July 22, 2025 • 53 mins
As temperatures rise, so does the risk for our unsheltered neighbors. This episode of Our Community, Our Mission highlights how TRM’s outreach teams are responding to the dangerous summer heat with practical care and deep compassion. You’ll hear how connection and consistency made all the difference for one woman who had slipped through every gap in the system—and how everyday acts of advocacy can change lives. We also share how TRM’s Back to School drive will equip 400 children with supplies and offer free vision screenings in partnership with the Lions Club, helping families stretch tight budgets while setting kids up for a strong start to the school year.
The episode explores the urgency and intentionality behind summer outreach—like offering cut fruit, electrolyte drinks, and popsicles during wellness checks in the heat. These items may seem simple, but they open the door to relationship, trust, and transformation. Whether it’s meeting someone where they are or helping a child see the board clearly in class, it’s all part of a bigger mission: standing in the gap for those who need it most.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Dear Heavenly Father.
We thank you, lord, for thisday and your blessings and
provisions.
God, thank you for this time torecord this podcast and, lord,
for all of our wonderfullisteners.
Lord, pray that they would beblessed and encouraged by this
episode.
And, lord, as we enter intothis extreme heat wave, lord, we
just pray for all of ourunsheltered neighbors, god, that
you would just keep them safe,that you would help us to
(00:21):
provide the resources to themthat are needed.
And, lord, we just thank youfor the community that also
provides those things.
Lord, I pray your blessing overthis time in Jesus name, amen.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Hello everybody, thank you for listening to our
community, our mission, apodcast of the Topeka Rescue
Mission.
I'm your host today, barryFeaker, here on Tuesday, july
22nd.
I'm your host today, barryFeeker, here on Tuesday, july
22nd 2025.
And this is episode number 276.
We have LaManda, cunningham,marion Crable kind of usuals
here on the podcast, to say theleast Our CEO and Deputy
(00:58):
Director of Supportive Serviceshere, and so we're going to talk
about an issue that I thinkeverybody is thinking about
right now because of the heatand so forth.
But before we get to that, wehave to honor the Research and
Development Department of TopekaRescue Mission for the
incredible research that they doto try to help us understand
the value and the importance ofthe day.
And so we start out with andJosh is down here smiling
(01:22):
because he is our Research andDevelopment Department ie Google
.
It is today.
I'm sure that most peopleweren't aware of this it is
World Brain Day.
World Brain Day.
Yeah, interesting, somebody hadto think about that one didn't
they, they did.
With their brain.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Isn't it kind of weird to think the brain thought
of itself Like, hey, I want aday to honor myself.
That's right, the think likethe brain, like thought of
itself like, hey, I want a dayto honor myself.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
That's right.
Brain had to think of that, Idon't know, and you could kind
of think that it's sort of ano-brainer.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Yeah, yeah, oh my gosh, do we have any of those
sound?
Speaker 2 (01:52):
effects yeah I don't know.
Yeah, yeah, well, sometimes ourbrains think for us instead of
us thinking for our brains soanyway, but on july 22nd every
year this is celebrated annuallyaround the world.
I never knew about it beforebecause I'm a no brainer.
So, but anyway, brain health isvery important.
I think we begin to learn moreand more about that, in regards
(02:15):
to things that we'd even do atthe rescue mission and with our
neighbors who are needing help,whether they're sheltered or
unsheltered, in regards to howtrauma has affected their brain.
Right, mary.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Exactly, and that, to me, has been one of the biggest
learnings for me as we thinkabout that trauma.
I always think of trauma asbeing kind of this emotional
impact, but there are realphysical impacts to your brain
because of trauma, and so we'velearned so much about that and
it changes our perspective onpeople's behavior.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
It certainly does help us to understand some
behavior sometimes and why somepeople just can't quite get
where we think maybe they shouldgo until we address some of the
issues of the injury to thebrain.
And it does have a physicalreshaping of the brain in
regards to trauma.
So one of the things that is anantidote to any kind of brain
trauma is what else is known forthis day, and it's National
(03:07):
Hammock Day.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Hammock Day- what's a hammock?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Do you have those in Arkansas, any hammocks?
Speaker 4 (03:15):
We have hammocks.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
What's a hammock?
Hey, I want everybody to know.
Amanda Cunningham has recentlyjust discovered in Iola, Kansas,
that there is A&W restaurants.
She has never known about thatbefore.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
And she thinks it's the best thing.
Yes, I knew that there was A&Wroot beer.
I just didn't know a restaurantwas a thing.
But my heart is happy, and atalmost 40 years, old.
I'm experiencing it.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
So she goes to Iola every week.
Now to get a beer float, and sono, I know what hammocks down
in Arkansas are called.
Go to bed at night, right.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Yes, that's right.
You just go out in yourhammocks and everybody's got
their own hammock in Arkansas.
Yes, that's what we do.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
That's what you do, no, but.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
I do have a hammock now and I have.
I have also fallen out of ahammock.
So when we're talking aboutdrama to the brain, every now
and then, when I go to get in it, I'm like Lord, let this not
happen.
Like it happened.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
So it can help you with brain trauma.
It could create some.
That's correct how you hangyour hammock.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Have you ever been in a hammock?
You're so big.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
I'm so tall, I knew it.
Oh, she was Huh.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Oh no.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Huh, not Barry has trauma and our brains are so
connected.
As soon as you said it, I'mlike oh no, she means Tom.
Yeah, look at her coming to myrescue.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
So now we understand the problem with brain, with
some people they just don't havea filter.
But anyway, yeah, I've been ina big hammock and a small
hammock.
I don't care for hammocksbecause they're hard to get in
and they're really hard to getout.
I was going to say but once youget to rocking those babies,
you can get out pretty easy.
Whether the rope breaks or thetree breaks, you can get out, or
(04:55):
you fall out, or you fall out.
That's right.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Coming down.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
And so then you look at it and you go well, I'm not
getting back into that thing,not doing that again.
Broke your hammock day.
That's right.
Okay, all right.
So, anyway, one more.
Okay.
And Amanda, I'm going to passthis one to you because you're a
former educator.
Uh-huh, yep, it's casual pieday, and I don't mean P-I-E
Casual pie day.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
I have never heard of this.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Oh, I've heard of Pi Day, me too, but never casual,
which is in March.
Yes, because that's the whole314.
So would you explain what Pi isversus Apple pumpkin, those
kind?
Speaker 4 (05:31):
of things.
Can we just move on?
Speaker 1 (05:33):
I know, All right, all right, wait, wait, wait.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
I'm sure this is interesting.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
This is interesting Research and development, not
letting this one go withoutjumping in.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
You can't just skip by this because, yes, pi Day is
3.14, right, you know March 14th.
So this one is interestingbecause the fraction 22 over 7
actually gives you pi 3.14, andon and on.
Yeah, we did that, we did thatso 22, 7, 7, 22 is casual Pi Day
oh.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Interesting.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Oh wow, so that's why it is 7, day.
Oh interesting, oh wow, neverknew.
So that's why it is 722.
Yeah, yeah, wow.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
It's the fraction for Pi.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
That's interesting so obviously Research and
Development Department didn'thave any brain damage because
they got that they did and sothey're supposed to.
