Our Community, Our Mission
Our Community, Our Mission
Ep #293 – Holiday Help, Real Needs, Real Hope
When costs rise and the holidays draw near, one question always leads the way: who will stand in the gap? As needs increase across our city, the TRM team and our incredible volunteers continue to show up, expanding meals, strengthening distributions, and keeping dignity at the center for families navigating SNAP gaps, new work rules, and rising expenses. In this episode, we walk through our year-end realities, including unexpected building and appliance repairs, added meal services, and the growing logistics of supplying food pantries throughout Topeka. Even with SNAP benefits returning, many households are still catching up, and a significant increase in food distribution has reshaped our weekly plans. We also share how the ohSNAP effort, led through the United Way of Kaw Valley, has allowed organizations across Topeka to work together so food gets where it is needed most. Along the way, small moments continue to remind us why this work matters, like the donor who arrived with hamburger buns the very moment our kitchen ran out, a simple glimpse of how God provides through caring neighbors.
Volunteers remain the heartbeat of everything we do, and this season is showing us just how vital they truly are. From preparing meals to sorting donations to supporting Christmas outreach, every act of service helps carry the weight of growing needs across our community. This year, Christmas support will reach roughly 1,200 individuals, and we rely on volunteers to help make every gift and every moment of care possible. If you feel called to join in, visit TRMonline.org to give or sign up to volunteer. When volunteers show up, lives are changed.
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Father, we are just so grateful for so many things. And most importantly, I'm just thankful right now that you are the same. And Lord, that we can come to you in times of the unknowns. We can come to you and talk to you about the celebrations and the good things that we see you doing. And Lord, we also can come to you when things are hard. And I know this holiday season, when we're talking about Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year's, Lord, those can provide a mixture for a lot of people and maybe even our viewers and our listeners. And so we just thank you for who you are, and we thank you that we can just access your love and your forgiveness and all of the answers that we know that you hold. Thank you for this opportunity to do this podcast. And thank you for everybody who's listening to it. And Lord, I just pray that you will just be all of our fathers in the way that we all individually need, and especially during this holiday season. In your name we pray. Amen.
SPEAKER_01:Hello, everybody. Thank you for joining us for our community, our mission, a podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission on a beautiful November day, uh Tuesday, uh 18th of November of 2025. This is episode number 293. I'm your host today, Barry Feeker, with a good full house of people who've been here before. And uh we're going to talk about a lot of things today. You've got Lamanda Cunningham, who is CEO of Topeka Rescue Mission, Marion Crable, who is Deputy Director of Supportive Services, John Roberts, Deputy Director of Community Needs and Services, and Suzy Posley. Pause. Let me pause. Let's start the whole thing over again. Sorry, Susie, who is our volunteer coordinator. So she corrected me before this because I've been pronouncing the last name wrong. I've only known her for two or three years. But uh anyway, it's because I don't work her anymore. So anyway, I have an excuse. Anyway, we're gonna Susie, thank you for your understanding. And uh would you need a volunteer or two that I can help you with? So uh anyway, I even wrote it down. So uh anyway, so much for that. Well, we're gonna talk about volunteers, we're gonna talk about uh Christmas, we're gonna talk about year and giving, we're gonna talk about OSNAP, and we're also going to then talk about, before we get there, about some very important things that occur every single year on November 18th. So uh one of those is um something I thought was just unique to Topeka. It's called Apple Cider Day. Apple Cider Day, yeah. So you ever been to one of those apple cider days here in Topeka? I have not. I have. Yeah. What what's it like?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Um it's filled with apple cider things.
SPEAKER_01:I suppose. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. But you know, I really like apple cider, but I am not big on the apple cider donuts. I don't know why. I mean, because I've loved it. Those just still seem to go together.
SPEAKER_01:Are they soggy?
SPEAKER_02:No.
SPEAKER_01:No.
SPEAKER_02:No, but they are kind of I don't know. I feel like they're dry, but yet they're flavorful. I don't know, that's just not my thing. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Well, uh did so just in case you wanted to. Do you like it? Do you like it icy, slushy, or you like it hot? Hot. Hot. Apple cider slush is pretty good.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I would say the slush.
SPEAKER_01:Yes. All right. So for everybody who has got any vintage on them at all, today is Merriam.
SPEAKER_05:Well, and you know what? I think this is so appropriate that you had all that difficulty because it's Mickey Mouse Day.
