May 13, 2025 • 51 mins
From a simple lunch invitation to leading a life-changing organization, Lauren Clouse’s story is one of calling, courage, and deep faith. As CEO of Winchester Rescue Mission, Lauren never imagined she’d be running a growing nonprofit, expanding programs, and building partnerships across the Shenandoah Valley. But with a heart for people and a belief that “God doesn’t call the qualified—He qualifies the called,” she stepped forward. Today, she leads with honesty and heart, guiding her team through difficult work while holding onto the joy that makes it sustainable.
In this episode, Lauren opens up about what it’s like to feel unqualified yet called, and how those two truths can coexist. She shares how finding moments of laughter, maintaining authentic relationships, and leaning on God’s provision allow her to keep going when the work is heavy. Her story is a moving reminder that saying yes to something bigger than yourself doesn’t require perfection—only a willingness to show up with grace, grit, and joy.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Dear my father.
We thank you, lord, for thisday and your blessings and
provisions.
God, thank you for Lord.
Just all the humble servantswho work across this country and
the globe, lord, serving youand serving Lord, just those in
need, lord, those experiencinghomelessness and hunger.
God, we thank you for each andevery one of them.
Thank you for our specialguests today and, lord, just
pray your blessing over her, herministry and, lord, every
(00:23):
listener who hears this podcast.
Father, in your holy andwonderful name, we pray, amen.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Hello everybody, thank you for joining us for
another episode of our Community, our Mission, a podcast of the
Topeka Rescue Mission here onTuesday, may 13th of 2025,
episode number 267.
On this beautiful spring day inthe, Amanda Cunningham.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Hello, how are you?
I'm good, I'm good.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
We've got a really cool special guest, we're going
to talk about today.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
Yes, I'm excited about it.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
But what we like to do is we like to honor our
research and developmentdepartment, which is sitting
down at the other end, and if wedon't do this, he won't turn on
the record button.
Hey, I got the mute button,that's right.
So part of that is, if you'vejoined us before with our
community, our mission, we liketo recognize the importance of
the day, and so there are threemain important parts of today
(01:16):
and LaManda, I know one thatmost of us like is this is
National Apple Pie.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
Day.
I do love apple pie.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
So how long have you liked apple pie?
Speaker 4 (01:25):
Well, not quite as long as you, but we won't go
there.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Actually I'm a peach pie guy, Are you?
I didn't know that about you.
I know Hot dogs and baseballand peach pie and peach pie.
That's where I go with it.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
One of my favorite little treats and there's no
telling what's in it, but wewon't talk about that is to get
one of those what is it?
Apple turnovers or whateverfrom McDonald's.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Every now and then.
It's deep fried and all of that, and cheap, and you can buy a
bunch of them.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
And then you wonder what you did that for?
Yep, yeah, so I bet you're aformer educator.
Well, you're still educating.
You're teaching people.
Apple pie was first identifiedas apple pie.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
No, I did not you didn't know that.
No, I'll take my walk of shame.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Yeah, it came out of a Dutch cookbook in 1514.
1514.
Really Okay yeah, major day.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Were you three Dun dun dun.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Got him.
I was only one, okay.
So a lot of things that we knowaround Topeka is about tulips,
and so this is National TulipDay.
We a lot of things that we knowaround Topeka is about tulips,
and so this is National TulipDay.
We have tulip time here inTopeka.
It's a really big deal.
I bet you don't know when thatfirst started.
I don't, okay.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
I was talking, I didn't get to read my cheat
sheet.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
So this was before I was one.
It was around 1000 AD, inTurkey, turkey of all places.
So and then, okay, this is morecontemporary, this day is known
as Tom Cruise Day.
No, no, it's not.
No, it's Tom Cruise Day, it'sTop Gun Day Never watched it.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
You never watched it, never watched it.
No, oh, that's a shame.
I know I wanted to play DangerZone, but I didn't want to get
like copyright infringement orsomething.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
So you're probably more on the Top Gun Maverick
movie, right?
No, okay.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
All right, I don't know, I sleep during movies.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
You're okay.
So apparently they celebrateMay 13th every year now to
celebrate and honor their memoryof the iconic movie Top Gun.
It was released in 1986.
Remember that.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Nope, I wasn't born.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Okay, so, yeah.
So the year I started workingthe rescue mission, top Gun came
out and they just got the wrongactor, that's right, that was
what it was.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
You were supposed to be the star.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
We were flying through the air Yep.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
And now we're flying by the seat of our pants.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Yeah, we sure are.
So, anyway, those are theimportant things for today.
May 13th of 2025.
And I'm sure you'll rememberthese next year when we're doing
it on a Tuesday Marked it in mybrain.
Well, amanda, one of the thingsthat we have started on the
podcast, our Community, ourMission, is to reach outside and
talk to people who are notnecessarily part of this
(03:54):
community but are part of agreater community of rescue
ministries across North America,and that's part of a networking
system that's been around forover 100 years called the
CityGate Network.
Now, we were talking earlierabout the Houston Rescue Mission
, which is there's more than onebut Star of Hope, and that was
the first CityGate meeting Iever went to in 1986 was at Star
(04:18):
of Hope, and I was sure glad Ilived in Topeka, kansas, when I
got back from that joint, didyou?
guys see Top Gun when you youknow, no, we didn't Shoot.
Yeah, wasn't looking for that.
Actually, I was walked into afenced-in area across from a
plasma center that there were2,000 men waiting to get into a
(04:39):
shelter with 500 beds, and thatwas my first experience seeing a
rescue mission 500 beds andthat was my first experience
seeing a rescue mission.
And part of that was that in1986 and that era, there the oil
.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
There was an oil crisis in the United.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
States.
So Houston being very oilproduction oriented, they lost
about a million people that hadto leave the city.
There were skyscrapers withcranes that they were building
brand new skyscrapers that werejust stopped, and there were
these cranes on outside and sothey had a.
And we talked about homelessproblems today they had a
massive emergency homelessproblem in that part of the
(05:13):
country and so we got to go downand see that and really saw the
value of being ready for whatmay come.
But anyway, so CityGate Network, LaManda, you have gotten
pretty involved with thisorganization that's over around
300 rescue ministries in NorthAmerica.
Talk about what CityGate meansto you, what it really is from
(05:39):
your lens, and then how you'vegotten involved.
And then we're going to talk toa CityGate member.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Yeah, so I think that man CityGate Network is so
multifaceted, right, there iseverything from communicative
platforms that all of us memberscan be on, where literally with
the click of a few buttons,we're able to blast out a
question or two or a problem,and it gets sent to dozens upon
dozens of people to be able toaccess this network of possible
(06:15):
solutions, possible approachesor people that will be prayer
warriors for you, and so that isa huge thing.
I utilize that no less thanprobably 10 to 20 times a year
myself, where you're trying tomake decisions about things and
to be able to seek other wisecounsel.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Yeah, and I'm sure they're maybe checking in with
you.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
Yes, yes, and our team has responded to several of
those threads when people havequestions or they're trying to
embark on changing program ortrying to do physical changes
that are a therapeutic approach.
So we've been able to do a lotof that.
So you've got that kind offacet of CityGate.
They also do stuff wherethey're very big on making sure
(06:57):
we all feel connected despitedistance, and so they have the
investigate magazine that theysent out and I mean just all of
these different things thatwe're able to see the good and
the struggles that everyone'sfacing, from east to west view
of them, and it's thiscommunication, this networking,
(07:18):
this plethora of support andquestions that you can do and
all of that.
But they also are so intentionalat relationships and so one of
(07:38):
the things they did severalyears ago was kind of start this
emerging leaders group and itwas before I came, so I had
nothing to do with that and theywanted to really build this
because they realized that a lotof the people that were coming
year and year to the CityGateconference or the people that
were able to do the huddles, alot of them were from an older
(08:00):
generation, that had a lot ofhistory together, and then there
was this gap in people who wereexperienced and were veterans
with this to kind of the noviceones of us that were coming into
it that are really the nextgeneration of this.
And how do we bridge that sothat, I'm using my own words,
this is not city gate, but sothat you don't have a lot of
(08:22):
younger kids coming in arrogant,saying we can take on the world
?
I think it's pretty accurate.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Oh, my other thing I'm going to say is but also so
we don't have some older peoplenot ready to let go she was
pretty kind.
Right, she was pretty kind inthat at valuing those of you who
have been in this and had theexperience, but also trying to
(08:48):
connect you all to us who aretaking on the baton and trying
to figure out all the stuff.
We don't know, but we have theright heart and the ambition,
and so that's where I kind ofgot plugged in, was kind of
revamping this.
Emerging leaders and how do wereally send off this message to
the younger generations of, hey,there is wisdom with those of
us who are those that have gonebefore us?
(09:10):
And then how do we also reachout to those of you who have
experience, saying we need youto be teaching us, we don't need
you to just know it all, weneed it.
And so that's the other hugething about City Gates is the
relationship piece, but alsothat they're paying attention to
multi generations and the powerof unity with those.
And that's kind of what hasbirthed a lot of my not just
(09:33):
networking, not just colleagueslike Lauren, our guests that
we're going to talk to.
I call her a friend, I careabout her.
We're connected on social media.
I'm connected to her rescueMissions Facebook page.
It just is ongoing outside of aconference or outside of a
platform.
That's all technology.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Very few people do this kind of work, even this
kind of ministry, and so havingpeople that are like-minded,
kindred spirit, similar callings, regardless of where they are,
is huge.
Like-minded kindred spirit,similar callings, regardless of
where they are, is huge.
Many, many, many, many yearsago, from my understanding, the
Salvation Army, back in thetelegraph days, they were
(10:14):
sending out information to thepeople at the different places
that Salvation Army wasstationed, but they had very
little money to be able toafford a telegraph, so they
would send it to what they wouldcall a core, with one word
others.
You're not alone, there areothers.
And so, as people were workingat that level, they didn't have
(10:35):
telephones yet it was atelegraph, and so they set out
the word others.
And I think that's whatCityGate really is helping to
help leaders is to know thatthey're not alone.
There are others, not just yourcommunity, but also a larger
network, and that's why it'scalled the City Gate Network to
be able to do that, andtechnology has helped that
(10:55):
greatly.
Back in my day, when I firststarted out, you had a meeting
in person or a telephone calland those were really precious
to be able to have thesemeetings and you still have
those but also like we're doingtoday with Lauren.
We can actually visit and she'sin Virginia and we're here.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
The one other thing I wanted to say about whether
we're talking CityGate Networkor emerging leaders, it just
expands farther than aconference.
