean to be a police officer and to function in that way?
Speaker 2:And, um, yeah, I get excited to this day about so, officer Razo um, in addition to making this young boy very, very excited about what he gets to do, um's the value from a law enforcement side, and what you do in outreach, to have someone like Daniel.
Speaker 5:A lot of it is resourcing. When we started the program with the crisis side and understanding that is utilizing a resource that is not just law enforcement related and how they respond to calls right, this help out gave me another resource on what to use. Like if I wasn't connected with Daniel or TRM itself, I wouldn't have known that this is what you guys do, or?
Speaker 5:you know, what services you guys provide and how does that work and where does the money come from and where does this? And learn about all the resources that are there. You know if you are not in law enforcement or you're not in these type of TRM, vleo or these other services that provide for Topeka and you're just living. You know your everyday life. I don't want to say normal, because what's?
Speaker 3:normal right.
Speaker 5:But you know, if you're not related to all that stuff and those have those relationships and you're just living life like you don't know these exist. But when you have the chance to do this, oh that's great. I didn't know that you know, or you know, and it helps out those resources that we can respond or help somebody that's in need. And you know, growing up in the department like it's always in the need of criminal aspect, right, not the humanity and the civil aspect of what we do and help provide those things and understand, you know, people's humanity and where they're at in life?
Speaker 2:What do you think the advantage is to both of you working together to go to where the homeless are living at this point the unsheltered under bridge and a homeless camp, whatever, living in their car. What's the advantage of you doing it together versus not doing it together?
Speaker 5:One would be I think a lot of it is basically if I am in a situation where they look at me because we wear different uniforms than patrol. So that's one thing that helps out. We're dressed down a little bit more, just khakis and a black T-shirt or black polo, should I say, and we're able to do that. But, however, if someone is not willing, even though I still have my weapon on me and I still have camera, you can still tell I'm a police officer and they're not willing and it's somebody that I don't know, I have Daniel there and they're able to speak with him because he's actually you know it's a bridge, it's a bridge.
Speaker 2:Well, we've said it many times, in order to potentially end chronic homelessness in our community, we have to have effective outreach. We can have the mobile access partnership and we can have a tiny home village someday, or we could have a safe rest shelter. Those kinds of nobody's going to come unless there are relationships that are built right where people are, and that's a big part of what you're doing. Well, there's so much. There's a lot of exciting things that you guys are doing, but before we close today, officer Raza, I want to talk about a couple of programs really quick that you oversee.
Speaker 2:One was started back with Sergeant Clam a number of years ago. It's called the City ID Program, because one of the biggest challenges that people face to move forward in life is they don't have an ID. They don't move forward, they just don't. They get stuck, and if you don't know how to get that, nobody's there to guide you through it. You can't get a job, you can't get housing, you can't get benefits, you can't get anything because you don't have a way to prove who you are.
Speaker 2:And so what was started here in Topeka, which is now kind of branched out nationally, as you know? You've taken some calls on this. As you know, you've taken some calls on. This has been handed off to you now to help people to get a very basic Topeka, kansas city ID that then gets that down the road for an official ID with the state of Kansas and so forth a driver's license or a state ID. So you oversee that program, explain what it is right now and talk about the magnitude of people that you're working with or cases that you're working with every single week.
Speaker 5:So, yes, the City ID program was originally started for the unsheltered community. Just imagine you know you're out here living and you have no way to store your federal documentation whether it's elder states, like your birth certificate and your Social Security card or anything like that and you happen to lose it, Right. And so what ended up happening was that you need one to get the other, so you need an ID to get either one of them, and so it was hard for them because they didn't have those documentations. Well then you need both of those documentations to get your state ID. So it leaves them in this whole circle. Catch-22. Catch-22. So Sergeant Clam came up with the program. We were able to identify them through our federal data or our state and federal and databases for law enforcement. Once we get all that stuff documented and we identify who they are, then we're able to produce a city ID program.
Speaker 2:So you can verify, through the connections that you have, if this person is who they say they are.
Speaker 5:Yes.
Speaker 2:And that really helps them to that know-who next level Right. So this has grown a lot. There's obviously a lot of people who don't have the proper ID. That then gets that first step, which is the city ID. How many of people or cases or situations are you processing on an average per week now?