SPEAKER_01:It is Mickey Mouse Day. Yeah. Susie, I knew your dash name. I was just Mickey Mouse in it.
unknown:I know.
SPEAKER_01:So anyway, Mickey Mouse Day. So what do you, Merriam, what do you remember about Mickey Mouse?
SPEAKER_05:You know, I don't remember. I was not a big Disney fan like the Mouse people.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I know. You weren't in the club? I wasn't in the club. I wasn't either.
SPEAKER_05:I wasn't in the club. And I was okay with that. You applied and you get in.
SPEAKER_01:No.
SPEAKER_05:Oh, Barry.
SPEAKER_01:I wanted the mouseketeer's ears, right? I think my parents didn't put it in the mail.
SPEAKER_02:Maybe that's it.
SPEAKER_01:That's probably what it was.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, I was so in the club.
SPEAKER_01:You were?
SPEAKER_02:Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake. Oh, no, no. I would just pretend. It was the club.
SPEAKER_03:We're not talking Steamboat Willie or whoever it's club that was just a bit before my time.
SPEAKER_05:Uh-huh. But the ears. You didn't get ears in that club, did you? No. Uh-huh. And see.
SPEAKER_03:And still to this day, I've never been a mouse club then.
SPEAKER_01:Sorry, that was the dumbed-down version of the Mickey Club.
SPEAKER_02:It was my pretend. Okay. Don't squash my don't squash my pretending. Childhood. That's right.
SPEAKER_01:Well, anyway, it's Mickey Mouse Day for all those. Not Minnie Mouse Day. It's just Mickey Mouse Day. So if you are Is there a Minnie Mouse?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Oh my gosh. I know there's a Minnie Mouse. I'm asking if there's a Minnie Mouse Day. Oh.
SPEAKER_01:Oh.
SPEAKER_02:Because we've not celebrated it. No. We haven't.
SPEAKER_05:But you know, we need to talk to the research and develop out.
SPEAKER_01:It's got to fall on a Tuesday, though.
SPEAKER_05:So this works. If not, we're okay.
SPEAKER_01:And Lamanda, I know this day was one that was named after you or you claimed it. Um National Princess Day. Ridiculous. I love these little research and development department things. It really helps us to get things really laid out on the line.
SPEAKER_03:And important things, too. Slimy frog. Barry, you're a real slimy frog.
SPEAKER_01:Oh ribbot. Okay. All right. National Princess Day. Well, okay. All right.
SPEAKER_03:I think we can move on.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, good.
SPEAKER_03:Barry just ribbet. Like, I don't know how we save that, but his ribbot, we're Ribbit.
SPEAKER_01:So you know, uh, folks, if this is your first time, um, this is just what we do because we're going to talk about some hard stuff here in a minute and some really good stuff. And so this is just uh just un unleashing ourselves, our inner selves here at Peak Rescue Mission. So Apple Cider Day, Mickey Mouse Day, and National Lamanda Day. Oh, Princess Day. So on November 18th every year. So clear your calendars, put it down, and yes, she will take uh take any kind of a gift that you want to give her.
SPEAKER_05:Well, apple cider buried that once you left, she elevated to Queen. Dun dun dun. The king left. The queen rose. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Booted off the throne.
SPEAKER_01:I didn't know it was a monarchy, but now it is.
SPEAKER_03:So what y'all was told that. Listen, it feels more like Cinderella than anything else. Cinderella Cinderella.
SPEAKER_01:You better heard.
SPEAKER_03:That's right.
SPEAKER_01:Pumpkin's coming. That's right. Okay, so moving on. Thank you all for being. So let's talk uh uh briefly about uh Miriam year end of end of end of year giving. Actually, is it Pasley or Pasley?
SPEAKER_05:And actually, Lamanda's gonna talk about that, but I'd be happy to update you like that. That's right.
SPEAKER_01:You're talking about Christmas. Okay. I missed last week.
SPEAKER_02:And so let me tell you if you didn't uh listen to it yet, Barry, I did give you an apology because I always make fun of you of like the mouthful and what you're trying to keep straight. Well, I did it and I ended up having to say like the date, the episode, Jadeen Lang, who was our guest, and then I messed up her name, like all these things. And I said, okay, just so you know, Barry, if you're listening, I always give him a really hard time, and it really is different when you're trying to say it all.
SPEAKER_01:So excuse me, I'm gonna go listen to that now. That's right.
SPEAKER_02:I did, I acknowledged it.
SPEAKER_01:So yes, I would be happy to cotton mouth.