And I'd say that because youknow there's probably going to
be a podcast coming up in thenext several weeks where, um, we
touch a little bit about, um, apretty big tragedy that we
(11:32):
walked through, um here with theTopeka rescue mission staff, um
with an assault that, uh, thatwas brutal Um.
But also we've seen a miraclein that.
Um so more to come on on thatwhen the timing is appropriate.
But the thing I wanted tomention was I personally, but
also our team.
We have heard from city gatestaff every week since that
(11:56):
happened and we are um about, um, probably six weeks out from
from that event.
And so I have heard from theCEO, tom DeVries.
I have heard from multiplestaff members.
I've heard from them in theform of phone calls, text
messages, emails and a cardevery week.
(12:19):
So then that trickled down.
I didn't just take that, asthey're supporting me, like
they're praying for our team.
So last week, during thedeputies meeting, I was able to
hand them a card.
Of course I've been telling theteam hey, I heard from
so-and-so today or I got thistext message and then their
entire staff, after their prayermeeting, signed a card
specifically for our team and Igave that to deputies and then
(12:40):
this week we'll be taking apicture to send it to all staff,
an all staff email.
So it's not just when thingsare successful or like showy or
anything like that.
They've been in the trench withus.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Not just informational, but relational.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
And that's a great value.
Well, we have Lauren Klaus withus today.
She's from Winchester, virginiawith the Winchester Rescue
Mission.
See, I can do that, and so,lauren, thanks for joining us
today on our community, ourmission.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Yeah, thank you all so much for having me.
I'm excited to be with you guys.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Yeah, Lauren, you and I got a chance to catch up just
a little bit this first timewe've met each other and we're
actually, for those who arelistening we're actually able to
see Lauren via a little iPadhere and she can see us, so
that's kind of cool.
So, Lauren, talk about yourposition there.
Are you the director?
Ceo, executive director.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
What are you called there?
Yeah, so my official title isCEO and I've had the great honor
of being in this role sinceDecember of 23.
So this is a relatively newerposition to me, but I'm not new
to the organization.
Just in February, I celebrateda seven-year work anniversary,
so I really love this ministry,love this organization, love the
people who we have theprivilege of serving.
So yeah, officially CEO.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Talk about how you came to Winchester Rescue
Mission.
Now you're the CEO, seven yearsnow, but what was your journey
coming?
And then, of course, we want tofind out more about the
ministry itself, but talk to usabout your journey to get here
and why you accepted thatassignment of CEO.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Yeah, this is probably one of my absolute
favorite kind of favoritestories of sorts to tell.
So my predecessor, brandonThomas, who's currently the CEO
down at Opendoor Mission inHouston, was my pastor at the
time.
So I'm not originally from theWinchester Virginia area.
I grew up in central Virginiaand right outside of Richmond.
(14:45):
I came up here to go to schoolat Shenandoah University.
Brandon was my pastor, and so Igot to know him and his wife,
casey, and their kids for a goodbit.
And then I started volunteeringat the rescue mission.
In fact, I helped out with ourwomen's shelter first fundraiser
.
Our women's shelter opened in2018.
(15:06):
And at the time, I was justhelping volunteers serving in
the kitchen and I helped outwith this fundraiser and I can
distinctly remember Brandontaking me out to lunch at
Chipotle with his eldest son,xander, at the time.
At the time, and he sat me downfor lunch and he's like Lauren,
I think you should be ourwomen's shelter director.
(15:27):
And I kind of chuckled and Isaid Brandon, I'm you know, I'm
going back to nursing school.
I want to do internationalmedical missionary work.
This is what I'm doing.
And he spoke something to methat I still very much remember
and I had another mentor andfriend of mine speak to me and
he said, lauren, frequently Goddoesn't call those whom are
qualified, but he will qualifythose whom are called, and that
(15:49):
has just been spoken into metime and time again and I've
seen that, you know, here at thework of our rescue mission here
, and so I started off as ourwomen's shelter director in
February of 2018.
And then I've worn, I feel likea lot of different CEOs,
executive directors, leaders ofdifferent rescue missions One
(16:12):
they never thought that theywould actually end up in this
kind of ministry.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
And two they never thought that they would be
leading it.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
But again we just like, we're like, okay, we'll
take this on and we'll take onthis project.
So I've worn lots of differenthats.
I was our women's shelterdirector for a time, so I got to
oversee a little bit of casemanagement, working, you know,
hands-on with our clients andour guests, and then I oversaw
coordinating our volunteers.
I had the opportunity tooversee our community engagement
(16:39):
and some kind of moredevelopment-like opportunities.
And then, when Brandon ended uptaking a job with CityGate, I
was encouraged to apply to theposition again.
I wasn't totally sure that Iwould end up getting it, but I
just knew that I had a heart anda love for the people that we
serve, the team, this incredibleteam here at Winchester Rescue
(17:03):
Mission.
And yeah, one thing led toanother and I got a call from my
board president saying I'd liketo set up a meeting with you,
and that was on Monday and I'vebeen in it for 18 months now and
it's been absolutely a blessingand every role that I have had
(17:23):
I have come to, I think, reallyjust appreciate the ministry
overall because I've gotten tosee a little, you know different
aspects of what goes intorescue mission work and I've
come to appreciate kind of everyaspect that it takes to make
you know these organizations andthis kind of service happen.
(17:46):
So it's been a fun ride butgrateful for it.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
There's a lot of complications to working in this
type of ministry a lot ofheartache, a lot of challenges
just to help people to know thatthey matter, working with
communities to help people knowthey matter.
And there's the practicality ofa growing population of
homeless around the country andhow people feel about that.
(18:11):
And you're kind of right in themiddle of all of that, which
you're maybe trying to convincea city leader or the importance
of this or a church, and thenyou have that person that walks
through the front door that saysI just need help, and so the
complications and the balance ofall that.
You seem like you're full ofjoy about all this.
A lot of people say I don'twant all that.
(18:33):
What gives you the joy of doingthe job that you're doing?
Speaker 3 (18:39):
Yeah, I would agree with you.
It is incredibly, I think,challenging work and I feel so
frequently that it is fightingkind of an uphill battle,
practically speaking.
I think my team I mentionedthat we've got a phenomenal team
.
Our staff are absolute rockstars.
So I find a great deal ofencouragement from our staff.
(19:02):
Our staff is fun.
A great deal of encouragementfrom our staff.
Our staff is fun.
I mean, I can remember LaMandaand I joking about you know the
team there at Topeka like kindof being a team of jokers and
things like that, and thatexists here as well.
So you know the day-to-day kindof operational side of things.
The team is definitely a greatbit, a great bit of
encouragement as well, and Ithink more kind of deeper than
(19:28):
that is is at the core, I think.
Again, I go back to like I feelso much that I have a calling
towards this.
I feel that you know God has,has placed that God places
certain callings on us, um andso when things get really
(19:49):
difficult, when things getdefeating, um, you know, when
you're working through somethingreally heavy, um, I have found
in time and time again when Ifeel like I had nothing left to
give, there is something that isspoken into my life that says,
no, like, you can continue doingthis, your team can continue
doing this.
(20:09):
And while I I I have not heardGod's voice, I am confident that
it is God speaking into otherpeople to speak into me.
To do that I, I have a personalmission statement and so every
time where I'm, you know where Iam, where I step into a space
(20:31):
of a difficult decision ordifficult or defeating heavy
circumstances, I go back and Iread my personal mission
statement and then so much ofthat is really grounded in my
faith and who I know I'm calledto be, and being reminded of the
fact that all of us are createdin the image of God.
(20:53):
Just consistently going, goingback to that and finding some,
knowing when to rest in that andknowing when to get up, and you
know kind of kind of chargeahead and take it, you know,
make, make the most of it.
So it's a balancing act, butbut certainly at the core of it
is being reminded of who I amand whose I am.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
And your purpose in this.
I think that without thatgrounding, without that fallback
to the why, this would be thekind of work that you just have
to say what's wrong with me todo this.
But you have that why it'sgoing into these hard places.
Lauren, describe to us theWinchester Rescue Mission and
(21:37):
also the community of Winchester.
We're quite a ways from youhere.
I know that you're about maybean hour, hour and a half outside
of Washington DC.
You would possibly travelthrough Fairfax, virginia, where
I have family and so I knowthat area, but I've never seen
Winchester.
So paint a picture for us here.
Winchester, it sounds likethere's some really progressive
(22:01):
things happening in thatcommunity.
You can talk about that as well, but just help us to see
through your words, winchester,virginia and also the rescue
mission.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Yeah, so Winchester is, like you said, about an hour
, hour and a half outside ofWashington DC.
We are part of the northernShenandoah Valley and it is, I
must say, I've had the greatprivilege of traveling and
seeing a good bit of the country, and the northern Shenandoah
Valley is some of the absolutemost gorgeous parts of the
(22:32):
country.
So Winchester I mentionedearlier to you, prior to the
recording, that Winchester isactually the fastest growing
metropolitan area in the stateof Virginia, and it has been for
the last four years.
So we're seeing a tremendousamount of people moving to the
area and that provides us a lotof opportunities for growth and
(22:53):
development.
However, we have so muchhistory here in Winchester, and
so one of the things that I see,you know, in both in the city
of Winchester and thesurrounding area, is
opportunities and really a needfor some sustainable growth, and
so that's one of the thingsthat you know our community
leaders are looking at is how dowe, you know, grow and
(23:18):
encourage people to come, visitand move to Winchester and the
surrounding area, while alsounderstanding and putting up
some infrastructure to help, tohelp support that, support that
growth?
So that's that's the area again, so beautiful, so many great
aspects and our organization,winchester Rescue Mission, has
been in existence since 1973.
(23:39):
So we just recently celebratedour 50-year anniversary of being
in operation.
We currently run a men's andwomen's kind of rehabilitative
program, so we have capacity forup to 30 men uh in our facility
and up to 10 women Um, we alsohave and this is probably my
(24:01):
favorite part of our ministryand absolutely incredible food
ministry um, with what we callcafe on Cameron and then Cameron
market, and our facility itselfcurrently is on Cameron street.
So, um, with uh market, we umit's a food distribution.
We partner with our local foodbank, part of Feeding America,
(24:21):
and we invite our community tocome in shop for groceries free
of charge, and we've seen anincreasing number of people
coming to us for that.
And then we serve lunch anddinner every day of the week,
every week of the year, toanyone who, to both our clients
and to our community, and that,I think, is really some of the
most important work that we do,you know, in collaboration with
(24:44):
our programs.
But I think, when you thinkabout some of the most impactful
conversations that you've had,so many of those in any of our
lifetimes, so many of thoseconversations happen around the
dinner table, or they happen ina kitchen or at a coffee shop,
and so we serve here at therescue mission.