Speaker 5:On an average per week, I mean I'm doing anywhere from 50 to 100.
Speaker 2:Amanda, what's that? Say 50 to 100 a week of people who are needing help getting ID in Topeka.
Speaker 3:And that's just the ones that we know about.
Speaker 4:Yes.
Speaker 3:And that's the ones that we I'm telling you that Razo, daniel Jenny with MAP, the volunteers at TRM, the volunteers at MAP have formed some type of relationship Isn't Mirror with this program, all of that.
Speaker 5:Right. So I ended up working with Mirror, the federal and state side. I also worked with Scent over in. Southeast Topeka, central Topeka now is on board. All these different organizations, the nonprofit organizations, are coming in and asking if they can process. What does that help? It helps me not be able to go out there and kind of helps my time so I can process a lot of these.
Speaker 3:So to me, what that says is it's a game changer for people, but it's a game changer for people that have some type of touch point of someone that they trust to take that next step too. So it's not just about the excellent job that this has kind of evolved from Clam to Rose to Razo and the accessibility, but it's also we've got to bring awareness that people know they can access this. There's still got to be trust with someone in all of these organizations for us to be able to say, not only do we have this resource, but you can do it, you can give them the information, you can trust them that they're going to get it to you. All of these things and so one. I think it's incredible that we have this many people taking that next step, and sometimes that next step is where that person stays for a while and we as a community still need to celebrate they took that step, that they have their IDs. But then it also speaks to me, because you know my mindset is you know better, you do better, and we know that there's still a lot of other people that we could probably double that number that need this service. That could then put them where they continue to move forward, you know.
Speaker 3:So I think it's incredible. I love how it's continued to evolve. We are even looking at um, at trm, uh, with an idea that Razo had, and if another organization hears this and they want to try for it, please go to do it. I think anything that we can do to make the community easier or better and easier will help. But we're looking at seeing if we can help kind of have our own mobile cart and a mobile ID, the printer and all of these things that would then enhance what Razo is doing as well, because we see this even for our guests and all of that. So definitely something that, to me, is the key that someone can hold by having these IDs that open a lot of other different doors for their next steps. But I also, you know, I'm thinking of an unsheltered neighbor right now. I love her. I love her so much and have been working diligently with her for two and a half years.
Speaker 2:I know who you're talking about.
Speaker 3:And, yes, I've had her on lots of Facebook Lives with me and she promises me every time I see her that she is going to be drug free one day, she is going to have her own home and she is going to make me a meal in her home and I'm going to hold her accountable. And I, when I see her, I say I can't wait for you to cook for me. And she's like, don't give up on me. And I said you won't, I won't. But right now, like her biggest accomplishment for the last two years has been she's got an ID. And while, yes, I would love to have known that she got the ID for Razo and then applied for housing and has already given me that meal, but we're not there yet. But when you know her story, there's also a lot of trauma there, there's a lot of abuse there. She's lost almost every family member in the last seven years. Like there's significant challenges. And so I know some people don't agree with me and look at her drug use or look at the fact she's still on the streets or looking at the fact she has, you know, different relationships and things like that that need to improve. But I celebrate her for getting her ID, and if that's what her accomplishment is going to be for a while, that is still success for her and I'm proud of her. So I love the program. I'm supportive of it. We're trying to figure out how we expand it and and compliment what's being done. I'm thankful for all the other agencies who have tapped into this.
Speaker 3:Um, I tell Roso probably three or four times a year like, hey, if we're doing anything to hold this back, let us know. And a couple of months ago we found out we were. We weren't doing some things as effective as we could with some of the photos he needed and all of that. He was able to be transparent and said my whole life would change if y'all would do it this way, and so I love that. We've talked about a lot of this seriousness and this, this joy, but I have to say, from my level, one of the things that I love so much about Rosso and Daniel and the program is also the truthfulness of when things don't feel good.