SPEAKER_02:Yes, that's what I had said. It's a mouthful when you're trying to do it. Because I would love to talk about end of the year giving. You talk about that, Amanda.
SPEAKER_01:And then we'll save something else for Miriam.
SPEAKER_02:That's right. You know, um, so uh we are actually in the process of getting our end-of-the-year letters out um to our donors and to our supporters. Um, so those will be hitting everybody's mailboxes, you know, within the next five to 10 uh days. And it's one of those things, and you've heard me say this, Barry, and I feel like a broken record sometimes, but finances are probably the toughest part for me to navigate as a newer CEO. And it doesn't help that I go to you and you say, Yep, you just gotta keep having faith. And yep, you gotta do what God's asked you to do. That doesn't help. No, because I just wish there was like this magic thing that could happen, right? And everything we need for programming and everything we need to serve our guests, like it's just all there, and we have a year's worth of um reserves and all of these things, right? Because that's comfortable and um that seems like it is our world's version of stability. And sometimes that's just not what we have, yet God still always provides. And so um we do our due diligence as leaders, particularly myself, but also the team and our board, um, to be working within a budget and to be wise stewards of what we're given, regardless if it's items or finances or people's time, uh, buildings, those kinds of things. And so we do try to walk in wisdom and stewardship. And that's something that I personally as CEO do not take lightly. The other side of it is um we also know that none of our efforts are what gets us what we have. And we also have to truly believe that none of this belongs to us. Um, we we can't own it. And um everything is just loaned to us, and and we then bless others. And so um we're sending out letters and there's gonna be a pretty hefty ask on the letters, Barry. Um, and so I would like to just take a moment to kind of explain when we give this amount that everybody's gonna be getting, um, it does not mean uh TRM is on the brinks of shutting down. Um, I don't don't want to be sending out the alarms, but I do try to talk very frankly in the letter that we've had um overall, inflation and increase in cost. Everyone's experiencing that personally and professionally with businesses, our own budgets, uh family-wise, and all of that. But when you look at inflation, increase of cost, um, we also have had several unanticipated costs at TRM this year. And I put a few in the letter. Um, we've had two freezer issues. Um, and you know, we try to have three or four freezers on hand so that we can do the magnitude of things we do for the community. We had two of them go out this year. We had a tilt skillet, just so you know, we cook um three meals a day at 250 plus meals. And that does not include community lunches that we do now and community dinners. And so the tilt skillet um was like an$18,000 expense. Um, and we had had it for over a decade, but yes. Um, we try to look at refurbished ones, we tried to be as frugal as possible, but it gets to a point where you can't do that anymore. So, and I could go on and on roofing things that were not anticipated, that you know, we had really hoped wouldn't be an issue until next year, and all of these things. So I tried to be as transparent as possible as a CEO to explain. Um, not only have we had personal hits um at TRM, but we've also experienced um an increase in need in the community. And then there are deficits in individual contributions. We still have a lot of loyal, designated, devoted um financial supporters to TRM, and we are so thankful for that. But we also recognize people personally have taken hits um in their property taxes, in um just cost, grocery store, cost of living, insurance cost, all of that have have really taken a toll. And so when I'm looking at what we need to have a healthy budget and operate programmatically the way we do, um and the staff that we need to do that. When I look at that, when I look at deficits that we're facing in individual contributions, and then when I look at the increasing needs and demands um in the community, that's how we got to our number. Um that number will also allow us to have a healthy start um into 2026. Um and so it's it's so hard because I always I question myself, Barry, of um is the message from my heart explaining enough to where I'm saying we need the community support. If the community support is not there, TRM will not operate. Yet am I doing the right thing of also not trying to put everything with strategy and everything with a fundraiser and everything? Because sometimes God provides and provides in ways that I would have never seen. And I want to give this brief example. And it just blessed me the other day. And some people might go, why does she even care about that? But if God cares about this part, you can't tell me he's not gonna show up and do these bigger things too. But something happened about a week ago, and um we um were going to be running out of buns in the kitchen for what we were serving. Well, I didn't know this. The team's doing everything, and then of course we always have plan B, C, and D. So we would have just kind of changed what was on the tray. It's fine. But that bothered the kitchen, right? That we were gonna run out of buns. So myself and a couple of other leaders are at the DC, and John's gonna talk about this in a minute, and we were praying for the O Snap crisis that our community is facing right now. We are praying for the people who were losing SNAP benefits, we were praying for ourselves, we were praying for smaller pantries, larger pantries. We're doing all of this. And um, I looked at Scott after we finished praying, and I said, Scott, what are you feeling? And he said, I'm feeling good. I said, After you hear all of this and all that, why are you feeling good? And he said, Well, I know this sounds small, but it really matters. And I said, What? And he said, I found out that the kitchen we're we're out of buns. And he said, and we didn't have buns on hands because we've been trying to do all this ordering for bread to help with the O snap stuff. So he was like, We were kind of like, Well, we just don't have buns. And he said, after he finished looking, someone came to the door. And um, when I don't know if people know this, but we changed this a little while ago that when somebody is a donor at the door donating anything, um, our team says, uh, there's a blessing at the donor door. Somebody please go help the person that's blessing us. It's all about we don't have to go answer a door, we get to answer a door because there's a donor. And so they went, and I don't know who from the team went, and it was someone donating buns.