(25:05):
Here at Winchester rescuemission, we serve food in a very
intentional and a verydignifying way, because we see
homelessness and poverty such aneed for mending and encouraging
relationships, and so we seethe table and breaking bread as
such a natural way to createopportunities to do that.
(25:27):
So so we, yeah, in conjunctionwith our programs and our food
ministry, we're also in themiddle of a really incredible
expansion project.
So we, yeah, in conjunctionwith our programs and our food
ministry, we're also in themiddle of a really incredible
expansion project.
So we're under construction fora new or new to us facility,
such a major renovation.
We're actually looking to bedone with construction on that
in the next 60 days or so.
(25:48):
So lots of, lots of reallyexciting things and we're seeing
just an increasing need for, um, all of those, all of those
services.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
It sounds like, uh, you're uh moving forward, uh,
there at the rescue mission aswell as the community of it's
about 30,000 people at thispoint, Um and so um, with
prosperity also comes along, um,things of uh situations that
don't work out in people's lives, and so sometimes that results
in people having nowhere to go.
(26:18):
We've seen that happen inKansas and some different
communities that especiallypost-pandemic, that things were
moving in a certain direction ina prosperous way and then they
broke or whatever, and now wehave people without a place to
go.
So you know we're from theTopeka area, it's not that huge,
but it's bigger than Winchesterand um, so people see a lot of
(26:38):
homeless here.
Do you are you seeing anincrease in the time that you've
been with the rescue missionthere, of people that are
unsheltered?
Um, or you haven't any kind ofuh concerns about, in spite of
prosperity coming your way, thatthere could be more people in
need?
Speaker 3 (26:55):
Yeah, we definitely have.
I would say publicly, to thepublic eye, homelessness is
becoming more.
The public is becoming moreaware of it.
They're seeing it more.
They're seeing individuals onon sidewalks, on the side of the
(27:15):
road, panhandling.
You're seeing.
We mentioned earlier we have anincredible walking mall that
was actually just voted, I think, number eight in the United
States for, like top, you know,pedestrian malls.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
I think we're going to Winchester and just kind of
chill out for a while.
I know, I know.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
And you guys were talking.
I did my homework.
I listened to a couple of thepodcasts earlier and when it
said, I did see that it wasNational Apple Pie Day and we
just Winchester.
We have the fourth largestparade, I think, in the US, and
it's Apple Blossom and so wehave a whole apple pie baking
(27:54):
contest.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
You need to start a podcast.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
I'm coming, I think, in the U S and it's apple
blossom, and so do we have awhole apple pie contest.
Speaker 4 (27:57):
So I'm coming.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
You need to start your own podcast now.
So you've got the, you've gotthe main thing down.
You know the importance of theday, so between great apple pies
and parades and walking mallsand a really cool rescue mission
.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
You guys should definitely come out.
So, yeah, we've definitely seenI think publicly an increasing
in homelessness and it hasbecome more of our local city
council, have had increasingconversations around, increasing
(28:37):
concern around, and we've seenthe city step in and try to
create some pretty innovativesolutions, trying to play a role
in that, for sure.
And we've seen an increasingnumber of people coming to us in
need of services and I mean ontop of the you know just
(29:00):
abundant needs.
One of the and kind ofdefeating things of of this job
is having to turn somebody awaysaying unfortunately, we are
capacity so.
So we've seen that time, timeand time again where it's where
it's increasing and that'sreally one of the disheartening
aspects of the job and, I wouldsay, in the same time, more
(29:24):
encouraging because we have todo something, something needs to
be done in order, in order tomeet a rising need.
So, yeah, we have seen asignificant amount of shift in
increasing homelessness.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Sounds like the community has been standing with
the rescue mission there 50plus years now and then this
expansion project that you'removing into.
So a lot of times people getinvolved in the issue of
homelessness at one level oranother because it takes a lot
of people.
But in many situations, like inTopeka and it sounds like
probably there in Winchester,you're kind of the voice for the
(30:05):
people experiencinghomelessness and the issue, and
so are you connected pretty wellwith different organizations
there, also government thatobviously has to deal with this
in one way or another.
Is there good connections there?
Speaker 3 (30:20):
Yeah, one of the things that you will hear if you
talk to a handful ofindividuals in this area is we
say Winchester is one of themost generous communities and I
could not agree more with that.
I mean from volunteers anddonors and I think just
community support overall.
We see that.
I mean from volunteers anddonors and I think just
community support overall.
We see that and, yeah, justvery, very blessed, very
(30:40):
grateful for that.
We have great partnerships withother nonprofits.
In fact, just yesterday I wasin a room, a two-hour meeting,
with some other nonprofits andlocal officials talking about
how do we better addresshomelessness and the nonprofit
providers who were in the room.
They weren't homeless, you knowspecifically homeless services
(31:04):
providers, but they were kind offringe providers, so they
provided services forindividuals who might be
experiencing food insecurity.
Or we have a great partnershipwith a local organization that
provides services and housingand advocacy for individuals
fleeing domestic or sexualviolence, and so there's a lot
(31:26):
of kind of cross collaborationwith those organizations the
food bank, for example.
So we have to partner withthose organizations because it's
a heavy load to carry and wecannot be the only organization
that carries that.
We are the experts in certainthings.
But we cannot be the experts infinancial literacy, in
(31:51):
overseeing malnutrition and foodaccess.
We can't be the experts inproviding resources like health
resources, for example.
I mentioned earlier thatWinchester's got a major
hospital system, valley Health,here.
So we have very intentionalpartnerships with those
organizations to make sure thatthe guests that we're serving
(32:14):
have access to the things thatwe're not able to directly
provide them access for, so wecan get them connected to local
banking institutions who canlead classes in financial
literacy.
Same thing with our hospitalsystem.
Same thing with if we have anindividual who's come in and has
marks and or has a conversationwith us that they have a
history of DV or SV, we're ableto connect them with those local
(32:40):
experts, either in-house or cansend them to that organization,
that organization's locationspecifically.
And if it weren't for that, yeah, we'd be in a really tough spot
.
So the support that we receivefor the community, um, and
really at it, it goes back.
I think our community wants tohelp and they want to um, they
(33:04):
want to help the individualsthat that walk through our doors
.
So if it, um, I'm just, I seeagain, just time and time again
of uh, an outp, an outpouring ofsupport in many different ways.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
Sounds like, yeah, you've stepped outside of the
walls of the Winchester RescueMission and been embraced, and
you're embracing others, Amanda,I know that's an extremely
important part of what goes onhere in Topeka and always has
been, always will be going to bemore so in the future.
So when you hear Lauren talkabout what they're doing there,
(33:38):
what does that say to you inregards to knowing again,
there's another person out herethat is doing this too.
What does it mean to have thisconnection with Lauren?
Speaker 4 (33:53):
You know, I think my connection with Lauren is
important on on severaldifferent levels.
Um, I kind of watch her fromafar and, um, and just so proud
to call her friend, Uh.
But it's not just because ofwhat you've heard today, Like, I
love her joy, I love herenthusiasm, I love her devotion
(34:17):
to people, right, Regardless ifit's that donor in front of her,
someone who's coming to beserved.
I love those things.
But what you're not hearingprobably for the sake of time
and because there's so manyother things we try to fit in is
she's also faced a lot ofchallenges.
It's not like she walked intothat role and all partnerships
are established and they neverhave any budget concerns and
(34:42):
they never have any staffingissues and every partner is just
lined up ready to do exactlywhat Lauren's asked to do.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
I'm just getting ready to book a flight to
Winchester but now I'm kind ofbacking off now because it's
like real stuff.
Speaker 4 (34:53):
It's real stuff, yeah .
And so what I love about Laurenis that same, you know, that
same joy and that same like hey,we're going to look at this
half full instead of half empty.
That's what she does whenthere's difficult things and all
of that.
And so to me, when I hear herreflect on things, it's
(35:13):
encouraging to me that we're allkind of in this fight together
and that the fight isn't againstpeople.
The fight is either, you know,against injustices or things
that this world that's justbroken, and so it's so
incredible to see someone likeher and hear about her team,
because it shows us that we'repart of this bigger team doing
the kingdom work on earth,because it shows us that we're
(35:35):
part of this bigger team doingthe kingdom work on earth.
It's also encouraging to mebecause we have incredible
partnerships here and again, agenerous community and so many
people willing to help not justphysically but also financially
and all of that.
But we also have some work to doin this community.
We have some disconnects and wehave some deficits, and you
(35:56):
know that's not always easy forme to talk about.
But I'm going to in hopes thatmore people will join the fight,
more people will stop creatingthe fight and that we can really
.
You know, like Lauren talkingabout hey, we just got together
with government leaders andnonprofits in a room.
Sometimes that takes an act ofCongress to get going in places,
(36:20):
and so I look at that and I'mencouraged and it makes you feel
like you're a part of thisbigger scene and you see it.
But then I'm also challengedbecause while we are blessed
here, we also have some workthat can be done.
And that's part of why I'mcalled to this, because while we
are blessed here, we also havesome work that can be done.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
And that's part of why I'm called to this.
I'm sure it's encouraging, asyou're in the weeds here in
Kansas and also hearing theweeds that are going on in
Virginia, to be able to shareweeds and chop them down
together in some way with someideas and so forth.
Lauren, you've talked aboutyour personal mission statement.
You talked about kind of thething that really keeps you in
the game.
What does it mean to you to, inview of light of scripture, to
(37:05):
know that you have been calledto something that is so
important to the heart of God?
We're talking about the creatorof the universe, who, of course
, loves all people, but thespecial assignment that has been
(37:25):
given to you to lead, to bethere for the ones that are very
clearly on his heart, to havesomebody be there for them.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
What does that mean to you?
In full transparency.
I feel highly unqualified.
Still, I feel sometimes I havea conversation with God and like
, why me, God, why Like, whythis should be somebody else,
Somebody smarter, Somebody knowsfinances better, somebody's you
(37:56):
know more adequate of havingsomebody has more time on their
hands, which I would probablyargue to say, no executive
director ever has enough enoughtime.
That is, again, in fulltransparency, like that's
something that I continue tostruggle with.
But I find encouragement inothers and Amanda and in other
(38:19):
executive directors that I havespoken with is they also
struggle with that and I knowit's very intentionally put on
our website.
When you look on on ourleadership, my first statement
is how incredible is it that youand I are created in the image
of God?
(38:39):
And I have a journal that mysister made for me when I first
had this, when I first acceptedthis position, and on the front
of it she said how incredible isit that you and I are created
in the image of God?
