Our Community, Our Mission
Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #281 – More Than Supplies: Transforming Lives at TRM
When a child shows up ready for the first day of school, the impact lasts far beyond the classroom. In this episode of Our Community, Our Mission, we sit down with Hope Bency, Distribution Center Administrative Assistant, to talk about TRM’s recent Back-to-School event that equipped over 300 students with backpacks, clothing, and essential supplies. Behind the numbers are powerful stories: parents moved to tears by unexpected generosity, children eager to win prizes for their siblings, and volunteers witnessing the ripple effect of their time and care.
We’re also joined by John Roberts, Deputy Director of Community Needs & Services, who shares how programs like the “Completion of Program” furnish homes for families starting fresh—not only with necessities but with items that bring joy and dignity. Together, Hope and John pull back the curtain on what it takes to manage inventory, organize volunteers, and partner with donors to ensure no one is turned away. Their stories connect the practical work of distribution with TRM’s greater mission of showing people they matter—reminding us that this is what it looks like to love in the gap.
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Gracious Heavenly Father, we're just so thankful for your blessings and your provisions. Lord, thank you for this beautiful day and Lord, just pray your blessing over this time, this podcast and our listeners. And Lord, we just thank you and 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 here on Tuesday, a cool Tuesday in August, the 26th of 2025. I'm Barry Fieker, your host today, with Marian Crable, who's kind of a co-host here. Am I? Yeah, you kind of, are you hear a lot?
Speaker 3:I am here a lot.
Speaker 2:But Joan Roberts is also here today. He's kind of a co-host. He's been here a lot lately because of school and other things, things going on, yeah, so, guys, thanks for being here.
Speaker 3:It is very nice out there. Happy, it is beautiful. It was a little bit hard to come to work, why?
Speaker 2:Because it's beautiful out there. Don't you love coming to work when it's beautiful out there?
Speaker 3:Sure, I do. I always love coming to work. Well, we're glad you came to work today.
Speaker 2:This has never worked. You've never worked here.
Speaker 3:No, not a day in my life, not here at all.
Speaker 2:So, anyway, we want to talk about our back to school. We've been talking about it coming. It's happened, yes. We want to recap that today. We want to recap a couple other things. One, josh, there's some other event coming, yeah, and so you've been talking about it and you're excited about it. It's the third annual.
Speaker 1:Night of Praise. Everything is ready to go right now. Right yeah, totally. Everything's ready to go. We're not doing anything right now. This is Josh Turley.
Speaker 2:He's Research and Development Department, also Night of Praise and a lot of other things here at Topeka Rescue Mission. He's the guy over here that can cut us off if we get to go in too long. Absolutely so anyway.
Speaker 1:Josh talk about Night of Praise. Yeah, so Night of Praise, third annual. I've been doing this three years now, which is kind of hard to believe, but it's going to be Friday, september 12th. Doors open at 6. Event starts at 6.30. Yeah, it's just always such a great night to gather together kind of praise God for all that he's doing as one unified church and then really just tell the stories of what God's doing here at TRM and ask people to help us stand in the gap for people so pretty well attended uh event.
Speaker 2:It has been the last two years.
Speaker 1:Yeah, last year we had 400, and so we're just kind of hoping to keep going up from there. So it's at fellowship Bible yes.
Speaker 2:So people can get there at six kicking it off with music. And I understand there's going to be a kind of a mix up this year of the way that the music groups are going to do things. It's not like this group's going to do it and then another group they're going to mix the groups together, yeah.
Speaker 1:So it's going to be members from different churches. It's not going to be like this band is from fellowship or this band is from you know, Grace Point. It's members from kind of all different churches, and so we've got kind of a contemporary Christian band. That's going to be one of them, and then we've got a gospel band. So yeah, we're I don't know, it's going to be a great night. It's kind of like play that tune right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you all come together. Mary, you remember play that tune.
Speaker 3:I do remember play that tune.
Speaker 2:Have you ever heard of that? Play that tune for young ones in here. I think I've heard of it. You know where you have to, that's right. So, anyway, probably a little more organized than that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so it's going to be good. I think it's going to be. It will be more organized than that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so bring a non-perishable food item if you can. Yeah, free entry.
Speaker 1:No ticket purchases. Come and please bring a non-perishable food item to help us.
Speaker 2:People can donate otherwise financially For items yes.
Speaker 3:They're not limited to only bringing one. Okay, If they would like to bring five or six or ten, that would be okay too. How about that? Yeah?