SPEAKER_07:Really?
SPEAKER_02:And it was like the exact number of buns that we needed. And so sometimes I think God has a sense of humor too, you know, and you can't tell me that that wasn't a coincidence or that that was a coincidence that all of that would happen. But then I have somebody like Scott Bryant who would say, if God cares that we don't run out of buns while we're serving lunch, he's also going to be the God who cares about the big stuff that we need to do when we're doing it for him and in his name and to lead people to him. So there's going to be a pretty hefty ask on the end of the year letter. I hope this explains it is due to deficits, it's due to increasing in needs, it's due to trying to have a healthy start into 2026. Um, but it's also matched with us being as frugal as possible and us trying to um really be wise stewards of everything that we're given. But it is going to take the community blessing TRM so that we can continue the kingdom work that we do.
SPEAKER_01:And everything you said is just absolutely 100% right on. You know, here's this huge need, here's you as the CEO that has this pressure. How do you communicate this? If that doesn't come in, it doesn't happen. Yeah. If the resources aren't here. If there were no buns that showed up, there would be some food served, but it would be without the buns. But they showed up. Yeah. And so um, I had somebody send me this this morning. Um and it's called Nine Words. Nine words. When we're in our most challenged time in life, nine words. That's really what it takes. The disciples heard these nine words when they were in the midst of a storm. Take courage. It is I. Do not be afraid. Nine words. And that's the unique thing about Topeka Rescue Mission is that, yes, you have to let people know what's happening. You have to let people know the impact of what's happening. You have to let people know a way that they can contribute, whether it is through finances or material possession or volunteering or prayer or all the above. You have to do that. And some people don't necessarily like to get something in their mail that talks about all that. Right. Makes them feel uncomfortable, or maybe I already gave, or whatever. Okay, well, thank you for that. But here's the deal there are people in this community that you get to bless by being a part of this. Maybe save lives. Probably save lives too. And Topeka Rescue Mission is that organization that's taken the lead on the area of homelessness in our community. And uh, this is an opportunity for people to be a part of that. So um yeah, it's a balancing act, but at the same time, those disciples that were in that boat had to get from one side to the other. They had to keep rolling, they had to keep moving, uh, they were tired, they had lack of sleep, they had a lot of pressures on them. But Jesus came along and says, Kind words, take courage, it is high, do not be afraid. And I say, Amanda, that's not just for you, that's for me. Everybody who's listening right now who may be going so through something. Um God has called all of us to be a part of something very magnificent here. And so uh if you're listening to this and you get that letter in your mailbox, just know that uh it's not a twist and arm trying to manipulate you to get rid of your money. It is an opportunity for you to join in so that other people who are on the streets right now or in the rescue mission can also believe, just like Scott Bryant did, that God's gonna take care of you. So thanks for sharing that, Lamanda. Yes. Now, Miriam, I think you're the Christmas lady today. I know. So if I got that right.
SPEAKER_05:You know, this is that time of year when there's just so many different kinds of opportunities to support TRM, whether it's financially or with food or with what Susie is gonna talk about, with volunteer time. And one of the things that we always are looking forward to having folks help us with is Christmas. Um, so we'll be serving about 1,200 individuals uh this year with between the people that we adopt through uh United Ways Christmas Bureau, as well as our guests and folks from the um that are living outside, as well as a nursing home that we provide gifts for for the people that are staying there. So if people can help with brand new gifts um or with food or with volunteering, which I know is part of the the Christmas need as well, that would be wonderful because it takes a lot to be able to be able to bless all of these 1,200 people.