I had to read it a couple times.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Don't admit to that.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
I actually did it on my calculator.
I was like really Like 25 or 22divided by seven.
Oh, it does there you go.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
So I'm going to remember this next time we have
casual PIE day and we're goingto go have some pie Exactly this
kind of pie.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
So what's the difference between a casual pie
and a formal pie?
Though I'm waiting, I wish Ihad a punchline, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
That's just a question.
You hung that out there kind ofin a way.
If we're talking food, I thinka pie pie is like pie dish and
all that.
To me, cobbler is like aninformal pie.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Yeah, yeah, I just made one agree.
I agree with that.
Um, if it's got crust orcorrect, that's a pie cobbler's
called a pie failure.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
so that's that pie Cobblers call a pie failure.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
That's what I make, Barry?
What are you saying?
That's what I.
I can make cobblers, I cannotmake pies.
Have you ever had like?
Speaker 1 (07:10):
a dump cake.
Yes, like you just dumpeverything in.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
That's the casual pie , that's right, there you go,
except that's cake.
I must be pretty casual.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Oh, josh cake.
Well, but never mind, it'sstill fruit filling, let's get
this podcast going.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
I got to go buy mine, I got to go to Walmart and get
a hammock, so anyway, An extralarge.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Yes, yes, oh, my word , I'm trying to like visualize
myself, who is 5'2", 5'3, on agood day and the struggle.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
I've had with hammocks.
Have you ever seen ShaquilleO'Neal in a hammock?
Speaker 3 (07:44):
No, Never, I know.
That's why I was wondering ifyou were successful.
Yeah, no, yes.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yeah, I look like a little kid to Shaquille, but
anyway.
So, moving on into things thatpeople are going to be less
interested in but stillimportant, we have back to
school coming up.
We do, yes.
So school coming up and so, um,that's an annual event.
Every year it's been posted outon Facebook some things on the
website of TRM and about howpeople can participate in that.
(08:10):
Uh, lamanda, miriam, anyballpark, again, numbers that we
think may kids may be helpedthis year from Topeka rescue
mission.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Yeah, we are aiming at doing 400.
Um, so, just because that'skind of on average what we've
done the past several years, um,one of the plugs, I would say.
Um, in regards to kind of theinformation that Miriam's going
to give, I've seen a lot of umquestions being asked on
Facebook.
(08:38):
Um, and what I've noticed isand I just wanted to highlight
this real quick there's a lot oflike Topeka Mamas groups and
Topeka events pages and thingslike that, and there's a lot of
people anonymously posting onthere and I'm paraphrasing but
(09:00):
I'm embarrassed to need help.
But I'm needing school suppliesfor my kiddos.
Where can I go?
And I mean, I'm not joking,I've seen six in the last
probably 48 hours and so I'vereally tried to be vigilant
about posting the graphic andstuff that we have on that.
But I just wanted to say like,if you are listening to this and
(09:22):
you are someone that's in need,please know, not, not just ours
.
There's a couple of differentgiveaways that if maybe it's
closer to you that you access.
Just know that, from what I know, all of us are doing it with
the right heart and we don'twant shame, we don't want
embarrassment tied to it.
We recognize that one schoolsupplies are expensive period,
but in today's day and age it'seven more with inflation and
(09:46):
costs.
So my heart has just really umbeen kind of tugged the last
couple of days, one recognizinghow many moms, dads, grandmas
I've seen a couple of posts thatare grandparents saying they're
caring for their grandkids andthey need help with this Um, so
my heart has just been tuggedand not wanting people to be
(10:06):
embarrassed that they need thishand up, that we all go through
things that we do, the otherside of it is, if you're seeing
those posts you know, pleaseshare our back to school drive.
If there's other ones that youknow about, share those because
that might be closer for thepeople.
It's just really a time overthese next four weeks to really
wrap around as a community andhelp people who are in
(10:28):
struggling places help.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
I think most people understand the importance if you
were a kid at one time to be inschool with the right amount of
supplies like your peers havenot to kind of stand out, and
that includes today, backpacks.
Kids are using backpacks tocarry all their stuff around,
and that's a need still of somemore backpacks, if I understand
it.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Yes, that's probably our number one need right now is
backpacks of all differentsizes, all different types, for
little kids, for older kids, soa variety of backpacks, and then
we also have a significant needfor highlighters and
composition notebooks everythingthat people, people need, we
need right now.
But backpacks is a huge, hugeneed.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
So if people don't remember, they can go to the
website at trmonlineorg, andwhere do they then press the
button to find out what thatneed list is?
Speaker 3 (11:18):
They can go to the needs tab.
Just the needs tab, exactly,and it will be at the top of
that list on what we're needingfor back to school.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Okay, very good, and then they can bring them to the
distribution center to pick arest.
Commission Monday throughFriday.
Eight to three is the time.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Yes, and that's at 401 Northwest Norris.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
And I also wanted to say, you know, in case people
are kind of like, why does TRMdo a back to school drive?
You know how does that tie into.
So I just want to share from myperspective as as CEO I do hope
in the future, possibly nextyear, that maybe some of us that
are doing the drives can gettogether and have some
(11:56):
collaboration to and it might be, barry, that our community does
need the five to 10 to 15drives that are happening
because of location, because ofquantities, those kinds of
things.
So I'm not saying we need lessof them, I just want to, in the
future, really make sure we'reall working together just
because resources are lower thansome other arenas, with food
(12:18):
distribution and other kinds ofhelp too.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
So it makes sense that that would be a goal in the
future.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Yes.
So that is something that's onmy radar, and if we can help
support other ones in differentways, we want to do that, and
vice versa.
The other piece to this is Iwanted to explain the reason.
One of the reasons why wecontinue to do this is it's a
way for us to be both proactiveand upstream, as well as
reactive to those experiencinghomelessness.
(12:45):
So, on one hand, our drive thatwe do blesses the 50 kids in
the Hope Center.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
That are currently there.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
Correct.
Now, not all 50 of those kidsare school age.
Some of them are infants, zeroto five, not going to school yet
, but I would say right nowwe're probably looking at at
least 27 to 34 of those will beschool age kids, and so those
are kiddos experiencinghomelessness, that their safe
(13:14):
refuge and their meals and theirclothing and all of that is
completely coming from TRM Ithink it's important to know,
too, that there's 50 kids, orthe number, that are school age
are not the only ones that willbenefit from this who will be
coming the rest of the schoolyear Correct, because some
children will be coming in thataren't here right now because,
the homeless situation.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
The ones that are here, hopefully, are going to
get housed, and so you need asupply Correct so you're not
having to go out and ask formore.
So if there's something leftover, you put it away for those
kids that are coming in, yeah,oh sorry, no, go ahead.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
Well, I was just going to finish that thought of
you know we've got this, that itis immediately going into hands
that families that are alreadyexperiencing homelessness, the
other side of this, and I hopeas a community we continue to
talk more about this but it'sthis upstream approach.
And let's just say, for easymath and I can tell you it's
more than this, but just foreasy math let's say it's $25 per
(14:09):
backpack, the supplies that arein it in the backpack.
If a family has four, that's$100.