Speaker 1:We'll take all of it.
Speaker 2:We won't turn anything away and there will be a way people can financially contribute. Absolutely, they can bring a checkbook or they can do probably a QR code that you can give online.
Speaker 1:We'll have online giving all the different options.
Speaker 2:Great, Well, it sounds good. Well, Miriam, before we jump into this, and John, you join us. We have Hope Bency with us here today. She's with the Distribution Services at Topeka Rescue Mission. She's an administrative assistant. Welcome to your first podcast.
Speaker 4:Thank you.
Speaker 2:Okay, I want to involve all of you in this, because Research and Development Department works really hard on coming up with these different important things that celebrate the day that we are talking.
Speaker 1:I'm not going to lie, I was kind of nervous you were were introducing them and we were going to skip those.
Speaker 3:So I'm glad you're going to skip them. I thought I saw a tear kind of starting.
Speaker 2:He started looking really depressed. He did Because we have skipped them before we have.
Speaker 3:And it's not gone well, after it.
Speaker 2:No, he comes to my office.
Speaker 3:He has to rock in the rocker.
Speaker 2:I thought you were at least going to say I was mad Like you know. No, you never get mad, Josh, you just get sad when we don't do it. But we're not going to make you sad today because we're going to talk about three main things that you came up with with your extensive research since last week about what's important about August 26th, and I agree with this one. This first one is really important to a lot of us. It is it's called National Dog Day.
Speaker 1:National really important to a lot of us it is. It's called National Dog.
Speaker 3:Day National Dog Day. Yeah, it's probably one of the better ones we've had. I mean, it's probably one that we actually would agree with.
Speaker 2:Yes, especially when you consider some of the others that you're going to talk about here today. National Dog Day has been around with us for a long time. It's kind of debatable how long it's been on the earth, but National Dog Day was created some time back and established in 2004. But our furry friends have been with us for a very long time. For all of you cat lovers sorry, not your day. So anyway, national Dog Day, and I think some of us have dogs and we love our dogs.
Speaker 3:Everybody yes, not everybody loves dogs. I love dogs. I don't have a dog, but I love dogs. That's probably why you love dogs. I grew up with dogs.
Speaker 2:I don't have a dog, but I love dogs.
Speaker 3:That's probably why you love dogs. I grew up with dogs, so you're yours.
Speaker 2:It's less than from a distance.
Speaker 3:When you work really long hours and you live alone, having a dog is almost mean yeah.
Speaker 2:True, you know Because then they're alone all the time.
Speaker 3:Bring your dog with you, yeah no, okay, no, no, all right.
Speaker 2:Homeless individuals bring their dogs with them.
Speaker 3:They do Okay.
Speaker 2:They do Okay, so anyway, National Dog Day. It's also another very important day. Miriam announced this one.
Speaker 3:Which one?
Speaker 2:The second one.
Speaker 3:The second one, the one that really belongs in summer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it kind of makes sense, it does.
Speaker 3:Because it's well, okay, but there's a question around this one, Because what really constitutes a popsicle around this one, because what really? Constitutes a popsicle. This is national cherry popsicle day, so when you think of popsicle. What does it look like?
Speaker 2:it looks like it's on a stick and it's frozen uh-huh, exactly it tastes good, it sticks to your tongue and then you have to have it. Somebody help you get it off.
Speaker 3:Push up ice stuff. Yeah, and that's not a popsicle. A popsicle needs a stick. Well, I agree, okay.
Speaker 5:I agree. That's why they call them popsicle sticks.
Speaker 3:You know what John? Nothing gets past you.
Speaker 2:So, john, I know this has been around a while, but I Day Then tomorrow National.
Speaker 4:Grape Popsicle Day.
Speaker 2:And you can go on and on and on, and your parents will be compelled to just is that way it worked.
Speaker 5:That's absolutely the way it worked.
Speaker 2:That's the way I would have done it. Yeah, we didn't have National nothing when I was a kid, so it's all come since then. So today, even though it's cool, you can go out and get a cherry popsicle and knows you're celebrating today with your dog. Okay, all right, dogs love popsicles too. They love everything. All right. So when you're having your dog day and you're having your national popsicle day, then the other national day is national Way to go, josh, national toilet paper day.
Speaker 1:And so I asked the question why?
Speaker 2:Why do we have to have a national day for?