And I think that's the thingthat grounds me and encourages
me, and I say that this is athat grounds me and encourages
me, and I say that this is ahill that I will live and die on
is just that is that I feellike when I hear other people
(39:02):
speak you know, communitymembers, no matter where I go
the way that we talk aboutpeople who are experiencing
homelessness or who are inpoverty or who are substance
addicted, who are in poverty orwho are substance addicted I
think back to that of you and Iand all of us.
We are all created in the imageof God and there's no
(39:24):
distinction Like that's end ofsentence, and so I think that's
one of the things that I reallycling to is that we are all
created in the image of God,beautifully and with different
callings and different talentsand qualities, but at the end of
the day, we're all created inthe image of God and I have to
be.
(39:45):
I feel like I'm called to stepinto spaces where, when that is
fought or when and Lamanda, youmentioned injustice and that
part of my mission statementstates I will confidently pursue
justice.
Justice that's something that Ifeel like I'm called to step
(40:09):
into a space for I will livewith joy, grace and grit, and
grace and grit is one of thosethings that I think necessary to
kind of strike a balance of.
So I cling to that I cling to.
We are all created in the imageof God and I'm not perfect and
I feel very unqualifiedqualifiedand I will never be perfect in
pursuing that.
But I know that I'm coveredwith a level of grace that still
(40:35):
calls me back towards this workevery morning, every day, so I
cling to that.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
So you know, if you were applying for the job, you
probably wouldn't get it.
Based on what you just said,you're not qualified and so uh,
but that's who we are.
And, uh, I know LaManda hasfelt that way.
I mean, when I had theconversation with her a few
years ago about, uh, thiscalling, I know myself and you
in that position, which makesyou, lauren, the perfect person
to be the leader?
(41:04):
Yes, because you know this isway beyond you.
You know that you're notcapable of doing what God's
asked you to do, so you can't doit.
But he can do it through you,and I know when I asked you that
question you started to get alittle emotional there, in that
this is really deep to you, thisis really personal to you.
I think sometimes we need toreflect back on oh, my goodness,
(41:27):
this creator is so amazing.
They would call somebody likeme, like you, to be able to be
in this place and you love it ashard as it is.
You absolutely love it becauseyou know it's his heart.
And you know love it becauseyou know it's his heart and you
know.
I just think you know thatpeople know you in this
community.
Now they got to know me for awhile and to know that there are
(41:52):
other Lamandas out here, likeLauren in Virginia, that aren't
better than anybody.
They're just people who havesaid yes to a very special
assignment, a lot of people arereally glad you do it there,
Lauren.
I mean, there's probably a lotof people sure, glad we got a
Lauren here.
But the joy that is in yourwords, the joy that's on your
(42:17):
face, that nobody can see Amandaand me right now.
What a blessing it is forWinchester to have somebody like
you leading.
What a blessing it is forWinchester to have somebody like
you leading Lamanda.
Other thoughts today withLauren.
Speaker 4 (42:32):
Well, you know, I'd really miss an opportunity if I
didn't share that.
Lauren and I were able to bereally close.
You know, we can talk budgetsand we can talk staffing, but
Lauren and I also did anadventure with CityGate where we
helped with what's called Hopein the Gate and they were
partnering and it was out at AmyGrant's farm and it was just
(42:53):
beautiful where rescue missionscome.
Speaker 2 (42:55):
And I didn't get an autographed T-shirt or nothing.
I know, I'm so sorry.
I showed you the piece of paperthat she autographed for me.
Speaker 4 (43:00):
Does that count?
Speaker 2 (43:01):
Yeah, I swear to God for me Does that count.
Speaker 4 (43:04):
But you know, lauren and I spent several days walking
around Beautiful right.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
The scenery is beautiful, but also some heat
and we only got one shower inlike four days that we were
there.
Speaker 4 (43:22):
So anyways, and she and I were well, yes, all
natural, lauren and LaManda.
But you know, I think I lovethat Lauren brought up the humor
.
That was one of the things thatwe connected on when we were
first getting to know each other.
One, she and I have senses ofhumor, but two, our teams do,
(43:45):
and that's one thing that Iwanted to just make sure I
pointed out with Lauren.
You know, when she talks aboutthe love of her team and all of
that, it's not to dismiss orminimize, like the heartache
that they see every day.
Same thing here at the rescuemission.
I mean, there's stuff that wecan't turn our brains off of
right, but I think there is thestigma that if you're
faith-based or rescue missionwork or all of this, that it's
all you know serious.
Speaker 2 (44:09):
Heaven on earth?
Speaker 4 (44:09):
Yes, and hell's going to break open.
You know, there's just all thislike seriousness to it and, yes
, our calling is serious, butthat also means we can have joy
and fun and all of that with it,and so I think that's one thing
.
That's important is, whetherwe're talking about the
complexities of homelessness orrescue mission work or food
insecurity, it's not always whatwe do, it's also how we do it,
(44:40):
doing it with whether you callit a joy or a happiness, however
you believe, we do it becausewe know that this world we're
living in is not our home, andwe have a hope and we have a joy
that we can not only do thework but we can do it a certain
way, and I love that.
About the rescue mission, youknow, I just played a joke,
(45:01):
maybe this morning on Marcusit's Marcus's birthday and I
hadn't seen him yeah.
I wanted to see him and I wantedto tell him happy birthday and
he didn't answer my text.
He didn't answer my call, whichis a no-no.
So I finally called him again.
He answered because he knew itwas something serious and I told
him that I got a baby raccoonin my office for him to come and
(45:27):
he goes Elsie, are you serious?
And I said yeah, and I go, it'sin my, I've got it cornered.
And I hear him get in his truckand his keys and stuff.
And then I had to yes, I saidI'm just kidding, I just wanted
to see you for your birthday.
But why do I share that story?
Because there is so much.
We see brokenness, we seeaddiction, we see people that
(45:49):
are other people are seeing thembut they don't want to see them
and there is a seriousnessbecause of eternity with the
work we do and it's alsochallenging.
But it also is family away fromfamily oftentimes within these
rescue missions.
And I know Lauren.
One of the reasons why herstaff feel safe, uh, to to be
(46:11):
humorous and to do it with a joy, is that's the example she says
, and I think there's power inthat.
Speaker 2 (46:16):
Yeah, absolutely Well , shame on you for getting
Marcus out of bed.
Speaker 4 (46:20):
I got to tell one more part to that story.
So he gets um, he is not happythat I got him.
So he tells one of his guysthat work for him Marvin, hey,
you got to get over there toLaManda cause she has a raccoon
in her office.
And he doesn't tell him that Iwas joking.
So I'm in my office and herecomes Marvin, like sweating,
(46:41):
like running in Where's theraccoon?
And I looked at him and I saidMarvin Marcus got you.
I said I played that joke on himand now he's doing you, and so
then Marvin's like he's going toget it.
Speaker 2 (46:54):
So if you think everything's, if you're
listening and think everything'sjust really dark and dreary and
serious and we can't wait tillJesus comes back.
There's a lot of fun thingsthat happen with the team and,
lauren, that's where we'rehearing you, as well as Virginia
.
You got to have thelighthearted moments sometimes
to be able to make it throughNot laughing at the pain but in
(47:15):
the midst of the pain, enjoyinglife with each other.
Well, lauren, is there anythingelse you'd like to share with
the folks here in Topeka?
Actually, we don't say justTopeka anymore, because we've
been doing this for over fiveyears.
And, josh, have you found outif we're at the space station
yet to international?
Speaker 1 (47:31):
Still working on the space station.
Oh, come on, man Get with theprogram here.
Speaker 2 (47:34):
We're going to be at Mars before you know it.
So, anyway, we do have a prettygood broad listening base here.
But, lauren, what would youlike anything else today to
share with the listeners of ourcommunity?
Our mission?
Speaker 3 (47:46):
Yeah, I just you all were speaking about CityGate
Network and the importance of itthere and you know, just a
couple of minutes ago I wassharing about how I feel very
unqualified or how I canstruggle with feeling very
unqualified or inadequate, and Ithink CityGate Network is a
reminder and they equip you withthings, with relationships and
(48:09):
with trainings andcertifications that you know
that can definitely help you inthat and I think that's been a
great bit of encouragement forme.
You know, as a youngprofessional coming into a
really challenging kind ofexhaustive field of ministry is,
(48:30):
I've found encouragement inthat and really just in
surrounding myself with peoplewho are 5, 10, 15 years kind of
ahead of me and who are theexperts in their own field who I
need to glean things from.
Were the experts in their ownfield who I need to glean things
from?
And so, um, you know, findingLaManda and, uh, you know, um,
and gleaning things from her and, uh, bob and uh a bit, uh,
(48:52):
helping up over in uh Baltimoremission and and um in that team,
and so, yeah, just definitelysurrounding yourself with um
good people, um, I think is oneof the things that I have found
to be the most helpful, the mostencouraging.
Who you can be reallyvulnerable with and say I'm
really struggling with this.
(49:12):
Romanta and I had a couple ofconversations in that stinky
trailer or while we werethinking the trailer was
impeccable.
Speaker 4 (49:24):
Yeah, that was beautiful.
We were stinky, we were not.
Speaker 3 (49:26):
And yeah, and just being really vulnerable in that
and also finding people who willsay, all right, you know it's
time to get up and we're goingto go and we're going to equip
you with the things that youneed to be equipped with, and
yeah, I just, I'm just I'mgrateful for that.
I'm grateful for a great circleof community around me and and
(49:51):
other leaders who are, who arein this, because I see this not
just in me but in other leaderswho have great circles around
them of vulnerability andencouragement, and I'm just I'm
grateful for it.
So I appreciate you guys havingme on and welcome or yeah, you
guys are certainly welcome toWinchester, would love to have
(50:12):
y'all.
Speaker 2 (50:13):
Well, and you're welcome to the Pika too, and I'm
sure that some way, somehow,you guys are going to connect.
Speaker 3 (50:18):
Maybe next time I'll shower it up and everything.
Speaker 4 (50:20):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (50:20):
That's great, lauren.
Thanks for joining us today,helping us to, as we call it,
our community, our mission, tothink outside the box of it's a
bigger community and it's amission that we all enjoy to do
together, and so thank you forwhat you're doing.
This is Lauren Klaus inWinchester Rescue Mission,
winchester, virginia, that we'veheard from today, and if you
are a volunteer at Topeka RescueMission, a supporter or
(50:42):
whatever, this is a biggeradventure than maybe you knew
about before you listened totoday.
We have people like you indifferent parts of the country,
different parts of the world,who come along, teams that work
at the rescue missions around tomake a difference in people's
lives, to be there for them, tobe in the gap, so to speak, to
(51:04):
bring hope and help and justicewhen necessary, and so we're
part of a bigger assignment thatGod has created here, and we're
so grateful for it.