And I'm telling you that's aminimum number, $100 that they
are spending on just fourbackpacks and supplies.
If that's the case and we areable to bless them, or another
(14:30):
drive can bless them, that's$100 that month that is still in
the pockets of the grandparents, the parents, you might pay the
rent.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Correct, buy the food .
Speaker 4 (14:39):
And that we're seeing that go towards vehicle
payments.
We're seeing that be waterpayments for people.
We're seeing that be part ofelectricity bill, which right
now everyone's a skyrocketedbecause it's so hot, which we're
going to talk about more in aminute.
There's just a way that we arealso blessing families that can
reroute that hundred dollars tofood utilities and other
(15:03):
necessities in a time that it'sreally needed.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
And you know something I just learned today
and I've been at the mission.
How long is that?
The Lions Club is also at ourback-to-school drive to do
vision screening.
Yes, how amazing is that right?
Because kids that can't see,well can't learn well.
You know when they can't see theboard when they can't see their
papers, when they can't do that.
(15:26):
So what a benefit and what agreat partnership.
And I was just thinking,lamanda, as you were talking.
It really is all aboutpartnership for us, whether it's
with other organizations likelet's Help or Doorstep or the
number of people, salvation Armyor groups like the Lions Club.
It really is about comingtogether to meet all of the
number of people Salvation Armyor groups like the Lions Club.
It really is about comingtogether to meet all of the
(15:48):
needs that people have that theymay not even realize.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Yes, Well, that's really true.
I'm going to tell a story aboutmyself, since you brought up
delicately how big I am.
So big guys in grade schoolalways get put in the back of
the classroom, right, okay, well, in your back of the classroom,
if you?
Okay?
Well, when you're back in theclassroom, if you don't have
good eyesight, you may not seewhat's on the chalkboard.
You remember you're hearingabout chalkboards, lamanda.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
Listen, I did a little bit on chalkboards.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
I did Were you in a museum.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
And for some reason on the bottom it said BF Barry
Feaker.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Carved in it.
So in the sixth grade, right Inthe sixth grade carved in, of
course.
In the sixth grade my parentsnoticed I kept running into
stuff.
Okay, Like I'd be walking downsomewhere and run into a tree,
I'd run into a wall, and so theytook me to an eye doctor and he
says he needs glasses.
That was on a Friday.
Okay, I got my glasses a weeklater and went into school on a
(16:43):
Monday.
I'm sitting in the back of theroom and I'm looking up on the
chalkboard and I go that's whatthat stuff is doing up there.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
Because you didn't even know, didn't know.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
I absolutely did not know and my grades shot up.
So one example of how visionlike you mentioned is important
to kids, plus the backpack.
Yes so all those kinds of things.
Okay, we're going to switchgears and talk about a subject
that's on everybody's mind thisyear and every year this time,
and that's the heat.
We were predicted to get muchhotter weather than we have seen
(17:17):
, but we have some more coming.
Fortunately, we had a couple ofdays where it was supposed to
be really really cooking and itrained, and so it was really
really nice.
Yesterday was one of those days.
And actually last night waskind of cool.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
It was beautiful 78, something like that.
It's because all of us at TRMdid the rain.
Dance, lord, please, please.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Well, it helped.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
So keep doing it.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
But more heat's coming, more heat has been here
and this presents a huge problem.
You mentioned utility bills forpeople that have housing and
those kind of things, but peopledon't have housing, people that
don't have a place to go.
This is not only problematicfor them, it's very dangerous.
And so we have what's calledthe cooling centers that are
going on and we also, in thewintertime, have the warming
(17:59):
centers.
And so, lamanda, talk a littlebit about what you understand
about the cooling centers thatare going on through our
community and what's thedifference between a cooling
center and maybe Speaker RescueMission's involvement more in
the warming center.
Component of that.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
Yeah, I'm really glad that we get to talk about this
because I have had so manyone-off conversations where
people have asked you know,conversations where people have
asked you know TRM has taken onthe bulk of kind of leading the
way with a lot of other amazingpartners that make it happen
Warming centers, and why are weso involved in communication
(18:35):
with warming centers and gettingeverybody on board but that we
don't really do a lot withmaking a cooling?
centers yes, so a couple ofthings with making a cooling
centers.
Yes, so a couple of things.
One we have to remember thatwhen we're making decisions for
the warming centers, that it isnot just based on just
temperature or just wind chillsor just precipitation.
(18:56):
We are looking at the extremeweather that comes from a
culmination of those three.
If we have issues so extremelylow temperatures, extremely low
wind chills and then also a lotof precipitation, the real main
concern that comes from us forour unsheltered neighbors is the
(19:17):
overnights, when it iswintertime.
And if someone has gotten wetbecause of the snow or the sleet
, what happens at night?
The temperatures drop.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
The wind chills get worse.
So you don't just bring themduring the daytime, you take
care of them overnight.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
We have to.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Because it doesn't get any warmer at night, correct
?
Speaker 4 (19:34):
And so there's no relief really that comes for our
unsheltered neighbors when it'sthe what I'm going to call the
extreme winter weather, which isthe combination of all of these
three things.
In the summertime there is notas much risk overnight for
people with the heat becausethings cool down.
(19:55):
So am I saying that it's notuncomfortable?
Am I not saying that it's notunsafe?
I'm not saying that.
It's just completely differentwhen we look at life or death
overnight in the winter versuslife or death overnight in the
summertime, because there's notrelief that comes in the
wintertime.
So that is one of the reasonswhy TRM has not chosen to try to
(20:19):
bring all the troops togetherand to do cooling centers.
The other pieces we do have andit's not like that in the
wintertime, especially overnight, when the extremities are so
worse During the day.
There are places that ourunsheltered neighbors can be in
and out, as long as they are, ofcourse, not misbehaving or, you
(20:40):
know, criminal activity.
So that provides a relief.
We do have our communitycenters around town that open,
that allow people to be in andout.
We have the mobile accesspartnership that happens on
Tuesday, thursday.
That provides people relief inthe wintertime, like I said,
when we're concerned aboutparticularly overnights, and
(21:01):
we're concerned even in thedaytime.
A lot of times stuff shuts downand there is literally no
options, which is why I thinkthere's also some confusion.
I had somebody tell me not toolong ago well, wasn't the idea
for warming centers TRM?
So shouldn't TRM do all of this?
And I just want to take aminute to remind you, you got to
(21:23):
do it.
So I just want to go there realquick and then we can get back
on heat, cause I really I kindof want to set everybody um with
a real straight understandingof what happened at that time.
Uh, when, when we were facingthis um, that was because we
were facing a polar vortex thefirst time since 1989, I believe
and the city of Topeka actuallycame to you, me and Bill
(21:47):
Persinger, because of Vallejo'soutreach, asking what are we
going to do?
Because historically there'snothing in place and the city
was hearing From othermunicipalities that were saying,
hey, this is not going to begood and we could have a high
death toll with this.
So you know, vallejo hadn'tdone one, we hadn't done one,
(22:10):
but the Lord had laid on myheart nine months prior to that
to research warming centers andI had presented that to you and
Miriam a couple of times.
Y'all gave feedback again, notyou guys were experts on warming
centers.