Speaker 1:toilet paper. Well, you know, I think we look at all the other national days and this one makes sense to me because I appreciate having toilet paper.
Speaker 2:Did you create this, Josh? I did not. Was this out of scarcity? One time it may have been. I mean, you remember, during COVID times it was hard to find toilet paper.
Speaker 3:So that's very true it probably started in 2020.
Speaker 1:I was like you know what, I'm thankful for toilet paper.
Speaker 2:Well, I'll tell you what. Yeah, I remember those days we were wondering Lines out Sam's Club. We were about a mile long trying to get one package of toilet paper and you know what?
Speaker 1:I think that shows the appreciation that was the first thing that went missing, like that was the first hard thing to find was like toilet paper.
Speaker 3:So it's like you know what I have. To admit it changed my buying habits because I never used to have like this stock. Yeah, you know, you get one package. It's good, you're gonna go to the grocery now there's always three in my house. That's why we had a shortage exactly no, some people went much farther than I did oh, yeah, you know, but it kind of changed my buying patterns.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I remember going to Sam's and being like they had the signs. They'd roll out the huge pallets of the toilet paper and it'd have the signs on them.
Speaker 2:One or two per customer, whatever.
Speaker 1:So I was like no, you can only get so much.
Speaker 2:But I finally got my one. One time I thought, oh, this is so wonderful.
Speaker 1:We did it.
Speaker 2:Life is worth living again. I cannot go home empty-handed. Yeah, so it was a former director of the Topeka Rescue Mission. Somebody asked me one time what's your biggest concern at the rescue mission? I said a Friday night and we're out of toilet paper. There's no money in the banks to go buy any, because you've got a long weekend ahead of you.
Speaker 3:So that would be a problem? Yes, it would it is very important.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so, john Hope, you coordinate a lot of things here at Topeka Rescue Commission. One is the toilet paper distribution and acquisition. That's right, right, so we're pretty well stocked and just in case we have something else coming.
Speaker 5:You know we are well stocked in toilet paper. We have followed Miriam's buying habits. We always make sure that we have extra, so if you run short, just call Miriam. She probably got something for you or anybody wanting to donate.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's good. Well, that's important at the distribution services to be able distribution center to have supply. We never know what's going to happen here, that's right. So, john, talk about Hope, what she does, kind of introduce her. We've already mentioned her name and first podcast, and so talk about what the administrative assistant does at Distribution Center.
Speaker 5:Yeah, so Hope. Responsibilities include keeping track of all the goings on at the DC. So the DC has a lot of different functions, whether that be going and picking up donations or going and making deliveries, helping with completion of programs and making deliveries, helping with completion of programs, picking up donations from stores and businesses and warehouses and doing special events, and then, of course, just coordinating all of our internal supply needs. And so that is a lot of information, good grief Hope.
Speaker 1:It's a lot of moving parts, that's a lot of stuff and keeping everybody in line over there.
Speaker 5:Let's be honest, yep making sure everybody is coming in. But Hope really does a wonderful job, taking on, even so, much more than that. So she has worked at the DC now for several years in different roles and so really has a good feel for the entire operation and so is able to lend help and provide guidance to our staff across the warehouse, and she is really a rock star, especially when it comes to these special events where there's a lot of coordination and details and numbers that we have to get right and set up. And so you know, back to school is one of those areas where she jumped in and just really helped take the lead on making sure that everything was in order, everything was prepared and that the whole event ran smoothly.
Speaker 2:So very thankful for her. That's a pretty good setup for talking about a lot of different things. Hope again, welcome to the podcast today. Hope you've been here for a number of years at Topeka Rescue Mission. What brought you to the mission to work here?
Speaker 4:Well, lamanda, our daughters go to school together and I was looking for a job and she said we have jobs, and so she sent me on a bunch of interviews and the DC is the one that fit the best, and so I started driving trucks, working in clothing, doing all sorts of whatever needed to be done at the distribution center, and it's been a good place for me here.
Speaker 2:Sounds like you do, but it's not everything there. I mean, it's just like that's kind of how everybody is. Everybody throws in. Somebody's going to kind of coordinate that. So had you done anything like what you're doing here at Topeka Rescue Mission before, I've been in ministry before.
Speaker 4:I've worked in a lot of women's ministry. I've helped coordinate events before been on ministry boards I had done homeless ministry kind of in bits and pieces. We lived in California so we did some out there with our chapel and I've done a lot of chapel ministry with military, so Maybe nothing quite like this, maybe not driving trucks.