If you'd like more informationabout the Topeka Rescue Mission,
you can go to the website attrmonlineorg, and you might want
to look up Winchester RescueMission when you get a chance
out there in Virginia and govisit, but do come back.
(51:25):
Thank you for listening to OurCommunity, our Mission.
Dear my father.
We thank you, lord, for thisday and your blessings and
provisions.
God, thank you for Lord.
Just all the humble servantswho work across this country and
the globe, lord, serving youand serving Lord, just those in
need, lord, those experiencinghomelessness and hunger.
God, we thank you for each andevery one of them.
Thank you for our specialguests today and, lord, just
pray your blessing over her, herministry and, lord, every
(00:23):
listener who hears this podcast.
Father, in your holy andwonderful name, we pray, amen.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Hello everybody, thank you for joining us for
another episode of our Community, our Mission, a podcast of the
Topeka Rescue Mission here onTuesday, may 13th of 2025,
episode number 267.
On this beautiful spring day inthe, Amanda Cunningham.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Hello, how are you?
I'm good, I'm good.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
We've got a really cool special guest, we're going
to talk about today.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
Yes, I'm excited about it.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
But what we like to do is we like to honor our
research and developmentdepartment, which is sitting
down at the other end, and if wedon't do this, he won't turn on
the record button.
Hey, I got the mute button,that's right.
So part of that is, if you'vejoined us before with our
community, our mission, we liketo recognize the importance of
the day, and so there are threemain important parts of today
(01:16):
and LaManda, I know one thatmost of us like is this is
National Apple Pie.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
Day.
I do love apple pie.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
So how long have you liked apple pie?
Speaker 4 (01:25):
Well, not quite as long as you, but we won't go
there.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
Actually I'm a peach pie guy, Are you?
I didn't know that about you.
I know Hot dogs and baseballand peach pie and peach pie.
That's where I go with it.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
One of my favorite little treats and there's no
telling what's in it, but wewon't talk about that is to get
one of those what is it?
Apple turnovers or whateverfrom McDonald's.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
Every now and then.
It's deep fried and all of that, and cheap, and you can buy a
bunch of them.
Yes, yes.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
And then you wonder what you did that for?
Yep, yeah, so I bet you're aformer educator.
Well, you're still educating.
You're teaching people.
Apple pie was first identifiedas apple pie.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
No, I did not you didn't know that.
No, I'll take my walk of shame.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Yeah, it came out of a Dutch cookbook in 1514.
1514.
Really Okay yeah, major day.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
Were you three Dun dun dun.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Got him.
I was only one, okay.
So a lot of things that we knowaround Topeka is about tulips,
and so this is National TulipDay.
We a lot of things that we knowaround Topeka is about tulips,
and so this is National TulipDay.
We have tulip time here inTopeka.
It's a really big deal.
I bet you don't know when thatfirst started.
I don't, okay.
Speaker 4 (02:31):
I was talking, I didn't get to read my cheat
sheet.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
So this was before I was one.
It was around 1000 AD, inTurkey, turkey of all places.
So and then, okay, this is morecontemporary, this day is known
as Tom Cruise Day.
No, no, it's not.
No, it's Tom Cruise Day, it'sTop Gun Day Never watched it.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
You never watched it, never watched it.
No, oh, that's a shame.
I know I wanted to play DangerZone, but I didn't want to get
like copyright infringement orsomething.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
So you're probably more on the Top Gun Maverick
movie, right?
No, okay.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
All right, I don't know, I sleep during movies.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
You're okay.
So apparently they celebrateMay 13th every year now to
celebrate and honor their memoryof the iconic movie Top Gun.
It was released in 1986.
Remember that.
Speaker 4 (03:19):
Nope, I wasn't born.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
Okay, so, yeah.
So the year I started workingthe rescue mission, top Gun came
out and they just got the wrongactor, that's right, that was
what it was.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
You were supposed to be the star.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
We were flying through the air Yep.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
And now we're flying by the seat of our pants.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
Yeah, we sure are.
So, anyway, those are theimportant things for today.
May 13th of 2025.
And I'm sure you'll rememberthese next year when we're doing
it on a Tuesday Marked it in mybrain.
Well, amanda, one of the thingsthat we have started on the
podcast, our Community, ourMission, is to reach outside and
talk to people who are notnecessarily part of this
(03:54):
community but are part of agreater community of rescue
ministries across North America,and that's part of a networking
system that's been around forover 100 years called the
CityGate Network.
Now, we were talking earlierabout the Houston Rescue Mission
, which is there's more than onebut Star of Hope, and that was
the first CityGate meeting Iever went to in 1986 was at Star
(04:18):
of Hope, and I was sure glad Ilived in Topeka, kansas, when I
got back from that joint, didyou?
guys see Top Gun when you youknow, no, we didn't Shoot.
Yeah, wasn't looking for that.
Actually, I was walked into afenced-in area across from a
plasma center that there were2,000 men waiting to get into a
(04:39):
shelter with 500 beds, and thatwas my first experience seeing a
rescue mission 500 beds andthat was my first experience
seeing a rescue mission.
And part of that was that in1986 and that era, there the oil
.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
There was an oil crisis in the United.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
States.
So Houston being very oilproduction oriented, they lost
about a million people that hadto leave the city.
There were skyscrapers withcranes that they were building
brand new skyscrapers that werejust stopped, and there were
these cranes on outside and sothey had a.
And we talked about homelessproblems today they had a
massive emergency homelessproblem in that part of the
(05:13):
country and so we got to go downand see that and really saw the
value of being ready for whatmay come.
But anyway, so CityGate Network, LaManda, you have gotten
pretty involved with thisorganization that's over around
300 rescue ministries in NorthAmerica.
Talk about what CityGate meansto you, what it really is from
(05:39):
your lens, and then how you'vegotten involved.
And then we're going to talk toa CityGate member.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Yeah, so I think that man CityGate Network is so
multifaceted, right, there iseverything from communicative
platforms that all of us memberscan be on, where literally with
the click of a few buttons,we're able to blast out a
question or two or a problem,and it gets sent to dozens upon
dozens of people to be able toaccess this network of possible
(06:15):
solutions, possible approachesor people that will be prayer
warriors for you, and so that isa huge thing.
I utilize that no less thanprobably 10 to 20 times a year
myself, where you're trying tomake decisions about things and
to be able to seek other wisecounsel.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Yeah, and I'm sure they're maybe checking in with
you.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
Yes, yes, and our team has responded to several of
those threads when people havequestions or they're trying to
embark on changing program ortrying to do physical changes
that are a therapeutic approach.
So we've been able to do a lotof that.
So you've got that kind offacet of CityGate.
They also do stuff wherethey're very big on making sure
(06:57):
we all feel connected despitedistance, and so they have the
investigate magazine that theysent out and I mean just all of
these different things thatwe're able to see the good and
the struggles that everyone'sfacing, from east to west view
of them, and it's thiscommunication, this networking,
(07:18):
this plethora of support andquestions that you can do and
all of that.
But they also are so intentionalat relationships and so one of
(07:38):
the things they did severalyears ago was kind of start this
emerging leaders group and itwas before I came, so I had
nothing to do with that and theywanted to really build this
because they realized that a lotof the people that were coming
year and year to the CityGateconference or the people that
were able to do the huddles, alot of them were from an older
(08:00):
generation, that had a lot ofhistory together, and then there
was this gap in people who wereexperienced and were veterans
with this to kind of the noviceones of us that were coming into
it that are really the nextgeneration of this.
And how do we bridge that sothat, I'm using my own words,
this is not city gate, but sothat you don't have a lot of
(08:22):
younger kids coming in arrogant,saying we can take on the world
?
I think it's pretty accurate.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Oh, my other thing I'm going to say is but also so
we don't have some older peoplenot ready to let go she was
pretty kind.
Right, she was pretty kind inthat at valuing those of you who
have been in this and had theexperience, but also trying to
(08:48):
connect you all to us who aretaking on the baton and trying
to figure out all the stuff.
We don't know, but we have theright heart and the ambition,
and so that's where I kind ofgot plugged in, was kind of
revamping this.
Emerging leaders and how do wereally send off this message to
the younger generations of, hey,there is wisdom with those of
us who are those that have gonebefore us?
(09:10):
And then how do we also reachout to those of you who have
experience, saying we need youto be teaching us, we don't need
you to just know it all, weneed it.
And so that's the other hugething about City Gates is the
relationship piece, but alsothat they're paying attention to
multi generations and the powerof unity with those.
And that's kind of what hasbirthed a lot of my not just
(09:33):
networking, not just colleagueslike Lauren, our guests that
we're going to talk to.
I call her a friend, I careabout her.
We're connected on social media.
I'm connected to her rescueMissions Facebook page.
It just is ongoing outside of aconference or outside of a
platform.
That's all technology.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Very few people do this kind of work, even this
kind of ministry, and so havingpeople that are like-minded,
kindred spirit, similar callings, regardless of where they are,
is huge.
Like-minded kindred spirit,similar callings, regardless of
where they are, is huge.
Many, many, many, many yearsago, from my understanding, the
Salvation Army, back in thetelegraph days, they were
(10:14):
sending out information to thepeople at the different places
that Salvation Army wasstationed, but they had very
little money to be able toafford a telegraph, so they
would send it to what they wouldcall a core, with one word
others.
You're not alone, there areothers.
And so, as people were workingat that level, they didn't have
(10:35):
telephones yet it was atelegraph, and so they set out
the word others.
And I think that's whatCityGate really is helping to
help leaders is to know thatthey're not alone.
There are others, not just yourcommunity, but also a larger
network, and that's why it'scalled the City Gate Network to
be able to do that, andtechnology has helped that
(10:55):
greatly.
Back in my day, when I firststarted out, you had a meeting
in person or a telephone calland those were really precious
to be able to have thesemeetings and you still have
those but also like we're doingtoday with Lauren.
We can actually visit and she'sin Virginia and we're here.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
The one other thing I wanted to say about whether
we're talking CityGate Networkor emerging leaders, it just
expands farther than aconference.
And I'd say that because youknow there's probably going to
be a podcast coming up in thenext several weeks where, um, we
touch a little bit about, um, apretty big tragedy that we
(11:32):
walked through, um here with theTopeka rescue mission staff, um
with an assault that, uh, thatwas brutal Um.
But also we've seen a miraclein that.
Um so more to come on on thatwhen the timing is appropriate.
But the thing I wanted tomention was I personally, but
also our team.
We have heard from city gatestaff every week since that
(11:56):
happened and we are um about, um, probably six weeks out from
from that event.
And so I have heard from theCEO, tom DeVries.
I have heard from multiplestaff members.