SPEAKER_01:It's a lot of folks.
SPEAKER_05:It is a lot of folks.
SPEAKER_01:So, Miriam, how can people, even now, I mean we're not even Thanksgiving yet, almost, how can they um know what to help out with?
SPEAKER_05:They can go to our website at trmonline.org and they'll see a Christmas needs list there. Um and that's something to kind of continuously go back to because as we get the folks uh that we're adopting from United Way, that gets updated because we try to meet the uh requests that come with the forms that people have filled out in terms of things that can bless them. So our website will be updated continuously with what those needs are, or they can call Susie if they want to volunteer. They can also find volunteer opportunities by going to our website. There's lots of information there that uh we work really hard to try to keep up to date because this time of year things are changing really quickly.
SPEAKER_01:Um yes, they are, and unexpected things like um um uh cut back in benefits to people who have been receiving what's called SNAP. Um used to be called food stamps. And so, John, a uh initiative was created here locally called OSNAP. And so um talk a little bit about what happened there and what uh has happened in that and what's continuing to go on. Because some people think, well, the government came back together and everything's okay now. Um not necessarily. So um, John, uh, this is your area of community needs and services. So what do you know?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. Um when the SNAP benefits did not get distributed on November 1st, that affected a lot of people in the community. There are over 8,000 people in Shawnee County alone who utilize SNAP benefits to help put food on the table for themselves and their families. Um, and there was just so much uncertainty. And even um, you know, leading up to those benefits being distributed uh a few weeks later, um, but then talking about potentially rolling them back, just a lot of uncertainty. And so the need in our community um arose very rapidly, you know, and and very um acutely, I would say. And so one of the things that we have done at the Rescue Mission is try to help with that in different ways. One is with our prepared food. So we have started a community lunch in addition to the community dinner that we typically serve, just so that folks can come, whether it's on a s on a weekday or on a weekend when you know uh people are out of work and kids are out of school, and you might be looking for how are we gonna eat lunch today, so that people can come and get a prepared meal. And we have also just increased our uh the availability of our uh food distributions at our warehouse. Um that is part of the OSNAP initiative of the uh that's kind of the whole community is rallying around through the United Way of Caw Valley. Um, just that we are going to uh all of the pantries in the city basically wanting to kind of come together and um just together raise awareness and try and get people to donate time, money, um, or food to the organizations uh that touch their hearts and just make sure that this food gets uh out throughout the entire community. And so we have been able to, through some generous donors uh to TRM and then through the United Way, uh been able to increase our distributions from uh two food distributions a month to once a week uh during this time uh as people have stepped up. And that's just been really wonderful and has been really needed. Um we have seen uh over the the first couple weeks of November a 40 to 60 percent jump in our numbers uh at our food pantry.
SPEAKER_01:Uh so this is people coming and saying we need help with food and we need help getting they come to the distribution center. Correct. That 40 per 60 percent increase is just at that location, right?
SPEAKER_00:Is just yes. Yep. That um on our our distribution days so far in November that it's on about 40 to 60 percent higher than it has been year to date, which year to date was already higher than in some previous years um due to the need in the community. And so we have just been really blessed to be able to partner with other organizations in town um and not only increase this distribution at our organization, but also then through some some funding that's coming through the United Way, been able to also help get food out to some of the smaller pantries in our community. So we're helping doing the ordering um and then uh kind of organization and then getting this food to them so that they can take uh the food out into these kind of into the neighborhoods themselves, into these uh lockets of the thing.