Speaker 2:I was going to say driving trucks before picking up stuff.
Speaker 4:No, I drove in Japan. So I figured, if I can drive in Japan, I can drive a truck, wow.
Speaker 2:Sounds like you've had some wide experiences even before you came here. Some people come here. They've never had an experience like this. Sounds like you've already been doing a lot of things, so you needed a job. You were looking for a job. You and what is what's? You needed a job. You were looking for a job. You and LaManda got to know each other. What has been something that you've learned that you didn't know about Topeka Rescue Mission before you started?
Speaker 4:working, how many things we do here. I think that's something that everybody learns, even volunteers. Just coming through on a tour is. You don't realize how many facets of just Topeka in general we touch and how many different ways we can help. It's not just the homeless shelter. The DC actually does a lot that doesn't have to do with the shelter. We do a lot for the shelter and supplying things and making sure they have what they need. But we do a lot of our own separate distributions for, like, back to school or Christmas or food. We do twice a week and you can get other other things too.
Speaker 2:So when you talk about supporting the kind of general operation of the mission the shelters being one, outreach, those different things you kind of like the the backbone of being able to do what the different shelters do. We talked about toilet paper here a little bit ago. So many things, mary, many even in your area of supportive services. What's the value of the distribution center for what you do?
Speaker 3:Oh well, everything I mean and I think about, particularly like the housing department, right, and the completion of programs that they do when that team is able to get people back into housing, but it's everything. You know. Everything that it takes to run a business comes through the distribution center, for the most part Paper pens.
Speaker 3:you know, you think about just office supplies you know everything you know, and they're our first call when we need something to see if, number one, it's been donated, because I think too, you know, we think about donations coming into the mission and it being kind of entered into a database because it's financial. Well, the mission runs all of its operations because of donations of stuff as well. It's why we get to do the completion of program, or it's why we get to have food to distribute, or it's why we get to have food to distribute we don't purchase. When you consider the volume of food that the distribution center puts out into the community, if we had to pay for that financially, millions.
Speaker 2:Millions Actually, really. Millions of dollars, millions of dollars of purchasing the food which saves the community and the donors, and the rest of the millions of dollars Absolutely which saves?
Speaker 2:the community and the donors and the rest of millions of dollars Absolutely, and so the opportunity that the folks at the distribution center have to build a relationship with the donors as well as the people that we serve is amazing. There's a lot of things as administrative assistant here. It sounds like you're coordinating, juggling. One of those is the completion of program that was mentioned. Mary mentioned that. What does that mean? People getting ready to move out of the rescue mission to their housing? Mary mentioned the rehousing department that we have here, which is really amazing A group of people getting people ready to go. So people find a home but they don't have anything to sleep on, they don't have anything to sit on, they don't have maybe a refrigerator, whatever. What does completion program do? What does it look like?
Speaker 4:Well, it looks like we get information from housing and then we can call the guests and set up a time to come and find out what they need.
Speaker 4:Some people have some stuff, maybe in storage. Some people have absolutely nothing, and so when we know that and know their situation and know what they're getting into, we have a great team that loves to go above and beyond and just coming up with creative things to give them. We get a lot of donations and so we can give people things. They're basic things that they need, but we can also give them things that are fun and just things that make it exciting, because I think starting over it can be very scary and um, but we want to make it easier for them because, um, it's hard just to start over and have nothing, and so that's why all the donations that come in whether it's from the donors that come to the door or like the Walmart distribution center, that's where all of that goes to is to people that are really in need and starting over and talk with them about what they need, and then you go beyond, uh, if you can.
Speaker 2:What kind of reaction do you get?
Speaker 4:they're very grateful. One time we had we did a completion but we had just gotten a delivery from, or a pickup from, walmart distribution center and we had a lot of kids toys and like swing sets and these people were getting into a house and so we were able to really bless them and and I mean, the mom was in tears because they never imagined being able to have all that stuff. You know, most people wouldn't be able to afford purchasing it, let alone just having it given to them and delivered to their house. So that's really fun. You get to kind of play Santa Claus and just show up and bless people.