Speaker 3:Good, because we talk about that just as much, and sometimes it's things we can solve, like fixing what he needed for the city ID so that my team wasn't doing stuff that we thought was great and it wasn't helpful, but I needed to be able to earn Rosso's trust so that he can tell me, as the CEO, hey, I need you to do this different, those trust, so that he can tell me, as the CEO, hey, I need you to do this different. The other side of it is I need to be able to tell him when he does have struggles or he does have needs. If I can't fix it, I have to be able to tell him I hear you, I feel it, there's nothing I can do about it, but I am going to join you in prayer on it and I am a listening ear. And that, to me, is one thing that sets this apart is we truly are like family, meaning we don't always agree, meaning we're not always able to do exactly what we think we should do, and it's required.
Speaker 3:They're being humble, but this program has required a lot of compromise from Daniel and a lot of compromise from Razo. Razo can't just do what he's used to always being able to do. Daniel can't just function as just an outreach advocate, like they've had to form. What does this look like with the balance of compassion and faith, enforcing and logic, and faith in forcing and in logic and to me, when I look at this, I love their personalities, I love their dedication but, man, I love who these men are and just their authenticity of what they're doing. And it is not easy what they're doing, so I appreciate them. I appreciate the program. I don't know where it's going to go from here, but there's value in it and it just shows why sometimes wild ideas can be the most beautiful blessings actually for our entire community.
Speaker 2:I think about our unsheltered neighbors who, by and large, most of them have some serious issues with broken trust. They have not been around people that they can count on in the system and whatever, and so one of the most valuable things we can do is have good relationships in our working together so that we can show them hey, there's authenticity here, there is somebody that they can trust, and that's the bridge. If you guys weren't working together, well, there was big silos here. Forget it, it's not working out there, and so can I?
Speaker 3:can I also say one more thing about that. So, when we started thinking about this, having those and I guess maybe I'm speaking to leaders right now, but really having truthful conversations that are honest, not negative, not going straight to what we can't do, not talking straight money of why we're limited, but like, really truthful conversations, are so important when we're trying to pilot things and I hope that we continue to do that. So I kind of wish Lieutenant Rose was on this, but he's not. So I'm going to tell you my version of this story which means he can't defend himself.
Speaker 3:But when we were talking about this that's right.
Speaker 3:When we were talking about this, there were some conversations that happened in the distribution center. There were some conversations that happened at MAP. There were conversations that happened in my office, and this is what it looked like. He would share an idea and I would say there's no way. And then he would look at me and he'd go well, it's still an idea. And I would say, well, what about this? And I would tell him my side and he'd go okay, that sounds great, but that's not how it's going to work. And there was literally, and then we would leave it.
Speaker 3:But because he and I have built trust over years, we could have those like really crucial conversations. They were respectful, but it was like nope, not going to work. Nope, not going to work. But then there was also coming back where I would say, and I'm going to own this, even though I should just lie because he's not here but there were times where I came back and I said, hey, I thought about it and actually I do think it might work. And he did say, yeah, I told you so Because we had that relationship. But then he was like is it really, though, or are you just trying to be more positive and I'm like no, I've thought about it and I do think we should try that there were times he would come back and he would say hey, I think you're right about putting these two together, and here's why. And so I just I don't know, I guess I want to speak to maybe even you, barry Brett, everybody that's doing incredible work with compassion strategies, all hands on deck, like we're in such a crucial time right now, when we're all trying to figure out next steps for homelessness in our community, and, um, I just want us to continue to be able to just truthfully be able to say I don't know what I think about, that or no, that's a great idea to push back respectfully. But when all of that is done in true desire to have unity and love and I'll even throw respect in there beautiful things come.
Speaker 3:What doesn't happen is when leaders have deceit, when leaders have selfishness, um, pride, those kinds of things, um, and so I'm not trying to give, trying to give Rose and I, like kudos, I'm trying to be transparent that when this stuff started to be birthed it was not pretty, but because our relationship was, then that's what came. And then that trickles down, because both of these gentlemen probably at first were like what in the world? But because they knew, hey, we're going to try this. One of the first things we told them with this Razo's the one that asked, so, do we have a guidebook or a manual? And we both looked at each other and we're like, nope, we've got nothing. And he's like, okay, so now what? And we're like, well, you're going to make it. And then he's like, well, what's my deadline? And I'm like, well, what does your deadline need to be, was it not? And it wasn't that we were wanting to be hands off, it was we had thought through enough of what we, as leaders, knew to do.