SPEAKER_01:Rescue mission is serving as a hub for um not only serving people that come here, but redistribution out to neighborhoods. Correct. Um of the smaller pantries that maybe can't uh access to be able to get resources for food. That's a smart way to do it. Yeah. So, John, what do we know? Uh government has, uh we understand, come back together. Um, certain things have been uh reinstituted. Um are we back full-fledged into the SNAP program now? Is is everybody's good and gonna be okay going forward? What do we know?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, to the to the best that we're able to tell is that um there's still a ways to go. Uh for one thing, is a thousand folks in Shawnee County uh lost their SNAP benefits on November 1st, regardless of the government shutdown. That's due to work requirements that have been put in, um, which affects some folks uh who can't afford childcare. Uh so you know, if you're a single parent and you have a child who's not yet school age, um, that could potentially affect a family like that or someone who's not able to work. Um, and so that is a need that also went into effect on November 1st. Also, just um, you know, this this really hurt with people's budgeting. A lot of folks had to use the money that they had at the beginning of the month to get by, and now the end of the month is here, and even though their SNAP um benefits have kind of come back on, that doesn't mean they get the money back that they had to use kind of in an emergency capacity at the beginning of the month. And um, you know, I think all of us know when you're trying to manage a budget, and especially if that budget is tight, that some of these disruptions um can have downstream effects, right? And it it's not just an immediate fix to getting right back on track. Um and so, you know, pair that with the winter months coming and holidays and all the rising energy costs. There's just a lot going on. And so we are going to continue to um to do our best to make sure that we are having what we need to be able to serve the community. And uh so we are so appreciative of the people who have donated their their money to so that we can order food, the people who have come and brought food to us so that we can get that back out, like this donor who came and brought the buns, and within an hour uh people were eating that food. Um, and it was blessing them. And then also um the volunteers who have come, because there has been a great increase of need of volunteers now. As we, you know, serve, uh start a new community lunch. Well, that means we need more people to help prepping a meal every day, and then to serve that meal. And as we're serving in both our cafeteria for our guests and in uh Schinkel Stutzman Park for our community members, now we're serving in two sites. And so we need um more help. We've needed more help organizing donations, bagging the food. Uh, you know, it's busier on our food distribution days, so more people kind of coming and interacting and getting that food. Just a lot going on. And so um thankful for how the community has stepped up in donating their time as well to help uh to help us do this.
SPEAKER_01:It's great that Topeka Rescue Mission, United Wave Call Valley, and others have stepped up into this arena. And I think if we're most of us are aware that this is a um hot button political issue in regards to uh what the government's role is in doing anything to help people, whether it's housing or um it's things like food and so forth, and when it becomes that, then people can uh just kind of stand on the sidelines and say, you all figure it out, and then we'll see what we can do. But speak of rescue mission and its supporters have said, no, we're not gonna stand on the sideline and wait for it to get figured out because the reality is when you're hungry, you're hungry. Uh regardless of how you got on SNAP benefits or you've been cut off, if you do not have those resources today and you had them yesterday, there's there's there's a challenge, and you talked about that, John, in regards to planning and budgeting and what do we do, and and I think a lot of things that we we need to slow the political rhetoric down and say what's really happening on the ground? What's really happening in people's lives? You mentioned uh uh a parent who uh maybe has a work requirement now, but there's no place to put their um children who are preschool. Um those kind of realities and what do we do about those kind of things, or people who maybe haven't worked for a while, maybe have uh disability, hasn't been identified right now, and so they're not eligible for these stamps because they're not on disability and they are deemed to be work ready, but they haven't worked in a long time, so how do they go to work? And a lot of our entry-level jobs are high-pressure jobs. You know, I go to McDonald's every once in a while, and that's a hard job that they have in there. It doesn't pay great, but that's what we call entry-level. And so um, there's just a lot of factors here that uh you can't wait um to eat. You cannot wait to be okay. So, yeah, so anyway, thank you, John. So we want to shift to volunteers, and her name is Susie Pazley, and uh and I want to say that again. You all remember this. But the problem is it does spell it's not spelled that way. Uh but anyway, just Susie is her name. And so, Susie, thanks you for being here. Um, even if you don't remember her last name or get it boogered up like I did. So, anyway, Susie Pasley, who is director of uh coordinator of our volunteer program at Topeka Rescue Mission. Susie, how long have you been doing this now?
SPEAKER_04:Um, it's two and a half years, getting close to three now. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And we've heard your why, and it's it's awesome. And so um you are uh what I would consider kind of that uh uh that that that glue, um, that uh leverage point of TRM's need for finances to be able to hire um well equipped employees but can't afford to pay for everybody to be able to talk with those great and wonderful people out there who have some time to give that adds on to the workforce of Topeka Rescue Mission. How many volunteers do you um connect with um on a weekly basis or a monthly basis or deploy or whatever? Just talk a little bit about the the need and the volume of volunteers at Topeka Rescue Mission.
SPEAKER_04:We probably use about um 250 to 300 regular volunteers in a month. Um, as far as many of those come every week and volunteer multiple days in a week. Um and so um but that variety of folks changes from month to month depending upon uh as a volunteer you have the opportunity that if that doesn't fit your schedule that week because you have doctor's appointments or other things going on in life, you need to go take a quick trip to go visit your grandkids or or uh you're on work um during the daytime that week, well you can't come in. Um and that's what's great about volunteering is that it's flexible. And so people can come, you know, sometimes it'll be one month, they're there several days, and then the next month, because of life um situations, they're not able to be. And other folks step up and into that role. And that's what's been beautiful to watch here since the first of November is staffing all of the extra things that um John mentioned with the extra meals and the extra food distribution and bagging and things like that, is where people have been able to, oh, I can come in for an hour or two and help with some extra bagging. Or I could come uh half day and hand out some food. Um and so it's been great to see people step up and into those roles.