Speaker 2:I think some people just think, okay, they're coming out of the rescue mission, they got an apartment now or whatever, and they're good to go. Well, you might be good to go with a roof over your head, but if you got nothing to sleep on, you have no food to eat, you don't have any toilet paper, you don't have any of those particular things. It can be just a little bit lonely and can make you feel like I made a bad decision to leave in the mission. So, part of that stabilization helping people to have the basic things to stabilize and then, yeah, I've seen some of those faces and some of those tears and it probably goes both ways the people who are helping also sharing the tears as well, john, over community services and the things that you do as a deputy director here and what Hope does here. It's not just one event, it's several. One is Christmas, which we'll be talking about really soon. Are you planning, already planning?
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's almost September, that's right, but we'll wait until after Cherry Popsicle Day to get into Christmas. It's almost September.
Speaker 5:That's right, but we'll wait till after Cherry Popsicle.
Speaker 2:Day, that's tomorrow.
Speaker 3:So it's not to ruin Cherry Popsicle Day.
Speaker 2:That's right. So and then we then we most recently be talking about the big annual back to school. So talk about that, you and Hope, kind of talking back and forth. I mean, we've talked about how people can help, the value of it, but what happened? What happened this year? It's done. Well, we say it's done, the major part of it's done. We still have kids coming in to the rescue mission that don't have anything and they're going to get enrolled in school, or they are in school and don't have the basic things.
Speaker 5:So talk about what happened with the big event and then what we do going forward. Yeah, we had a wonderful event this year where we were able to bless several hundred students, so we ended up there were 319 students who came through the door and got fully equipped with backpacks and paper and pens and pencils and highlighter pencil boxes all the things that you could need. We had bags set aside for elementary and for secondary so that it would be appropriate, based on the age of the student, and we also had some wonderful volunteers who helped set up a clothing area where we were able just to put out clothing and that had been donated to us. And so then families, as they came through and they got their school supplies, they could also go and get some outfits for school and get help with that. You know new socks, underwear, pants, shirts, coats.
Speaker 5:Again, it's summertime, but it's still good to be thinking about getting coats and getting jackets and prepared for the fall and winter season. So it was just a wonderful day. We were also blessed for the Lions Club to partner with us, so they gave out free vision screenings to folks, and so I know that there were some people that they were able to help. And just, you know sometimes younger children who they were able to kind of give a referral then to go and maybe look at getting glasses or go and see an eye doctor and parents said, oh, I didn't know that they were having this trouble seeing and you know a younger child, four or five years old, they might not know to say, because that's just how they're used to it, because that's just how they're used to it, and so, seeing all of those things come together, we had so much effort coming from our staff and getting this set up.
Speaker 5:We had so much just faithful participation from our donors of donating school supplies. Sometimes those were financial gifts, other times people were bringing things to our door and people also utilized our Amazon wish list and just sent things directly to us, and so we were well stocked to be able to make sure that everybody who came in was able to be blessed, and a team of volunteers running and interacting with folks too. Just a wonderful thing to see all of these different aspects people from all over the city coming together and being a community and helping each other out making sure these students are going to be prepared.
Speaker 2:It's like many moving parts to it, hope. Do I understand that this is under your kind of organizational event? Is this? Are you the driver on this?
Speaker 4:It's a group effort.
Speaker 2:It takes a lot of people. That's a good leader that says that so. But somebody's got to make sure everything lines up. You have a volunteer department. Susie talks to volunteers, of course, and then refers them to you or somebody there, and then contacting all of the folks, the families and so forth. So talk a little bit about I mean John's kind of unpacked the 30,000-foot view of this. Talk about some of the nuts and bolts. What does it take to make something like that happen?
Speaker 4:A lot of coordinating, just making sure we have what we need, to know what we need, and just planning well in advance. When people are leaving school is when we start planning for going back to school, and so we start thinking about what we have. Sometimes we have stuff that's been left over from last year or stuff that's been donated throughout the year, and so we'll start kind of taking inventory and keeping track of things that are coming in. That's how the Amazon list came about. We were able to put just some things that we knew we needed already on the Amazon wish list, and our donors were very generous this year and it helped out a lot just to be able to get bulk items like pins. Instead of somebody buying a package of 10 pins at Walmart, we would get a package of 200.
Speaker 4:And that really helped us to get started well and to not have to go and buy as much. So it was a big blessing to just every day see that stuff coming in.