But you looked at what I had andwe had something ready to go
should that happen, and so thatwas really an effort from city
(22:32):
of Topeka, us, vallejo andeverybody just saying we have no
option or we're going to havepeople dying Well, it wasn't
just like you got to create thisthing, that you weren't already
doing something, because Topekarescue mission was already
sheltering maybe 250 people atthe time.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
There was no room in the inn, correct, so it wasn't
like there was a lot ofavailable other places.
I remember that first winterPolar Vortex was in the
warehouse area with mattresseson the floor, and then some
other people joined in on that.
So it wasn't like what peoplenormally find in a shelter.
(23:07):
It was very triage.
Speaker 4 (23:09):
Correct and I couldn't pause any of TRM's
operations.
If you think about it, weneeded street reach for
transportation, plus therelationships letting people
know we really want you indriving the ATV to get them.
We had the shelter still going,we had the distribution still
needing to be doing, fooddistribution and all of that.
(23:29):
So move forward.
Two or three years now thathave passed.
It's one of those things youknow better, you do better and
we know better now and we'redoing better Now.
With that being said, thereason why it still seems so
primarily TRM is because we'rethe ones consistently doing it
At any time.
(23:49):
We welcome, we plead, we begright People to get involved in
that, because this is notsomething we we don't operate in
, being territorial, we don't.
We did this because the citycame to us concerned about this,
constituents that areunsheltered neighbors and we saw
value in that and we willcontinue to do that as much as
(24:12):
we can.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
So you have a group of different individuals in the
community that came togetheragain last year to plan last
year's, and you'll be rampingthat up again here pretty soon,
even though it's hot.
Speaker 4 (24:23):
Correct.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Because it takes time to plan these.
Because it's not just like, hey, you just come in and here's a
blanket and go rest up.
It takes a lot of differentmoving parts, it takes the food,
it takes a place to go to therestroom.
Remember that first yearOutdoor porta potties that you
could not keep thawed.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
We talked about trauma earlier.
Speaker 4 (24:47):
That is a trauma response.
That was a whole new meaning tostirring the pot.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
No kidding, or at least chopping the pot, that's
right, oh my gosh.
And.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
Barry, you mentioned you know that talking about the
warming centers like that,that's going to be starting up.
We've already had two internalmeetings on warming centers,
which is kind of ironic.
Yes, it's really ironic to be.
You know, it's in the 90soutside and we're talking about
well, how do we keep people fromgetting frostbite as they're
walking to us or as they're?
Speaker 2 (25:18):
coming Major efforts of reaching people, which is a
little more complicated todaybecause we have camps that are
not clearly identified anymorewhere people reside because of
different ordinances.
So reaching them, getting themout of harm's way safely and
then keeping them safe whilethey're in the shelter and being
ready for it to do whateverit's going to do, whenever it's
(25:40):
going to do it, because there isno oh, we're going to decide.
This is going to be January15th, right?
Yeah, don't do it that way.
So you have to be ready to puta lot of things on pause as much
as you can and be ready to thenjump into high gear to save
people's lives.
Yes, bottom line.
Speaker 4 (25:56):
And that's what we have.
So our initial survey will goout by the end of this week.
That goes to the heavy lifters,is what I call them, the
primary partners that arehelping us just to assess are
you going to be able to beinvolved in warming centers?
Again it asks in what capacity?
Are you willing to help staffwith your staff or your
(26:18):
volunteers?
Are you willing to be a warmingcenter site?
Are you willing to help providefood for some of it, which
offsets TRM's costs?
So all of that's coming outthis week, which is still July,
but then we do that.
From that Then comes these kindof partner meetings on that
survey as well.
It is who is not at the table.
That should be so.
(26:39):
New people will be hearing fromme.
New people heard from me lastyear.
That should be so new peoplewill be hearing from me.
New people heard from me lastyear and so that comes.
And then we have some communitypartner meetings that really
the kickoff for these is tied tothe debrief and the wrap up
that we did this spring.
And so we take feedback that wegot I believe we had that
(27:00):
meeting in April and and we takethat information that we get
and then we update our manuals,we update all of that and then
that's how we say this yearhere's what these are going to
look like.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
A lot of moving parts and it takes a lot of people to
get those moving parts andcommunications that are ongoing,
not just before but during theextreme weather events.
In regards to technology, 24-7people are communicating about
how they are taking care ofpeople at one side.
Or do you have any resourcesfor this side?
Or in the volunteer capacity, apiece of this.
(27:33):
It's a big deal, but at the endof the day, there are many
people who might not make it ifit wasn't for that, and they
make it.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Oh, we know that there are lives saved for a
variety of reasons from theweather, or the weather being
the motivation that helps peoplesee that they want a different
life.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
So we have a back to heat because it is it is hot out
there.
We're in July, and so I want totalk a little bit more about
that.
What does Topeka RescueMissions role at this point in
regards to outreach and whatyour teams are doing, your team
is doing outside?
Speaker 4 (28:09):
So first I want to touch on something that I think
can be overlooked when we startthinking about the heat, because
we go straight to unshelteredneighbors, which we should.
But the other piece is shelters.
Are also shelter staff equipped?
Because sometimes we havepeople in really rough shape
show up at the doors and eithertrying to access shelter or
(28:36):
still not ready to take thatnext step.
But they also are scared ofbeing out there by themselves.
And so I love the teamwork ofTRM and I am so proud of the
departments and how they worktogether.
So last week there was a biggroup thread between several of
us leaders on hey, here's whatwe're going to be doing for
(28:59):
outreach efforts with theunsheltered.
But then shelters chimed in andsaid but how can we help?
Because we need to be moreequipped with some of those same
resources when outreach teamsare not out or it's nighttime or
someone comes into the shelter.
So literally within minutes ourdistribution services kicked in
(29:20):
.
They had an accurate count andinventory of different types of
electrolyte based drinks, likePropel, and the packets and the
types of popsicles.
We had all of those kinds ofthings, and then knew exactly
how many cases to bring over sothat the shelters were able to
(29:41):
hand those out in case somebodydid access us and that we would
have proper things to try tokeep people hydrated while we're
waiting on AMR which that'salready happened, where we've
had somebody with heatexhaustion or while they're just
still trying to figure out whattheir next steps are.
So we're passing out thoseitems from shelter on top of
(30:01):
what shelter.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Front desk staff are navigating, somebody might be
brought in, or just walk in.
Who is dehydrated, who is in amedical crisis?
when they come in.
So I think, lamanda, what thatspeaks to is that the team
whether they're in shelter oroutside of shelter, working
together has to know how to makesome evaluations very quickly
and know when to call for help.
In regards to AMR firedepartment different folks that
(30:26):
will come in to do some thingsand be able to then maybe be on
site, whether it's in shelter oron the streets, to be able to
help that person and stay withthem until that proper help
comes.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
And I'm going to try to get through this quickly and
where I can talk, where peoplecan hear me, because I feel this
one pretty deep.
But there has been a woman thatwe have known for about two and
a half years now, myselfincluded, and this woman has
(30:59):
been, health wise, in really badshape, probably of someone that
is elderly.
However, this person's age isin the 50s, so this person has
fallen in between every crackour system could create.