SPEAKER_01:So um without those volunteers, a lot would not happen. Um Correct. So Susie, what's what's it like to Yeah, most of the things that we're I was gonna say.
SPEAKER_05:What would happen around here if we didn't have volunteers?
SPEAKER_02:And I mean, we've not done the numbers yet, Barry, but last year the volunteers on our um when we look at how many hours we had and all that, it was like 460,000 that they saved us on our annual budget. So I'm very anxious and curious to see what that number is. So that's why we all kind of chuckle when you said there's a lot that's needed or a lot that wouldn't get done. We're all going almost every department. That's really when we thank our our volunteers, it is like we could not operate without the extra hands that we have.
SPEAKER_05:I think in the past, Barry, we've said it's basically 14 full-time employees.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, we usually run about 70 if every position was filled. Yeah. We run about 70 positions on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and 90 plus on Tuesdays and Thursdays, if everything was filled. Everything's filled. And so um, is everything filled every day? No. It would be beautiful if it could be. Um But um you know that's um the beauty of being a volunteer is that you can have that flexibility. The also the beauty that we get to see is those folks who come um every week. Um they're committed to serving that meal on Wednesday lunch or they're committed to the to the um to map and uh the moving partnership. Moving ahead. The moving ahead partnership. Sorry, that's new. It's new. I did that on purpose.
SPEAKER_01:Thanks, Mr.
SPEAKER_04:But um The MAP program.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:MAP. Um But all of those different roles, you know, we have folks that come every week and they are committed to be there every Tuesday, Thursday, or like I said, the lunches or the evening meals. And and I have um folks that I can text in a heartbeat and say, Hey, help, can you come? And they're like, Yeah, I can be there. I'll be, you know, 10 minutes late from work, but I can still get there by five to serve dinner or whatever. Great, I'll take you. That's awesome, you know. Um the other day it was a real puzzle piece of trying to um to cover some spots with uh map, you know, just okay, I can come till 11:30. Okay, great. You can come at 11:30 to two. Okay, you can come two to three. Super, we're covered, yay, you know, celebration. So um we do have on our our uh Vomo is our uh volunteer platform that we use for scheduling for folks to be able to choose what uh they're available for. But as Miriam mentioned earlier, you're welcome to call me and we can talk about what kind of fits your schedule and let's see where you could help. Um but you can sign up on our website, tramonline.org, to be a volunteer. So there's a volunteer page there that you can see what are our expectations, what are some of the things that we have available for you to volunteer at. Not everything is listed there. And then we also um have a spot where you can click and start that volunteer account. And uh then you'll get a call or an email or a text from me where we'll start talking about what uh your availability is and what you're open to do. So I would love it if folks can come and help us. We've had a lot of help most recently from Washburn University students that needed to get in a few hours for classes. I love that Washburn has asked their students to volunteer in the community. So we've gotten a lot of um of young folks from um the college age coming and helping and serving. And I think it's just a great opportunity to open their eyes to how they can help people and what they can do. Um, because sometimes folks just don't think, well, I don't really have uh some skills or whatever. Hey, we can use you. We've got lots of different opportunities.
SPEAKER_01:So as Lamanda was talking about uh the many different needs of Topeka Rescue Mission and a letter going out explaining those needs and feeling a little bit overwhelmed. I think it you you've got to feel a little overwhelmed sometimes with the magnitude of your job.
SPEAKER_07:Yes, sir. Yes, sir, I do.
SPEAKER_01:So I mean if this thing doesn't work, a lot of other things don't work. You can have maybe resources and buildings, you know, I mean people in them to run them. And as Merriman Lamanda said, you know, there's uh clear close to half a million dollars of investment of people's time here if you added that up. And if that goes away or a part of that goes away, you just don't do what you get to do.