I've heard from them in theform of phone calls, text
messages, emails and a cardevery week.
(12:19):
So then that trickled down.
I didn't just take that, asthey're supporting me, like
they're praying for our team.
So last week, during thedeputies meeting, I was able to
hand them a card.
Of course I've been telling theteam hey, I heard from
so-and-so today or I got thistext message and then their
entire staff, after their prayermeeting, signed a card
specifically for our team and Igave that to deputies and then
(12:40):
this week we'll be taking apicture to send it to all staff,
an all staff email.
So it's not just when thingsare successful or like showy or
anything like that.
They've been in the trench withus.
Speaker 2 (12:51):
Not just informational, but relational.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
And that's a great value.
Well, we have Lauren Klaus withus today.
She's from Winchester, virginiawith the Winchester Rescue
Mission.
See, I can do that, and so,lauren, thanks for joining us
today on our community, ourmission.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
Yeah, thank you all so much for having me.
I'm excited to be with you guys.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
Yeah, Lauren, you and I got a chance to catch up just
a little bit this first timewe've met each other and we're
actually, for those who arelistening we're actually able to
see Lauren via a little iPadhere and she can see us, so
that's kind of cool.
So, Lauren, talk about yourposition there.
Are you the director?
Ceo, executive director.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
What are you called there?
Yeah, so my official title isCEO and I've had the great honor
of being in this role sinceDecember of 23.
So this is a relatively newerposition to me, but I'm not new
to the organization.
Just in February, I celebrateda seven-year work anniversary,
so I really love this ministry,love this organization, love the
people who we have theprivilege of serving.
So yeah, officially CEO.
Speaker 2 (14:00):
Talk about how you came to Winchester Rescue
Mission.
Now you're the CEO, seven yearsnow, but what was your journey
coming?
And then, of course, we want tofind out more about the
ministry itself, but talk to usabout your journey to get here
and why you accepted thatassignment of CEO.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Yeah, this is probably one of my absolute
favorite kind of favoritestories of sorts to tell.
So my predecessor, brandonThomas, who's currently the CEO
down at Opendoor Mission inHouston, was my pastor at the
time.
So I'm not originally from theWinchester Virginia area.
I grew up in central Virginiaand right outside of Richmond.
(14:45):
I came up here to go to schoolat Shenandoah University.
Brandon was my pastor, and so Igot to know him and his wife,
casey, and their kids for a goodbit.
And then I started volunteeringat the rescue mission.
In fact, I helped out with ourwomen's shelter first fundraiser
.
Our women's shelter opened in2018.
(15:06):
And at the time, I was justhelping volunteers serving in
the kitchen and I helped outwith this fundraiser and I can
distinctly remember Brandontaking me out to lunch at
Chipotle with his eldest son,xander, at the time.
At the time, and he sat me downfor lunch and he's like Lauren,
I think you should be ourwomen's shelter director.
(15:27):
And I kind of chuckled and Isaid Brandon, I'm you know, I'm
going back to nursing school.
I want to do internationalmedical missionary work.
This is what I'm doing.
And he spoke something to methat I still very much remember
and I had another mentor andfriend of mine speak to me and
he said, lauren, frequently Goddoesn't call those whom are
qualified, but he will qualifythose whom are called, and that
(15:49):
has just been spoken into metime and time again and I've
seen that, you know, here at thework of our rescue mission here
, and so I started off as ourwomen's shelter director in
February of 2018.
And then I've worn, I feel likea lot of different CEOs,
executive directors, leaders ofdifferent rescue missions One
(16:12):
they never thought that theywould actually end up in this
kind of ministry.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
And two they never thought that they would be
leading it.
Speaker 3 (16:18):
But again we just like, we're like, okay, we'll
take this on and we'll take onthis project.
So I've worn lots of differenthats.
I was our women's shelterdirector for a time, so I got to
oversee a little bit of casemanagement, working, you know,
hands-on with our clients andour guests, and then I oversaw
coordinating our volunteers.
I had the opportunity tooversee our community engagement
(16:39):
and some kind of moredevelopment-like opportunities.
And then, when Brandon ended uptaking a job with CityGate, I
was encouraged to apply to theposition again.
I wasn't totally sure that Iwould end up getting it, but I
just knew that I had a heart anda love for the people that we
serve, the team, this incredibleteam here at Winchester Rescue
(17:03):
Mission.
And yeah, one thing led toanother and I got a call from my
board president saying I'd liketo set up a meeting with you,
and that was on Monday and I'vebeen in it for 18 months now and
it's been absolutely a blessingand every role that I have had
(17:23):
I have come to, I think, reallyjust appreciate the ministry
overall because I've gotten tosee a little, you know different
aspects of what goes intorescue mission work and I've
come to appreciate kind of everyaspect that it takes to make
you know these organizations andthis kind of service happen.
(17:46):
So it's been a fun ride butgrateful for it.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
There's a lot of complications to working in this
type of ministry a lot ofheartache, a lot of challenges
just to help people to know thatthey matter, working with
communities to help people knowthey matter.
And there's the practicality ofa growing population of
homeless around the country andhow people feel about that.
(18:11):
And you're kind of right in themiddle of all of that, which
you're maybe trying to convincea city leader or the importance
of this or a church, and thenyou have that person that walks
through the front door that saysI just need help, and so the
complications and the balance ofall that.
You seem like you're full ofjoy about all this.
A lot of people say I don'twant all that.
(18:33):
What gives you the joy of doingthe job that you're doing?
Speaker 3 (18:39):
Yeah, I would agree with you.
It is incredibly, I think,challenging work and I feel so
frequently that it is fightingkind of an uphill battle,
practically speaking.
I think my team I mentionedthat we've got a phenomenal team
.
Our staff are absolute rockstars.
So I find a great deal ofencouragement from our staff.
(19:02):
Our staff is fun.
A great deal of encouragementfrom our staff.
Our staff is fun.
I mean, I can remember LaMandaand I joking about you know the
team there at Topeka like kindof being a team of jokers and
things like that, and thatexists here as well.
So you know the day-to-day kindof operational side of things.
The team is definitely a greatbit, a great bit of
encouragement as well, and Ithink more kind of deeper than
(19:28):
that is is at the core, I think.
Again, I go back to like I feelso much that I have a calling
towards this.
I feel that you know God has,has placed that God places
certain callings on us, um andso when things get really
(19:49):
difficult, when things getdefeating, um, you know, when
you're working through somethingreally heavy, um, I have found
in time and time again when Ifeel like I had nothing left to
give, there is something that isspoken into my life that says,
no, like, you can continue doingthis, your team can continue
doing this.
(20:09):
And while I I I have not heardGod's voice, I am confident that
it is God speaking into otherpeople to speak into me.
To do that I, I have a personalmission statement and so every
time where I'm, you know where Iam, where I step into a space
(20:31):
of a difficult decision ordifficult or defeating heavy
circumstances, I go back and Iread my personal mission
statement and then so much ofthat is really grounded in my
faith and who I know I'm calledto be, and being reminded of the
fact that all of us are createdin the image of God.
(20:53):
Just consistently going, goingback to that and finding some,
knowing when to rest in that andknowing when to get up, and you
know kind of kind of chargeahead and take it, you know,
make, make the most of it.
So it's a balancing act, butbut certainly at the core of it
is being reminded of who I amand whose I am.
Speaker 2 (21:16):
And your purpose in this.
I think that without thatgrounding, without that fallback
to the why, this would be thekind of work that you just have
to say what's wrong with me todo this.
But you have that why it'sgoing into these hard places.
Lauren, describe to us theWinchester Rescue Mission and
(21:37):
also the community of Winchester.
We're quite a ways from youhere.
I know that you're about maybean hour, hour and a half outside
of Washington DC.
You would possibly travelthrough Fairfax, virginia, where
I have family and so I knowthat area, but I've never seen
Winchester.
So paint a picture for us here.
Winchester, it sounds likethere's some really progressive
(22:01):
things happening in thatcommunity.
You can talk about that as well, but just help us to see
through your words, winchester,virginia and also the rescue
mission.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
Yeah, so Winchester is, like you said, about an hour
, hour and a half outside ofWashington DC.
We are part of the northernShenandoah Valley and it is, I
must say, I've had the greatprivilege of traveling and
seeing a good bit of the country, and the northern Shenandoah
Valley is some of the absolutemost gorgeous parts of the
(22:32):
country.
So Winchester I mentionedearlier to you, prior to the
recording, that Winchester isactually the fastest growing
metropolitan area in the stateof Virginia, and it has been for
the last four years.
So we're seeing a tremendousamount of people moving to the
area and that provides us a lotof opportunities for growth and
(22:53):
development.
However, we have so muchhistory here in Winchester, and
so one of the things that I see,you know, in both in the city
of Winchester and thesurrounding area, is
opportunities and really a needfor some sustainable growth, and
so that's one of the thingsthat you know our community
leaders are looking at is how dowe, you know, grow and
(23:18):
encourage people to come, visitand move to Winchester and the
surrounding area, while alsounderstanding and putting up
some infrastructure to help, tohelp support that, support that
growth?
So that's that's the area again, so beautiful, so many great
aspects and our organization,winchester Rescue Mission, has
been in existence since 1973.
(23:39):
So we just recently celebratedour 50-year anniversary of being
in operation.
We currently run a men's andwomen's kind of rehabilitative
program, so we have capacity forup to 30 men uh in our facility
and up to 10 women Um, we alsohave and this is probably my
(24:01):
favorite part of our ministryand absolutely incredible food
ministry um, with what we callcafe on Cameron and then Cameron
market, and our facility itselfcurrently is on Cameron street.
So, um, with uh market, we umit's a food distribution.
We partner with our local foodbank, part of Feeding America,
(24:21):
and we invite our community tocome in shop for groceries free
of charge, and we've seen anincreasing number of people
coming to us for that.
And then we serve lunch anddinner every day of the week,
every week of the year, toanyone who, to both our clients
and to our community, and that,I think, is really some of the
most important work that we do,you know, in collaboration with
(24:44):
our programs.
But I think, when you thinkabout some of the most impactful
conversations that you've had,so many of those in any of our
lifetimes, so many of thoseconversations happen around the
dinner table, or they happen ina kitchen or at a coffee shop,
and so we serve here at therescue mission.
(25:05):
Here at Winchester rescuemission, we serve food in a very
intentional and a verydignifying way, because we see
homelessness and poverty such aneed for mending and encouraging
relationships, and so we seethe table and breaking bread as
such a natural way to createopportunities to do that.
(25:27):
So so we, yeah, in conjunctionwith our programs and our food
ministry, we're also in themiddle of a really incredible
expansion project.