Speaker 2:So you've got an inventory that you have got to kind of keep track of. You've got things that are coming in in bulk, things that aren't even here yet. How do you balance that out? Because I know we've had these conversations about do you go out and purchase it? Do you wait for it to show up? How do you pray, when do you trust, when do you go do something different? All those kinds of things. So you're kind of like, uh, right on the front line of all that. So how, what's that pressure? Like to know that here they come. We don't have enough backpacks. I know that was one of the things here a couple weeks ago we were talking about we need more backpacks. How do you navigate through that, knowing that people are going to come to you Hope and say, hey, we need this and this and this. How are you?
Speaker 4:going to get it for us. Well, there are times that we just keep track of the inventory, but we also know that the closer it gets to school it thing, the more it's something people are going to think about more, and that more will come in. This is probably my third year of doing this, and more always comes in, and it comes in as we're doing the event. So and this year it was just, you know, a lot of faith we didn't know how the Amazon wishlist was going to work. We just kind of put it out there and things just kept coming in, and so I felt like that was a big blessing from the Lord, just because, you know, we weren't going out and doing a lot, we were just putting it out there to see what happened, and so that was a big blessing.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and just to know that the donors will also come in and donate money as well, so that if we do need to go shopping we can. So I mean, we know that the Lord knows how many people are coming and how many people that we will need to serve, and so it takes some of the stress away to know that you know he will provide.
Speaker 2:Some people will be really freaking out about that kind of responsibility of, I guess, all these people coming and I don't want to say no, so you do that.
Speaker 4:That's your job.
Speaker 3:That's part of your job.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Miriam, obviously being in the nonprofit arena for a long time mission for quite a number of years now. Do you ever get tired of hearing about this, the way that people come together and the way the provision is?
Speaker 3:No, never. I never get tired and I don't think I ever will get tired, because it's just this confirmation that the Lord is faithful and that we and people are faithful to listen to the Lord Absolutely. They get prompted and so they respond. But you know what I think too is it's okay that we get a little bit anxious, because I think it shows that we care. I don't think it means anything related to do we are, we is our faith faltering? I don't think. That's it Not doubt.
Speaker 2:No how do we apply the faith?
Speaker 3:And what is our role in the middle of all of it? You know, are we doing, you know it's not. We've never been asked to be passive in the midst of faith, right? Passive in the midst of faith, right, I mean. So there's all these things that we're going to continue to do, and part of that is a little bit of anxiety, making sure that we don't want to turn anyone away and that's the beautiful thing Even though we know the Lord will provide exactly what we're supposed to have and what we're supposed to give away. We know that.
Speaker 2:One of the things we don't anticipate is saying to the 300 plus kids that are coming One of the things we don't anticipate is saying to the 300 plus kids that are coming sorry, we don't have anything for you. That's not an option.
Speaker 3:No, we don't ever want to do that, and neither does the Lord. That's right.
Speaker 2:That's right, and neither is a community that wants to help, so they sometimes will go above and beyond as well, right? So we talked about the completion of program hope and some of the different reactions that you get. What reactions? Some of the different reactions that you get what reactions? I know that when you're juggling all of the things that you're juggling same thing with you, john, you don't always get a chance to get up close and see what the value of it is. But what did you glean from the families, the kids, the parents, when they were getting the multiplicity of things you were talking about? What was the environment like?
Speaker 4:They were very grateful. You know, most people know how much school supplies cost and how expensive it can be, and we had a lot of large families come through and so you start multiplying that and then, on top of that, being able to distribute clothing, and you know, the family can just pick out whatever clothing. There was no limit, no anything. They could just take whatever they needed. Um and um, and we I mean we had shoes, we had all sorts of things and we were able to do a raffle this year with some of the items donated from walmart. And that was probably my one of my favorite parts, because, um, it was so unexpected for families to be able to, you know, win something pretty big, whether it's like outdoor furniture or kids' bikes, or we had some like kids' cars and all sorts of fun things that they could have. And I think, like I said, that was my favorite because that was unexpected.
Speaker 4:And some of the kids were even signing up for the raffle unbeknownstst to their parents, and winning things for like their siblings.
Speaker 2:So talk about how they did it. A lot of people think you've got to buy a ticket to get in a raffle. This was not a purchase thing. How do people sign up?
Speaker 4:They just put their name in a box and then we called them and, like I said, some and they could sign up for anything as many things as they wanted. Some of these things we have multiples of.
Speaker 4:And we were just really grateful to be able to bless so many people. Like I said, it's just it's probably the best part of the job is being able to give people stuff that they're not even expecting. I mean, sometimes they come to us with needs but then being able to go above and beyond that and just give them things not just that they need but that they could want or not even be able to dream of really ever having, was a big blessing. And just being able to see the kids' faces and that they would win this, and the parents kind of working hard just to be able to pick some of the larger things up, it was kind of a challenge for them but they did what it took to get it.