Not old enough for this, quote,unquote, not bad enough for
(31:24):
this.
This person had mental illnesschallenges, but yet when people
would talk to the individual,who is female, she's scared and
so she didn't want to just bediscarded like she felt, like
she had, and so then we weretold multiple times by multiple
(31:47):
agencies there's nothing we cando, either because of her age,
because she was still able,bodied somewhat and all of these
things.
And so Rachel Fliniken, hopeCenter director, has been
involved with this individual Imean probably for the full two
(32:09):
and a half years, and we havetaken this individual into the
shelter when really we probablyshouldn't have.
This individual could not takecare of herself at all Because
TRM is not a nursing carefacility and we're talking, um,
no control over bowel movements,no control over urination, um,
(32:33):
and the level of um compassionour guests had to have, that are
sharing spaces and anyways,there's been a lot to navigate
and there's been a lot of peoplethat have helped this
individual and I'm so thankfuland if we had time I would go on
.
But Rachel has really been theperson that just hasn't left and
(32:56):
even when this individual wasnot a guest, rachel just did not
leave this person.
Not a guest, rachel just didnot leave this person.
So I teamed up with some peopleat the hospital, a couple of
other agencies Another agencygave us relief and housed her
(33:19):
for a few, I think maybe twoweeks and we finally got her in
a facility where she is takencare of and just huge movements,
huge movements.
I say that because one of thethings that I know has continued
to motivate myself and Racheland some other people on the
(33:41):
team is she will not make itthrough this summer and we knew
that.
Now, none of us I know thespiritual side, we don't know
God's timing.
We could all go at any time, Iknow that.
But practically, looking atthis individual and her health
and seeing the deterioration,particularly over the last 12
months.
(34:01):
I know that was something thatwas determined it was.
We cannot lose her Like she'sstill a person.
Rachel spent on differentoccasions, one of them eight
hours with her at the hospitalbecause she knew the individual
would be scared by herself andwouldn't comply or would leave.
(34:24):
Or she was worried too thatmaybe not everybody would view
her the way that we see sheshould be viewed, and so for
about three days it was intense.
Right, rachel's texting me fromthe hospital, she's giving me
updates, she's nervous.
Oh, it doesn't look like thisis going to work out, oh no.
And then I would pray a coupleof times.
(34:46):
I was at events and I wouldjust be like God, please don't
let this fall through.
And anyways, because of someincredible partnerships, because
of um donors supplying theamount of clothes that
individual went through until wecould medically get her handled
(35:06):
was just outrageous, honestly.
But because of donors supplyingthe clothes, we could continue
to meet those needs.
But it finally all got throughand I am so thankful for people
like Rachel who is juggling,being on call for the shelter,
(35:27):
handling all of those issues andall that, but yet being
determined.
We have got to get a solutionand we have got to get a
solution by summertime or we areliterally going to see someone
die and it's stuff like thatthat I'm not sure I articulate
good enough because we're justalways fast paced and we have so
much going on.
But Rachel's doing those thingsin the months of April and May
(35:50):
and June, not including what weall did in November of last year
and December of last year inthe warming center.
Every single day every singleday so.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
I'm just thankful.
So where are we at with thislady now?
Speaker 4 (36:03):
She um is.
I haven't gotten an update inabout a week and a half but um
was admitted into a facility, isgetting medical assistance.
Um is now in compliance withsome other um aid and stuff that
she's going to get and I'mwaiting on when I can visit I
don't think a lot of peoplerealize how complicated the
(36:25):
system is, um can be.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
I mean, it meets a lot of needs for a lot of people
and we say the system that'svery generic.
But there are people that justdon't fit in the system well and
um Topeka rescue mission andour streets are, um are
populated with a lot of peoplethat don't fit the system well,
and it's not their fault, it is.
We haven't figured out the waysthat we can create different
(36:52):
systems or incorporate thosefolks into the systems that fit
for them, because we havefunding regulations, we have
policies, we have communicationchallenges, we have protections
for civil liberties and thosekind of things in regards to
mental health.
So it's very, very complicated.
(37:12):
And if it wasn't for placeslike Topeka Rescue Mission, if
it wasn't for outreach, if itwasn't for mobile access
partnership, if it wasn't forthose things, we would have
suffering that we can't evencalculate right now.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
And you know what I just keep thinking about.
So this person that LaManda wastalking about had advocates to
try to navigate a system.
Can you imagine those folksthat haven't connected yet with
an advocate right when they'retrying to navigate all of this
the best they can, it can'thappen, and then it's why the
(37:48):
people end up.
So you know, the thing that wenever know is how many of the
folks that we serve or that arestill out on the streets have
tried to get through some ofthose systems.
And then because they can't wellnow, they end up on the street,
they end up at the TopekaRescue Mission, they end up in
all these different placesbecause systems are so
(38:09):
complicated and not logical inso many ways that they end up in
a negative situation because ofthe systems that we are
challenged to navigate with them.
Speaker 2 (38:24):
I think that you know and this is brings up something
, miriam, I think, for we needto devote a whole podcast to
advocates yes.
And the value of people who areadvocating for other people and
who are caring for them.
Just like LaMandie mentioned,rachel spending all that time
with her at the hospital been inthose situations before it
(38:47):
kills your whole schedule, butyou can't leave that person
because, if you do, they'regoing to end up right back where
they were, or worse.
And so we need more peoplehelping people.
Yes, helping with the clothes,helping with the funding,
helping with the food, helpingwith giving your life to work at
a place like Topeka RescueMission, but we also need more
people helping people.
And there's the secret sauce.
It really is.
(39:07):
That is.
The secret sauce for success ispeople working with people and
getting to a place where theyunderstand systems.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
And just think about what that personal thing that
Rachel did, which was stay withthis person in the hospital, how
much comfort and healing thatprovided for that person.
Right, because she didn't haveto be scared, because she didn't
have to not know anyone, shecould relate, there was
relationship.
If we've said it once, we'vesaid it a thousand times, we can
(39:37):
never undervalue relationshipor overvalue it.
Rather, we can never overvaluerelationship.
It is, and it's what you'resaying, barry, it's the secret
sauce.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
It really is.
Speaker 3 (39:50):
Relationship is what makes the difference in so many
ways.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
I think it's rocket science when we consider from a
spiritual standpoint, when theOld Testament and Jesus repeated
it, the key here is to love Godand to love your neighbor as
yourself.
And when we do that, not justtalk about it, not just throw a
resource at it and say one anddone, but actually loving our
neighbor and asking God what isit you want me to do for my
(40:16):
neighbor and who is my neighbor?
Speaker 3 (40:18):
I think somebody asked Jesus that one time and to
go after the one.
Speaker 2 (40:21):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (40:21):
Because in this situation, Rachel was serving a
lot, but she went after the one.
Speaker 4 (40:27):
And there were pages of documentation, pages I'm not
sure because I don't have it infront of me, but I did have a
count at AMR calls on thisindividual over a 12 month
period, and so I can onlyimagine what it was like to be
an AMR worker.
(40:50):
And I know that's got to bedifficult and I know sometimes
you're like, oh, is this personcrying wolf, you know?