So we, yeah, in conjunctionwith our programs and our food
ministry, we're also in themiddle of a really incredible
expansion project.
So we're under construction fora new or new to us facility,
such a major renovation.
We're actually looking to bedone with construction on that
in the next 60 days or so.
(25:48):
So lots of, lots of reallyexciting things and we're seeing
just an increasing need for, um, all of those, all of those
services.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
It sounds like, uh, you're uh moving forward, uh,
there at the rescue mission aswell as the community of it's
about 30,000 people at thispoint, Um and so um, with
prosperity also comes along, um,things of uh situations that
don't work out in people's lives, and so sometimes that results
in people having nowhere to go.
(26:18):
We've seen that happen inKansas and some different
communities that especiallypost-pandemic, that things were
moving in a certain direction ina prosperous way and then they
broke or whatever, and now wehave people without a place to
go.
So you know we're from theTopeka area, it's not that huge,
but it's bigger than Winchesterand um, so people see a lot of
(26:38):
homeless here.
Do you are you seeing anincrease in the time that you've
been with the rescue missionthere, of people that are
unsheltered?
Um, or you haven't any kind ofuh concerns about, in spite of
prosperity coming your way, thatthere could be more people in
need?
Speaker 3 (26:55):
Yeah, we definitely have.
I would say publicly, to thepublic eye, homelessness is
becoming more.
The public is becoming moreaware of it.
They're seeing it more.
They're seeing individuals onon sidewalks, on the side of the
(27:15):
road, panhandling.
You're seeing.
We mentioned earlier we have anincredible walking mall that
was actually just voted, I think, number eight in the United
States for, like top, you know,pedestrian malls.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
I think we're going to Winchester and just kind of
chill out for a while.
I know, I know.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
And you guys were talking.
I did my homework.
I listened to a couple of thepodcasts earlier and when it
said, I did see that it wasNational Apple Pie Day and we
just Winchester.
We have the fourth largestparade, I think, in the US, and
it's Apple Blossom and so wehave a whole apple pie baking
(27:54):
contest.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
You need to start a podcast.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
I'm coming, I think, in the U S and it's apple
blossom, and so do we have awhole apple pie contest.
Speaker 4 (27:57):
So I'm coming.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
You need to start your own podcast now.
So you've got the, you've gotthe main thing down.
You know the importance of theday, so between great apple pies
and parades and walking mallsand a really cool rescue mission
.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
You guys should definitely come out.
So, yeah, we've definitely seenI think publicly an increasing
in homelessness and it hasbecome more of our local city
council, have had increasingconversations around, increasing
(28:37):
concern around, and we've seenthe city step in and try to
create some pretty innovativesolutions, trying to play a role
in that, for sure.
And we've seen an increasingnumber of people coming to us in
need of services and I mean ontop of the you know just
(29:00):
abundant needs.
One of the and kind ofdefeating things of of this job
is having to turn somebody awaysaying unfortunately, we are
capacity so.
So we've seen that time, timeand time again where it's where
it's increasing and that'sreally one of the disheartening
aspects of the job and, I wouldsay, in the same time, more
(29:24):
encouraging because we have todo something, something needs to
be done in order, in order tomeet a rising need.
So, yeah, we have seen asignificant amount of shift in
increasing homelessness.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Sounds like the community has been standing with
the rescue mission there 50plus years now and then this
expansion project that you'removing into.
So a lot of times people getinvolved in the issue of
homelessness at one level oranother because it takes a lot
of people.
But in many situations, like inTopeka and it sounds like
probably there in Winchester,you're kind of the voice for the
(30:05):
people experiencinghomelessness and the issue, and
so are you connected pretty wellwith different organizations
there, also government thatobviously has to deal with this
in one way or another.
Is there good connections there?
Speaker 3 (30:20):
Yeah, one of the things that you will hear if you
talk to a handful ofindividuals in this area is we
say Winchester is one of themost generous communities and I
could not agree more with that.
I mean from volunteers anddonors and I think just
community support overall.
We see that.
I mean from volunteers anddonors and I think just
community support overall.
We see that and, yeah, justvery, very blessed, very
(30:40):
grateful for that.
We have great partnerships withother nonprofits.
In fact, just yesterday I wasin a room, a two-hour meeting,
with some other nonprofits andlocal officials talking about
how do we better addresshomelessness and the nonprofit
providers who were in the room.
They weren't homeless, you knowspecifically homeless services
(31:04):
providers, but they were kind offringe providers, so they
provided services forindividuals who might be
experiencing food insecurity.
Or we have a great partnershipwith a local organization that
provides services and housingand advocacy for individuals
fleeing domestic or sexualviolence, and so there's a lot
(31:26):
of kind of cross collaborationwith those organizations the
food bank, for example.
So we have to partner withthose organizations because it's
a heavy load to carry and wecannot be the only organization
that carries that.
We are the experts in certainthings.
But we cannot be the experts infinancial literacy, in
(31:51):
overseeing malnutrition and foodaccess.
We can't be the experts inproviding resources like health
resources, for example.
I mentioned earlier thatWinchester's got a major
hospital system, valley Health,here.
So we have very intentionalpartnerships with those
organizations to make sure thatthe guests that we're serving
(32:14):
have access to the things thatwe're not able to directly
provide them access for, so wecan get them connected to local
banking institutions who canlead classes in financial
literacy.
Same thing with our hospitalsystem.
Same thing with if we have anindividual who's come in and has
marks and or has a conversationwith us that they have a
history of DV or SV, we're ableto connect them with those local
(32:40):
experts, either in-house or cansend them to that organization,
that organization's locationspecifically.
And if it weren't for that, yeah, we'd be in a really tough spot
.
So the support that we receivefor the community, um, and
really at it, it goes back.
I think our community wants tohelp and they want to um, they
(33:04):
want to help the individualsthat that walk through our doors
.
So if it, um, I'm just, I seeagain, just time and time again
of uh, an outp, an outpouring ofsupport in many different ways.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
Sounds like, yeah, you've stepped outside of the
walls of the Winchester RescueMission and been embraced, and
you're embracing others, Amanda,I know that's an extremely
important part of what goes onhere in Topeka and always has
been, always will be going to bemore so in the future.
So when you hear Lauren talkabout what they're doing there,
(33:38):
what does that say to you inregards to knowing again,
there's another person out herethat is doing this too.
What does it mean to have thisconnection with Lauren?
Speaker 4 (33:53):
You know, I think my connection with Lauren is
important on on severaldifferent levels.
Um, I kind of watch her fromafar and, um, and just so proud
to call her friend, Uh.
But it's not just because ofwhat you've heard today, Like, I
love her joy, I love herenthusiasm, I love her devotion
(34:17):
to people, right, Regardless ifit's that donor in front of her,
someone who's coming to beserved.
I love those things.
But what you're not hearingprobably for the sake of time
and because there's so manyother things we try to fit in is
she's also faced a lot ofchallenges.
It's not like she walked intothat role and all partnerships
are established and they neverhave any budget concerns and
(34:42):
they never have any staffingissues and every partner is just
lined up ready to do exactlywhat Lauren's asked to do.
Speaker 2 (34:48):
I'm just getting ready to book a flight to
Winchester but now I'm kind ofbacking off now because it's
like real stuff.
Speaker 4 (34:53):
It's real stuff, yeah .
And so what I love about Laurenis that same, you know, that
same joy and that same like hey,we're going to look at this
half full instead of half empty.
That's what she does whenthere's difficult things and all
of that.
And so to me, when I hear herreflect on things, it's
(35:13):
encouraging to me that we're allkind of in this fight together
and that the fight isn't againstpeople.
The fight is either, you know,against injustices or things
that this world that's justbroken, and so it's so
incredible to see someone likeher and hear about her team,
because it shows us that we'repart of this bigger team doing
the kingdom work on earth,because it shows us that we're
(35:35):
part of this bigger team doingthe kingdom work on earth.
It's also encouraging to mebecause we have incredible
partnerships here and again, agenerous community and so many
people willing to help not justphysically but also financially
and all of that.
But we also have some work to doin this community.
We have some disconnects and wehave some deficits, and you
(35:56):
know that's not always easy forme to talk about.
But I'm going to in hopes thatmore people will join the fight,
more people will stop creatingthe fight and that we can really
.
You know, like Lauren talkingabout hey, we just got together
with government leaders andnonprofits in a room.
Sometimes that takes an act ofCongress to get going in places,
(36:20):
and so I look at that and I'mencouraged and it makes you feel
like you're a part of thisbigger scene and you see it.
But then I'm also challengedbecause while we are blessed
here, we also have some workthat can be done.
And that's part of why I'mcalled to this, because while we
are blessed here, we also havesome work that can be done.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
And that's part of why I'm called to this.
I'm sure it's encouraging, asyou're in the weeds here in
Kansas and also hearing theweeds that are going on in
Virginia, to be able to shareweeds and chop them down
together in some way with someideas and so forth.
Lauren, you've talked aboutyour personal mission statement.
You talked about kind of thething that really keeps you in
the game.
What does it mean to you to, inview of light of scripture, to
(37:05):
know that you have been calledto something that is so
important to the heart of God?
We're talking about the creatorof the universe, who, of course
, loves all people, but thespecial assignment that has been
(37:25):
given to you to lead, to bethere for the ones that are very
clearly on his heart, to havesomebody be there for them.
Speaker 3 (37:35):
What does that mean to you?
In full transparency.
I feel highly unqualified.
Still, I feel sometimes I havea conversation with God and like
, why me, God, why Like, whythis should be somebody else,
Somebody smarter, Somebody knowsfinances better, somebody's you
(37:56):
know more adequate of havingsomebody has more time on their
hands, which I would probablyargue to say, no executive
director ever has enough enoughtime.
That is, again, in fulltransparency, like that's
something that I continue tostruggle with.
But I find encouragement inothers and Amanda and in other
(38:19):
executive directors that I havespoken with is they also
struggle with that and I knowit's very intentionally put on
our website.
When you look on on ourleadership, my first statement
is how incredible is it that youand I are created in the image
of God?
(38:39):
And I have a journal that mysister made for me when I first
had this, when I first acceptedthis position, and on the front
of it she said how incredible isit that you and I are created
in the image of God?
And I think that's the thingthat grounds me and encourages
me, and I say that this is athat grounds me and encourages
me, and I say that this is ahill that I will live and die on
is just that is that I feellike when I hear other people
(39:02):
speak you know, communitymembers, no matter where I go
the way that we talk aboutpeople who are experiencing
homelessness or who are inpoverty or who are substance
addicted, who are in poverty orwho are substance addicted I
think back to that of you and Iand all of us.