Speaker 3:Then it was up to us to get out of the way. We didn't need to just keep talking. We to us to get out of the way. We didn't need to just keep talking. We didn't need to dictate what this was. These are incredible citizens. They're they're incredible leaders. They're incredible men. They needed to be able to do the job that God was calling them to do and that didn't need to be dictated by Rose and myself. And so I don't know, this was probably just the first like big lesson, aside from the warming center, that the Lord used to show me. You can truly have transparent conversations that even include the word no, and if you're doing it for all the right reasons, god still brings that together to form a really incredible yes. And then, as leaders, shut up, get out of the way and let your people do the work, too, to empower them, because they're on their journey and they have a purpose, and there is no two better people that could have turned this program to benefit the community the way it has, other than these two.
Speaker 5:Well, I'd like to caveat off that you're talking about beautiful relationships and stuff like that, right, and let us fly and let us do the things that we do, knowing that we have the talent to do that. So you know, we talk about that and I want to sit there and say I also married out two programs together with the symbolism of a butterfly, right, and so it's with the symbolism of a butterfly and so it's called the Take Me Home program.
Speaker 5:It's always been in place. Topeka Police Department's always had it, and it's directed to individuals that have a disability of dementia or autism. So if you haven't heard, or heard anything through nationally and stuff like that, where police officers get a call where the individual has walked away from home and their caregiver hasn't been able to find them, they call the police, right, so they have no way to track them or anything else, we're out there, searching, trying to find this individual who may or may not be in danger. You hear the bad stories where the individual who has autism is attracted to water, those horror stories where they end up drowning in a pool or some sort of like that.
Speaker 5:So I married these two programs with the ID program. So now it just started yesterday on the website. You're able to get a logo on the ID. It's a butterfly with different colors, and the reason why the colors stand out is because it covers every mental or disability health that there is.
Speaker 5:Underneath it. It has a hidden disability and what this does is that it's able to. If they have this on their person and they're out there and about in their wallet or on you know, whatever they have, and they come in contact with an officer or any individual, they're able to photograph with their phone the QR code and it gives them any information that they're needing, whether it's the address, that they have, a phone number to contact, who their caregiver is, and stuff like that. So you're able to have access to that Right now. As it stands, the Take Me Hope program is in an Excel spreadsheet that the officers look up and they have to scroll through it and try to find the individuals or type. That way, this is a very easy way just to have the ID card on their person and give it to them.
Speaker 5:Now, the caveat of this also is that I'm trying to find out the question that was brought to me by the sergeant that's in charge of this program that what if it's a child? Do you expect them to have an ID on them? So now what I'm trying to do is find some kind of way to get a program set up to where we have kind of like the Fitbit but have a wristband or some type of bracelet, function to where it has some type of GPS or something like that. That's going to that. So that's another caveat off this program that I'm getting. So it's all about developing and building those relationships. But it helps really build those relationships for the program.
Speaker 2:Yes. So yeah, that's innovative, thinking outside the box to. I mean, you're talking about homeless prevention right there, trying to help people to get back home, whether they be a disabled individual or child or whatever very huge in this whole effort to work together. So, guys, thanks for being here today. We went a little long, but I think we could go longer. I really do. This is a pretty exciting talk and you know, what occurs to me is that systems that we bring together seldom develop good relationships, but good relationships develop good systems, and that's where this has started. You guys have got a great relationship and look what is building and building, and building on things that have been done before and in a very things going forward, and so thank you both for who you are, thank you for giving it a chance to work together, and Daniel's still excited about what's in your car, and so it's so awesome. But you're making a big, big difference and people who are on the streets see these two guys and they know they can trust you guys.
Speaker 5:Yes.
Speaker 2:And that's the game changer. So thank you for being here. Thank you, thank you for listening to Our Community, our Mission, a podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission. You've heard from Officer Razo and Daniel Dobson, who work together in co-responding to our unsheltered neighbors in our community, and you heard about a whole lot more of some exciting things that are happening. If you'd like more information about Topeka Rescue Mission, you can go to trmonlineorg. That's trmonlineorg. Have a blessed day.