And what are we doing?
And now what do we do with her?
Because the hospitals are goingto be, you know, understaffed
and overworked and all of that,and so it just impacts all of us
.
But now we've got one that hadI'm not joking sometimes as much
(41:11):
as four to five AMR calls aweek.
And now not only have weeliminated that stressor on
everyone's taxpaying dollars,right and resources, but the
other side is we haven't justkicked a person down the road
Like we have stuck with her sothat she's getting the care she
(41:32):
needs.
I'm not saying I wanteverything depleted from the
community and I don't want ourcommunity to thrive the
community and I don't want ourcommunity to thrive, but a lot
of times, if we work together,we will find a solution that is
dignified for the person andalso equitable for our community
.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
So, through the investment of some people not
giving up on this woman, there'salso been an immediate cost
adjustment in regards to howmany emergency calls that were
out there which she's not ableto pay for.
But still they have to doeverything they're going to do.
It takes keeping those unitsgoing and the staff and all the
protocols and going to thehospitals and so forth.
Somebody gets to pay for that,and it's us.
(42:10):
In one way or another we get topay for that, and so we reduce
cost when we do it right, and sothat's what we're trying to
communicate now is what is itcosting us to do it the way
we're doing it versus what wecould do, maybe better?
Speaker 4 (42:22):
and the connection I want to make to that is um, I
want to go back to how you weretalking about the relationship
piece.
Um, some people will hear thisand think, oh, that's a success
story.
What I get frustrated with isif you would have seen us seven
months ago.
People that give accolades tothis part of the story sometimes
(42:48):
are the people that are sayingsome very mean things.
If you would have seen this sixmonths in people look at her as
dirty.
People look at her as she'sdefecating on sidewalks.
People look at the trash thatshe was trying to carry but was
unstable and would fall with it.
This can't be a quick fix.
We're talking this oneindividual, two and a half years
(43:10):
of working diligently with her,and so, you know, this week and
next week we're going to begoing out with bags of fruit and
hydration drinks, which we cantalk about in a minute.
Some people look at that as arewe enabling people.
Some people are looking at thatas that's, you know, a waste of
(43:30):
resources.
I'm telling you that that bag offruit could sometimes lead to
that person trusting us as we'resitting with them in the
hospital for eight hours.
And so some of these effortsthat we've pivoted to for this
extreme heat is to, in themoment, look people in their
(43:51):
eyes, tell them that they'reloved, tell them we thought
about them, tell them peopleprayed about them as they were
cutting up cantaloupe andwatermelon and getting the
packets ready and making thecooling cloths.
And sometimes we leave thoseresources and we don't know what
it's going to lead to, right,we don't know how it's going to
help besides that moment.
(44:12):
But what I can tell you is timeand time again, that fruit bag,
that cooling cloth, thathydration drink leads into
someone, even if it's for thatmoment, or days after, or weeks
after, or years after thentrusting us or other agencies
whatever the that we do that aretied to food and drink, because
(44:32):
food and drink do not justnourish people physically, it's
a way that it also nourishestheir hearts and sometimes their
(44:55):
mind to realize, man, these arepeople that really do care, or
I can trust them.
And then they start telling usmore.
That's how we're able to startsolving more problems together,
and then we see transformation.
Speaker 2 (45:08):
So it takes a lot of different moving parts to this,
and the more a person is damagedemotionally, psychologically,
mentally, whatever physicallythe more it's going to take to
reach that person, to help themto get where they need to be, if
we even can do that.
But it's so easy when all wesee is the ramifications or the
(45:28):
outcomes of neglect and medicalissues, mental health issues,
and we look at that person andwe don't understand it, we're
afraid of it, so we judge it andwe then blame it.
And so we blame it, because ifI can't blame that, I may have
to blame somebody else.
Speaker 3 (45:44):
Right.
Speaker 2 (45:45):
And I don't want to blame me Right, and so it's not
everybody's fault for what'shappened in society.
It's just all of ourresponsibility to try to come
together to see what we can doabout it of other agencies and
incredible supporters andindividuals who help kids with a
backpack or help our neighborsto be able to get into a warming
(46:07):
center in the winter, orbringing them basic supplies
that they need right where theyare.
So before we close today, letme talk about some of the
practical things that'shappening in regards to you
mentioned things that arehydration and those kinds of
things.
What do we need at TopekaRescue Mission to be able to put
(46:27):
in the hands of people inshelter when somebody walks in
or maybe in the streets?
Speaker 4 (46:32):
Well, we need people and resources.
Speaker 2 (46:35):
What kind of people, what kind of resources?
Speaker 4 (46:37):
Yes, the people that we need is to help us cut up
fruit primarily.
You know you wouldn't thinkit's a lot until you get three,
four, five watermelons in thereand you're trying to cut them up
into cubes.
So if you're a fruit cutter, ifyou're a fruit cutter, upper or
if you just want to take it uponyourself to cut up your own
(46:57):
fruit right and bring to us that, that's helpful too.
But it really is the peopleaspect.
Um, you know this uh heat wave?
Um, the fruit and stuff weretaken care of um by a lot of
staff members at the children'spalace who paused what they were
doing to be able to um, cutthese up.
I know it sounds silly, butagain, there's a system for this
(47:20):
.
We cannot do watermelon just offthe rind, because, one, what
are you going to put it in sothat we are keeping it cool
while the outreach teams are out?
Secondly, we have to take inconsideration a lot of our
unsheltered neighbors do nothave proper dental care, and so
sometimes they might not haveteeths or they don't have good
(47:41):
teeth care.
So we're really particular onwhat fruit we're giving and how
we are dicing it, so that we'recognizant of that Same thing
with the cantaloupes as well,and so we need people to help
with getting those ready.
We need help with, once we havethe fruit cut up, putting it
(48:02):
into the baggies, those kinds ofthings.
As far as what resources do weneed?
Food wise, we need the fruitwatermelon, cantaloupe, grapes,
anything like that.
That is really heavy.
Water-based Honeydew is anotherone, and we're able to put
those all together in mixtures.
Speaker 2 (48:20):
You some vitamins in there and some sugars that
people need in those.
This very practical things.
Speaker 4 (48:24):
Yes, and then the last two big items that we need
are, um kind of more yourhydration drinks.
So, um, we get a.
We need a lot of propel andGatorade and, um, anything that
has the electrolytes.
Um, and that's for two reasonsOne, trying to pump people up
(48:44):
ahead of time with them, butthen also, we're going to be
doing this several times thisweek and next week and, barry,
we don't know what we're goingto find.
We could find somebody alreadythat is dehydrated and they need
a lot of those electrolytes.
Speaker 2 (48:59):
You know, I think that there are listeners right
now who are saying I reallydon't have the time or the
expertise, or I'm not reallysure I'm the right person to go
out in the streets to actuallydo this.
But I go to the grocery store,Correct, and I've just heard
this that maybe I could pick upthe watermelon or the cantaloupe
or some of the Propel or justcases of water, whatever, and I
(49:19):
can get them to the TopekaRescue Mission.
Speaker 4 (49:21):
Or.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
I can send money and designate it to the Topeka
Rescue Mission for that.