Speaker 2:One of the most exciting things in a family's life is getting ready to go back to school. The kids are excited, the families are excited, but it's also one of the most anxiety provoking if you're not sure if you're ready, if the kid's not ready, if you don't have the supplies. In this situation, it sounds like you not only reduce the apprehension, to say the least, but you also made it a fun event that they will remember. Going back to school is fun and we get to be a part of this, and so if you're a family that's listening to this maybe a grandma, grandpa, aunt or uncle, whatever and your family doesn't struggle, just know that you've been a really big part of helping people not struggle so much. Josh, I'm thinking of you right now in regards to communications and everything that goes out, like the podcast we're talking about. How does it feel to hear that you put it out there? You just kind of throw it out there and people actually are listening and reading?
Speaker 1:Yeah, no, I think it kind of goes back to talking about trusting God for things and being a good steward of that, and that part of that is putting the word out Like obviously people can't help if they don't know, and so obviously there's definitely been plenty of times where the Lord's or you know people bring stuff by and they're like man, I really felt the Lord laying it on my heart and there was no you know, specific need put out.
Speaker 1:But I consider that part of the role is, like you know, us being a steward of the news, so to speak, and like you know what are the needs, what are the stories, and so I think that's a big part of it and it's cool to see, having been here as long as I have now, it almost gets to the point where, like well, yeah, of course, god, provided that it's like you know, you kind of start getting a little less surprised. It's like well, yeah, but it doesn't stop the nerves from from coming around.
Speaker 2:But yeah, it's we can expect God to do a miracle, but not be presumptuous. He's going to do it the way we want it, right, oh yeah.
Speaker 1:And that's the cool thing is, it's always a way you don't expect, it's always like. You know the ones that are like oh yeah, I didn't, I didn't know, I just felt like God on. Those are the stories that you're like oh, that's cool, I didn't have any part in that and that's okay.
Speaker 3:Or those times when it comes in last minute. Those are the good ones In my mind. Well, it depends on who you are. Well, I know, I agree with that.
Speaker 2:Maybe not Hope Benci.
Speaker 5:I like the ones that come early.
Speaker 3:But there's something about when it comes, just the nick of time that kind of makes you pause just a little bit.
Speaker 2:Well, there's those unexpected things, when you're just not sure if it's going to happen. And then it does happen in such a spectacular way, which also we've talked about, the joy that is experienced by the kids, by the families. What about the volunteers? What about the donors that you connected with? What are you hearing from them?
Speaker 5:Yeah, I think it's a really rewarding process to be involved in. I can. I mean, I know that it is for us as staff to come in and be able to see it, and so you know that day the event just is, you know, popping in and make it, seeing how it's going, and just seeing seeing the families looking at clothes together, you know holding up shirts, seeing if it's the right size, and seeing kids come with their new backpacks. Especially, it's always fun seeing the little kids when they get a backpack that has a graphic on it. They like it's a bluey backpack or Spider-Man, and really excited about that, just seeing the joy on their face. So I know, as staff members, it's really rewarding to just see it come to fruition and see all of these material things right and that, knowing that some of them are bought with the money that comes in or the things that come in in boxes, but now seeing it go and be given to people and and um and there's, just knowing that that's going to be a help, it's so rewarding and so, um, I would just really encourage people, um, to come in and be a part of that, uh, to, to come in and volunteer and be able to see it firsthand. Um, it's a wonderful experience.
Speaker 5:We had a wonderful team of volunteers this year. Um, our volunteer coordinator, susie Pazzi, did such a great job connecting people with opportunities to help. And so there were volunteers throughout the day of helping to run the sign-in section or helping to give out the school supplies or helping to continually kind of reorganize the clothing and the shoes area. But then we also had so many volunteers who helped beforehand, coming with the setup process, setting up tables, moving things around, bringing unloading the boxes as the clothes and all the supplies were taken from the DC over to our warehouse, staging them, getting them organized, labeling things just countless hours that people came and did beforehand and I'm thankful for those volunteers because they might not have seen it on the day of but, just knowing that their faithfulness and coming and giving their time to help out in that setup process has an impact on the community, on hundreds of children and families in our community, and made a difference, you know, even if they didn't see it.