SPEAKER_05:And you know, Susie though, she talks about that it is overwhelming. She is that perfect example of a duck on water, right? She is just smoothly moving along underneath her feet, are going like crazy, right? She is paddling, paddling, yes, but she susie always approaches every challenge with just this calm assurance, very much like what Lamanda talked about, this this faith piece of we know we need to be diligent and good stewards and work, and we also need to trust that the Lord is going to bring us what we need. And I think Susie is just a wonderful example of that. But underneath, she is paddling like crazy.
SPEAKER_01:What um Susie, what do you think if somebody's listening right now and saying, hmm, I'm wondering what it takes to be a volunteer to speak of rescue mission, what would you tell them?
SPEAKER_04:Sign up and let's talk.
SPEAKER_01:So just maybe step your foot in the water. Yeah, yeah. Don't watch my feet paddling so fast.
SPEAKER_04:Just get you know, I had some great conversations yesterday um with um a couple of different women and um yeah, it was great. They were like, I keep interrupting you when you're talking. I'm like, keep talking, keep telling me who you are, uh huh, what you love to do, what um, you know, what are your what what have you done? And let's let's figure out where where we can use that because I truly believe that God brings people here with all kinds of skills. And if I make an assumption in the beginning that I'm gonna plug you in here and this is the only thing I'm gonna let you do, then I miss that opportunity for the gifting that God has given them and the talents and skills that they have to be used. And um I don't want them to miss that and I don't want to miss the beauty. It's kind of like the buns come into the door. You know, I don't want to miss the beauty of of how the Lord orchestrates that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And so you have that opportunity not just to plug some people into an online plan and then get deployed somewhere, but you can actually talk with that person and and you're always open to doing that.
SPEAKER_07:Yes.
SPEAKER_01:Um and that could unpack some things that person never even thought about that they could do, and they could be this rock star volunteer.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah. Nothing sweeter. Yeah, nothing sweeter than um, I was out at map, uh, it was when we were at Let's Help on the parking lot there. And um one of our volunteers, um, a gentleman, Brad, he uh came to an orientation, you know, listened to everything. Nice guy, you know. And then um he signed up to do the showers at MAP in the Vallejo trailers, cleaning the showers, right? And he has this really cool hat he always wears. And he's sitting out there on the uh under the uh awnings and waiting for the folks to come so he can just visit with them before they get in the showers and before he cleans them. And he's like, this is the best thing ever. I just never dreamed. And then I met his wife and another friend of theirs at a volunteer, um, United Way volunteer um what am I trying to say, event over at uh Fairland Plaza. And they came up and they go, You know my husband Brad. He's our friend. He loves serving there. He just loves it. It's like it's just he'll always be there. I'll always be there, Susie. And you know, that kind of thing is just an incredibly precious blessing to my heart. Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, when you think about it, who who what kind of a person enjoys cleaning a shower after a person who's been living on the streets gets a shower? That's a very unique person. Exactly.
SPEAKER_04:I mean, you know, incredible, deep, deep.
SPEAKER_01:And and visiting with people, you know, and and serving in that way. Not every volunteer position requires that. Right. Uh so you know, some of it's less um challenging uh to many of us, but uh what an incredible group of people. And I do want to uh just highlight that um Topeka Rescue Mission coordinates the volunteers that go to what used to be called the Mobile Access Partnership, which is now the Moving Ahead Partnership. Um most all those volunteers come through Topeka Rescue Mission, and that is a significant contribution to the success of helping the unsheltered on the streets. Um if if MAP had to reproduce that um itself, it would be very time consuming, very costly. Topeka Rescue Mission covers all that. And so thank you, Susie and Lamanda um for um um opening that door because it's it's huge. Um so we covered a lot of things here today um about Topeka Rescue Mission needs. If you're listening to all this and you've started from the you may feel a little overwhelmed yourself. Um just know that you can be a part of making this lever less overwhelming. And um and keeping in mind whether it's the finances needed here, whether it's the Christmas support, helping hungry people, or volunteering, there's that person that comes to the doors of the rescue mission or comes off the streets to something called map, or is just looking around to see does anybody see me? Do I matter? And whether they're hungry or they're homeless or they're just lost in the space of their universe of not knowing where to go, there is a place that people can come. And you as a contributor, you as a volunteer, you as a prayer warrior, uh, you as someone who can um promote um the truth of what's happening in our community with a very important organization that networks with many other important organizations, you can speak to that because you can be a part of giving people the help and hope that they need. Thank you for listening to our community our mission on this Tuesday, November 18th, 2025. If you'd like more information about Topeka Rescue Mission, you can go to TRMonline.org. That's TRMonline.org. Thank you for being a part of our community our mission.