We are all created in the imageof God and there's no
(39:24):
distinction Like that's end ofsentence, and so I think that's
one of the things that I reallycling to is that we are all
created in the image of God,beautifully and with different
callings and different talentsand qualities, but at the end of
the day, we're all created inthe image of God and I have to
be.
(39:45):
I feel like I'm called to stepinto spaces where, when that is
fought or when and Lamanda, youmentioned injustice and that
part of my mission statementstates I will confidently pursue
justice.
Justice that's something that Ifeel like I'm called to step
(40:09):
into a space for I will livewith joy, grace and grit, and
grace and grit is one of thosethings that I think necessary to
kind of strike a balance of.
So I cling to that I cling to.
We are all created in the imageof God and I'm not perfect and
I feel very unqualifiedqualifiedand I will never be perfect in
pursuing that.
But I know that I'm coveredwith a level of grace that still
(40:35):
calls me back towards this workevery morning, every day, so I
cling to that.
Speaker 2 (40:43):
So you know, if you were applying for the job, you
probably wouldn't get it.
Based on what you just said,you're not qualified and so uh,
but that's who we are.
And, uh, I know LaManda hasfelt that way.
I mean, when I had theconversation with her a few
years ago about, uh, thiscalling, I know myself and you
in that position, which makesyou, lauren, the perfect person
to be the leader?
(41:04):
Yes, because you know this isway beyond you.
You know that you're notcapable of doing what God's
asked you to do, so you can't doit.
But he can do it through you,and I know when I asked you that
question you started to get alittle emotional there, in that
this is really deep to you, thisis really personal to you.
I think sometimes we need toreflect back on oh, my goodness,
(41:27):
this creator is so amazing.
They would call somebody likeme, like you, to be able to be
in this place and you love it ashard as it is.
You absolutely love it becauseyou know it's his heart.
And you know love it becauseyou know it's his heart and you
know.
I just think you know thatpeople know you in this
community.
Now they got to know me for awhile and to know that there are
(41:52):
other Lamandas out here, likeLauren in Virginia, that aren't
better than anybody.
They're just people who havesaid yes to a very special
assignment, a lot of people arereally glad you do it there,
Lauren.
I mean, there's probably a lotof people sure, glad we got a
Lauren here.
But the joy that is in yourwords, the joy that's on your
(42:17):
face, that nobody can see Amandaand me right now.
What a blessing it is forWinchester to have somebody like
you leading.
What a blessing it is forWinchester to have somebody like
you leading Lamanda.
Other thoughts today withLauren.
Speaker 4 (42:32):
Well, you know, I'd really miss an opportunity if I
didn't share that.
Lauren and I were able to bereally close.
You know, we can talk budgetsand we can talk staffing, but
Lauren and I also did anadventure with CityGate where we
helped with what's called Hopein the Gate and they were
partnering and it was out at AmyGrant's farm and it was just
(42:53):
beautiful where rescue missionscome.
Speaker 2 (42:55):
And I didn't get an autographed T-shirt or nothing.
I know, I'm so sorry.
I showed you the piece of paperthat she autographed for me.
Speaker 4 (43:00):
Does that count?
Speaker 2 (43:01):
Yeah, I swear to God for me Does that count.
Speaker 4 (43:04):
But you know, lauren and I spent several days walking
around Beautiful right.
Speaker 2 (43:18):
The scenery is beautiful, but also some heat
and we only got one shower inlike four days that we were
there.
Speaker 4 (43:22):
So anyways, and she and I were well, yes, all
natural, lauren and LaManda.
But you know, I think I lovethat Lauren brought up the humor
.
That was one of the things thatwe connected on when we were
first getting to know each other.
One, she and I have senses ofhumor, but two, our teams do,
(43:45):
and that's one thing that Iwanted to just make sure I
pointed out with Lauren.
You know, when she talks aboutthe love of her team and all of
that, it's not to dismiss orminimize, like the heartache
that they see every day.
Same thing here at the rescuemission.
I mean, there's stuff that wecan't turn our brains off of
right, but I think there is thestigma that if you're
faith-based or rescue missionwork or all of this, that it's
all you know serious.
Speaker 2 (44:09):
Heaven on earth?
Speaker 4 (44:09):
Yes, and hell's going to break open.
You know, there's just all thislike seriousness to it and, yes
, our calling is serious, butthat also means we can have joy
and fun and all of that with it,and so I think that's one thing
.
That's important is, whetherwe're talking about the
complexities of homelessness orrescue mission work or food
insecurity, it's not always whatwe do, it's also how we do it,
(44:40):
doing it with whether you callit a joy or a happiness, however
you believe, we do it becausewe know that this world we're
living in is not our home, andwe have a hope and we have a joy
that we can not only do thework but we can do it a certain
way, and I love that.
About the rescue mission, youknow, I just played a joke,
(45:01):
maybe this morning on Marcusit's Marcus's birthday and I
hadn't seen him yeah.
I wanted to see him and I wantedto tell him happy birthday and
he didn't answer my text.
He didn't answer my call, whichis a no-no.
So I finally called him again.
He answered because he knew itwas something serious and I told
him that I got a baby raccoonin my office for him to come and
(45:27):
he goes Elsie, are you serious?
And I said yeah, and I go, it'sin my, I've got it cornered.
And I hear him get in his truckand his keys and stuff.
And then I had to yes, I saidI'm just kidding, I just wanted
to see you for your birthday.
But why do I share that story?
Because there is so much.
We see brokenness, we seeaddiction, we see people that
(45:49):
are other people are seeing thembut they don't want to see them
and there is a seriousnessbecause of eternity with the
work we do and it's alsochallenging.
But it also is family away fromfamily oftentimes within these
rescue missions.
And I know Lauren.
One of the reasons why herstaff feel safe, uh, to to be
(46:11):
humorous and to do it with a joy, is that's the example she says
, and I think there's power inthat.
Speaker 2 (46:16):
Yeah, absolutely Well , shame on you for getting
Marcus out of bed.
Speaker 4 (46:20):
I got to tell one more part to that story.
So he gets um, he is not happythat I got him.
So he tells one of his guysthat work for him Marvin, hey,
you got to get over there toLaManda cause she has a raccoon
in her office.
And he doesn't tell him that Iwas joking.
So I'm in my office and herecomes Marvin, like sweating,
(46:41):
like running in Where's theraccoon?
And I looked at him and I saidMarvin Marcus got you.
I said I played that joke on himand now he's doing you, and so
then Marvin's like he's going toget it.
Speaker 2 (46:54):
So if you think everything's, if you're
listening and think everything'sjust really dark and dreary and
serious and we can't wait tillJesus comes back.
There's a lot of fun thingsthat happen with the team and,
lauren, that's where we'rehearing you, as well as Virginia
.
You got to have thelighthearted moments sometimes
to be able to make it throughNot laughing at the pain but in
(47:15):
the midst of the pain, enjoyinglife with each other.
Well, lauren, is there anythingelse you'd like to share with
the folks here in Topeka?
Actually, we don't say justTopeka anymore, because we've
been doing this for over fiveyears.
And, josh, have you found outif we're at the space station
yet to international?
Speaker 1 (47:31):
Still working on the space station.
Oh, come on, man Get with theprogram here.
Speaker 2 (47:34):
We're going to be at Mars before you know it.
So, anyway, we do have a prettygood broad listening base here.
But, lauren, what would youlike anything else today to
share with the listeners of ourcommunity?
Our mission?
Speaker 3 (47:46):
Yeah, I just you all were speaking about CityGate
Network and the importance of itthere and you know, just a
couple of minutes ago I wassharing about how I feel very
unqualified or how I canstruggle with feeling very
unqualified or inadequate, and Ithink CityGate Network is a
reminder and they equip you withthings, with relationships and
(48:09):
with trainings andcertifications that you know
that can definitely help you inthat and I think that's been a
great bit of encouragement forme.
You know, as a youngprofessional coming into a
really challenging kind ofexhaustive field of ministry is,
(48:30):
I've found encouragement inthat and really just in
surrounding myself with peoplewho are 5, 10, 15 years kind of
ahead of me and who are theexperts in their own field who I
need to glean things from.
Were the experts in their ownfield who I need to glean things
from?
And so, um, you know, findingLaManda and, uh, you know, um,
and gleaning things from her and, uh, bob and uh a bit, uh,
(48:52):
helping up over in uh Baltimoremission and and um in that team,
and so, yeah, just definitelysurrounding yourself with um
good people, um, I think is oneof the things that I have found
to be the most helpful, the mostencouraging.
Who you can be reallyvulnerable with and say I'm
really struggling with this.
(49:12):
Romanta and I had a couple ofconversations in that stinky
trailer or while we werethinking the trailer was
impeccable.
Speaker 4 (49:24):
Yeah, that was beautiful.
We were stinky, we were not.
Speaker 3 (49:26):
And yeah, and just being really vulnerable in that
and also finding people who willsay, all right, you know it's
time to get up and we're goingto go and we're going to equip
you with the things that youneed to be equipped with, and
yeah, I just, I'm just I'mgrateful for that.
I'm grateful for a great circleof community around me and and
(49:51):
other leaders who are, who arein this, because I see this not
just in me but in other leaderswho have great circles around
them of vulnerability andencouragement, and I'm just I'm
grateful for it.
So I appreciate you guys havingme on and welcome or yeah, you
guys are certainly welcome toWinchester, would love to have
(50:12):
y'all.
Speaker 2 (50:13):
Well, and you're welcome to the Pika too, and I'm
sure that some way, somehow,you guys are going to connect.
Speaker 3 (50:18):
Maybe next time I'll shower it up and everything.
Speaker 4 (50:20):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (50:20):
That's great, lauren.
Thanks for joining us today,helping us to, as we call it,
our community, our mission, tothink outside the box of it's a
bigger community and it's amission that we all enjoy to do
together, and so thank you forwhat you're doing.
This is Lauren Klaus inWinchester Rescue Mission,
winchester, virginia, that we'veheard from today, and if you
are a volunteer at Topeka RescueMission, a supporter or
(50:42):
whatever, this is a biggeradventure than maybe you knew
about before you listened totoday.
We have people like you indifferent parts of the country,
different parts of the world,who come along, teams that work
at the rescue missions around tomake a difference in people's
lives, to be there for them, tobe in the gap, so to speak, to
(51:04):
bring hope and help and justicewhen necessary, and so we're
part of a bigger assignment thatGod has created here, and we're
so grateful for it.
If you'd like more informationabout the Topeka Rescue Mission,
you can go to the website attrmonlineorg, and you might want
to look up Winchester RescueMission when you get a chance
out there in Virginia and govisit, but do come back.
(51:25):
Thank you for listening to OurCommunity, our Mission.
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