Speaker 2:So it takes all of that so many people not having to be there the day of, but being there ahead of time and then also kind of putting everything away afterwards because otherwise you got to repurpose the space. Ok, you had a great event again this year. I don't know how many years Rescue Mission's been doing this. It's been a long time.
Speaker 3:Forever, it's forever. I bet about 14,000.
Speaker 2:About 14,000 years. Yeah, at least hours. But so another great event, but again, it's not a one and done. In regards to families coming into the Hope Center Right now we have a lot of kids staying at Hope Center. We're going to have more coming into the Hope Center. Right now we have a lot of kids staying at Hope Center. We're going to have more coming throughout the year before next school. And so Hope, what do you do when you hear from Hope Center We've got a new child that's going into first grade or whatever? What is the procedure now for getting that kid set up? So when they enter into that schoolroom or maybe they've been in it without any supplies how do you help that kid to feel right and normal and good?
Speaker 4:Well, we kind of get as much information as we can as they'll give us about what they like and what their age is and what they need. And then we have a fabulous supply, lady Becky, who will put it all together for us and, like I said, she's got what? 16 grandkids, so she pretty much knows Becky's like me.
Speaker 4:She's been around here about 14,000 years too, so she knows this business. Yep, so she knows and she can pretty much tell you what they would need. And she, like I said, she loves to be generous and thoughtful and put anything she could think of in there for them.
Speaker 2:So there's an ongoing effort to stay on top of this for their kids. And so any extra supplies that came in, you hold those back for the rest of the year to be able to. Because we don't know how many kids are coming to the Peaker Rescue Mission, we don't know how many. I mean things change and it could be kind of status quo, kind of gradual up and down, and then there could be some type of situation occur in our community where there is just twice as many, three times, maybe four times, we don't know.
Speaker 2:I remember one time, many years ago, there were 100 children in the Hope Center at the same time. There's not hardly enough room for the adults to be there, because there was such a need. Unfortunately that didn't last long before they got rehoused. But anything can happen. So being prepared in all ways, whether it's the food, toilet papers we talked about cherry popsicles when you got them and dog food, and on and on, and on and on and on and on, and then to school, anything, else you'd like to share with us about this year's back to school or anything you'd like to say to people who are listening.
Speaker 4:I would just say thank you so much for getting on Amazon, getting on those links and buying stuff. That was a big blessing and, honestly, kind of a surprise, because it was the first year we had really attempted anything like this or even tried it and, like I said, we were all just very happy and excited and surprised whenever things came in and it made our jobs a lot easier.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 5:Yeah, so thankful for people who were so generous with their donations, thankful for volunteers who gave of their time, and then thankful also for just our you know, the people who support what we do here at the Rescue Mission, just lifting the van up in prayer, because we know that there are just praying, that it would be a fruitful event and those prayers were answered. So thankful for that support and would just encourage folks to, you know, to come and see for yourself next year, you know, and look for that opportunity. But also for anybody who knows of a family who's in need, have them, give us a call. So we, you know that is what we're here for is to help the people in our community. Give us a call. So we, you know that is what we're here for is to help the people in our community. And so if, if you have someone in need, give us a call. And even though schools already started or the events closed, we're always, you know, looking for a way to help.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Not only one and done. It just goes on Well. Thank you for all the efforts that you put into this. There's great joy that we can see you guys have a lot of fun doing it. It's very meaningful, but it's a lot of work and for everybody who participated in this whether you gave financially, you gave materially, you gave of your time to help this to be a successful event and, as we say, it's not a one and done. It's not the only event.
Speaker 2:We have Christmas coming up, a night of praise coming up here in just a few days, and different things that people can participate in, let alone every single day. Volunteer needs, giving needs, opportunities for people to participate in truly a place that is not just here to help people with a need but help them to know that they matter and that their lives can be transformed. Thank you for listening to Our Community, Our Mission. I think you kind of can identify today why we call it Our Community and Our Mission Coming together, community, coming together, around helping people to know that they matter and to do it in some very practical ways to help them to know that God loves them and you love them too. Thank you for being a part of Our Community, Our Mission.
Speaker 2:If you would like more information about Topeka Rescue Mission, you can go to trmonlineorg. That's trmonlineorg and there's many things that you can look at with the Topeka Rescue Mission. Hope said didn't know there was this much going on. Well, you can find out a little bit more by going to that website. Also, look at the Facebook and see what God might call you to do to be a part of our community, our mission.