There's just so many ways thatpeople can help and not
everybody's going to be on thefront lines like Rachel was and
that you have been and othershave been with this particular
lady and others like her, butthey can certainly be a part of
the team to be able to do this.
And just know that everybody hasgot a unique assignment on this
(49:43):
earth, a unique assignment.
Not everybody can do the samething, and that's a good thing,
because we don't need one thingdone by a whole lot of people.
We've got a lot of things doneby a lot of people to do them,
and so just encourage everybodythat is maybe thinking about the
heat, is thinking about thechallenges that people are
facing, thinking about some ofthe really awesome turnarounds
that have happened in people'slife.
You can be a part of that bybeing a part of the Topeka
(50:06):
Rescue Mission or your church oryour neighborhood or whatever.
There's a lot of people doingstuff out in the neighborhoods
that are helping their neighbors.
That's awesome too, and it'snot like just one organization
can do this, but there is onebig one and it's called the
Topeka rescue mission helping alot of folks we also need um.
Speaker 4 (50:23):
I think that a lot of people don't think of this, and
I've seen some already go onsale, which is crazy.
The other day I was in a storeand there's Halloween stuff out.
I'm like what Um?
But our popsicles, um.
So popsicles, from a logisticalstandpoint of our outreach
teams, they're able to freezethem, break them apart, put them
in coolers and they're veryeasy for distributing them out
(50:45):
and they people are able toenjoy them right then.
But then, even if it melts fast, the taste is still there.
Now there's a lot of cheaperversions, like the flavored ice
and things.
We accept those.
The other thing that we don'toften get but would appreciate
if people can do are thePedialyte popsicles.
So, Pedialyte again is for thesickness of dehydration with
(51:06):
kids.
Speaker 2 (51:06):
Not just for kids, but also for adults.
Speaker 4 (51:08):
But we tried two years ago not last summer, but
the summer before Pedialytepopsicles because I had this
idea.
And then I tell the StreetReach team like, do you think
the grown men are just going tothink we're crazy when we jump
out and we're like you want apopsicle?
And they're like well, boss,lady, we won't know until we try
(51:29):
.
So we did, we had coolers fullof them and um drove all around
town trying to pass outpopsicles and everyone accepted
them.
Speaker 2 (51:33):
Yeah, I'll tell you when you're hot.
Speaker 4 (51:35):
Yep, you do, and we had so.
Then it was last year.
I was like, can we try maybePedialyte, because they have a
little bit more than just thesugar, and so we did that.
But they are more expensive, sowe don't get them as often.
But Popsicles is another thingthat we could be blessed with.
Speaker 2 (51:50):
Topeka Rescue Mission's got some big old
freezers that they can put theirstuff in.
If you bring down a queso orwhatever you're going to be,
it's going to have a place, it'sto dock somewhere and melt.
It's going to get taken care ofbecause you, as supporters of
the Topeka Rescue Mission, havemade it possible by your
donations, by your volunteeringand by your support.
Lamanda, there's still a lot ofsummer left.
We don't know really what theweather's going to do.
(52:11):
We do know there's a lot ofefforts that are occurring every
single day to try to help ourneighbors who are in great need
and hopefully someday there's aturnaround in some of their
lives, which we know we seeevery day at Topeka Rescue
Mission.
And then also, you're going tobe talking about warming centers
pretty soon too, so you alreadyare so people will be hearing
more about that as we go forward.
(52:32):
Well, thank you for listening toour community, our mission.
You've heard a lot of differentsubjects about back to school.
You've heard about some needsfor backpacks about back to
school.
You've heard about some needsfor backpacks.
The day that we start thecommunity distribution here at
Topeca Rescue Mission is August6th, so that's right around the
corner.
So, if you can bring those, youcan also find some other needs
of Topeca Rescue Mission on thewebsite at trmonlineorg, and
(52:55):
maybe you might want tovolunteer, maybe even apply for
a job, maybe just be aware soyou can pray.
Thank you for listening to ourcommunity, our mission.
Dear Heavenly Father.
We thank you, lord, for thisday and your blessings and
provisions.
God, thank you for this time torecord this podcast and, lord,
for all of our wonderfullisteners.
Lord, pray that they would beblessed and encouraged by this
episode.
And, lord, as we enter intothis extreme heat wave, lord, we
just pray for all of ourunsheltered neighbors, god, that
you would just keep them safe,that you would help us to
(00:21):
provide the resources to themthat are needed.
And, lord, we just thank youfor the community that also
provides those things.
Lord, I pray your blessing overthis time in Jesus name, amen.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Hello everybody, thank you for listening to our
community, our mission, apodcast of the Topeka Rescue
Mission.
I'm your host today, barryFeaker, here on Tuesday, july
22nd.
I'm your host today, barryFeeker, here on Tuesday, july
22nd 2025.
And this is episode number 276.
We have LaManda, cunningham,marion Crable kind of usuals
here on the podcast, to say theleast Our CEO and Deputy
(00:58):
Director of Supportive Serviceshere, and so we're going to talk
about an issue that I thinkeverybody is thinking about
right now because of the heatand so forth.
But before we get to that, wehave to honor the Research and
Development Department of TopekaRescue Mission for the
incredible research that they doto try to help us understand
the value and the importance ofthe day.
And so we start out with andJosh is down here smiling
(01:22):
because he is our Research andDevelopment Department ie Google
.
It is today.
I'm sure that most peopleweren't aware of this it is
World Brain Day.
World Brain Day.
Yeah, interesting, somebody hadto think about that one didn't
they, they did.
With their brain.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Isn't it kind of weird to think the brain thought
of itself Like, hey, I want aday to honor myself.
That's right, the think likethe brain, like thought of
itself like, hey, I want a dayto honor myself.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
That's right.
Brain had to think of that, Idon't know, and you could kind
of think that it's sort of ano-brainer.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Yeah, yeah, oh my gosh, do we have any of those
sound?
Speaker 2 (01:52):
effects yeah I don't know.
Yeah, yeah, well, sometimes ourbrains think for us instead of
us thinking for our brains soanyway, but on july 22nd every
year this is celebrated annuallyaround the world.
I never knew about it beforebecause I'm a no brainer.
So, but anyway, brain health isvery important.
I think we begin to learn moreand more about that, in regards
(02:15):
to things that we'd even do atthe rescue mission and with our
neighbors who are needing help,whether they're sheltered or
unsheltered, in regards to howtrauma has affected their brain.
Right, mary.
Speaker 3 (02:28):
Exactly, and that, to me, has been one of the biggest
learnings for me as we thinkabout that trauma.
I always think of trauma asbeing kind of this emotional
impact, but there are realphysical impacts to your brain
because of trauma, and so we'velearned so much about that and
it changes our perspective onpeople's behavior.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
It certainly does help us to understand some
behavior sometimes and why somepeople just can't quite get
where we think maybe they shouldgo until we address some of the
issues of the injury to thebrain.
And it does have a physicalreshaping of the brain in
regards to trauma.
So one of the things that is anantidote to any kind of brain
trauma is what else is known forthis day, and it's National
(03:07):
Hammock Day.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Hammock Day- what's a hammock?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Do you have those in Arkansas, any hammocks?
Speaker 4 (03:15):
We have hammocks.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
What's a hammock?
Hey, I want everybody to know.
Amanda Cunningham has recentlyjust discovered in Iola, Kansas,
that there is A&W restaurants.
She has never known about thatbefore.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
And she thinks it's the best thing.
Yes, I knew that there was A&Wroot beer.
I just didn't know a restaurantwas a thing.
But my heart is happy, and atalmost 40 years, old.
I'm experiencing it.
Speaker 2 (03:41):
So she goes to Iola every week.
Now to get a beer float, and sono, I know what hammocks down
in Arkansas are called.
Go to bed at night, right.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Yes, that's right.
You just go out in yourhammocks and everybody's got
their own hammock in Arkansas.
Yes, that's what we do.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
That's what you do, no, but.
Speaker 4 (03:57):
I do have a hammock now and I have.
I have also fallen out of ahammock.
So when we're talking aboutdrama to the brain, every now
and then, when I go to get in it, I'm like Lord, let this not
happen.
Like it happened.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
So it can help you with brain trauma.
It could create some.
That's correct how you hangyour hammock.
Speaker 4 (04:14):
Have you ever been in a hammock?
You're so big.
Speaker 3 (04:19):
I'm so tall, I knew it.
Oh, she was Huh.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
Oh no.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
Huh, not Barry has trauma and our brains are so
connected.
As soon as you said it, I'mlike oh no, she means Tom.
Yeah, look at her coming to myrescue.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
So now we understand the problem with brain, with
some people they just don't havea filter.
But anyway, yeah, I've been ina big hammock and a small
hammock.
I don't care for hammocksbecause they're hard to get in
and they're really hard to getout.
I was going to say but once youget to rocking those babies,
you can get out pretty easy.
Whether the rope breaks or thetree breaks, you can get out, or
(04:55):
you fall out, or you fall out.
That's right.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Coming down.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
And so then you look at it and you go well, I'm not
getting back into that thing,not doing that again.
Broke your hammock day.
That's right.
Okay, all right.
So, anyway, one more.
Okay.
And Amanda, I'm going to passthis one to you because you're a
former educator.
Uh-huh, yep, it's casual pieday, and I don't mean P-I-E
Casual pie day.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
I have never heard of this.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Oh, I've heard of Pi Day, me too, but never casual,
which is in March.
Yes, because that's the whole314.
So would you explain what Pi isversus Apple pumpkin, those
kind?
Speaker 4 (05:31):
of things.
Can we just move on?
Speaker 1 (05:33):
I know, All right, all right, wait, wait, wait.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
I'm sure this is interesting.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
This is interesting Research and development, not
letting this one go withoutjumping in.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
You can't just skip by this because, yes, pi Day is
3.14, right, you know March 14th.
So this one is interestingbecause the fraction 22 over 7
actually gives you pi 3.14, andon and on.
Yeah, we did that, we did thatso 22, 7, 7, 22 is casual Pi Day
oh.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Interesting.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Oh wow, so that's why it is 7, day.
Oh interesting, oh wow, neverknew.
So that's why it is 722.
Yeah, yeah, wow.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
It's the fraction for Pi.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
That's interesting so obviously Research and
Development Department didn'thave any brain damage because
they got that they did and sothey're supposed to.
I had to read it a couple times.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Don't admit to that.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
I actually did it on my calculator.
I was like really Like 25 or 22divided by seven.
Oh, it does there you go.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
So I'm going to remember this next time we have
casual PIE day and we're goingto go have some pie Exactly this
kind of pie.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
So what's the difference between a casual pie
and a formal pie?
Though I'm waiting, I wish Ihad a punchline, I don't know.
Speaker 4 (06:45):
That's just a question.
You hung that out there kind ofin a way.
If we're talking food, I thinka pie pie is like pie dish and
all that.
To me, cobbler is like aninformal pie.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Yeah, yeah, I just made one agree.
I agree with that.
Um, if it's got crust orcorrect, that's a pie cobbler's
called a pie failure.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
so that's that pie Cobblers call a pie failure.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
That's what I make, Barry?
What are you saying?
That's what I.
I can make cobblers, I cannotmake pies.
Have you ever had like?
Speaker 1 (07:10):
a dump cake.
Yes, like you just dumpeverything in.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
That's the casual pie , that's right, there you go,
except that's cake.
I must be pretty casual.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Oh, josh cake.
Well, but never mind, it'sstill fruit filling, let's get
this podcast going.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
I got to go buy mine, I got to go to Walmart and get
a hammock, so anyway, An extralarge.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Yes, yes, oh, my word , I'm trying to like visualize
myself, who is 5'2", 5'3, on agood day and the struggle.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
I've had with hammocks.
Have you ever seen ShaquilleO'Neal in a hammock?
Speaker 3 (07:44):
No, Never, I know.
That's why I was wondering ifyou were successful.
Yeah, no, yes.
Speaker 2 (07:49):
Yeah, I look like a little kid to Shaquille, but
anyway.
So, moving on into things thatpeople are going to be less
interested in but stillimportant, we have back to
school coming up.
We do, yes.
So school coming up and so, um,that's an annual event.
Every year it's been posted outon Facebook some things on the
website of TRM and about howpeople can participate in that.
(08:10):
Uh, lamanda, miriam, anyballpark, again, numbers that we
think may kids may be helpedthis year from Topeka rescue
mission.
Speaker 4 (08:18):
Yeah, we are aiming at doing 400.
Um, so, just because that'skind of on average what we've
done the past several years, um,one of the plugs, I would say.
Um, in regards to kind of theinformation that Miriam's going
to give, I've seen a lot of umquestions being asked on
Facebook.
(08:38):
Um, and what I've noticed isand I just wanted to highlight
this real quick there's a lot oflike Topeka Mamas groups and
Topeka events pages and thingslike that, and there's a lot of
people anonymously posting onthere and I'm paraphrasing but
(09:00):
I'm embarrassed to need help.
But I'm needing school suppliesfor my kiddos.
Where can I go?
And I mean, I'm not joking,I've seen six in the last
probably 48 hours and so I'vereally tried to be vigilant
about posting the graphic andstuff that we have on that.
But I just wanted to say like,if you are listening to this and
(09:22):
you are someone that's in need,please know, not, not just ours
.
There's a couple of differentgiveaways that if maybe it's
closer to you that you access.
Just know that, from what I know, all of us are doing it with
the right heart and we don'twant shame, we don't want
embarrassment tied to it.
We recognize that one schoolsupplies are expensive period,
but in today's day and age it'seven more with inflation and
(09:46):
costs.
So my heart has just really umbeen kind of tugged the last
couple of days, one recognizinghow many moms, dads, grandmas
I've seen a couple of posts thatare grandparents saying they're
caring for their grandkids andthey need help with this Um, so
my heart has just been tuggedand not wanting people to be
(10:06):
embarrassed that they need thishand up, that we all go through
things that we do, the otherside of it is, if you're seeing
those posts you know, pleaseshare our back to school drive.
If there's other ones that youknow about, share those because
that might be closer for thepeople.
It's just really a time overthese next four weeks to really
wrap around as a community andhelp people who are in
(10:28):
struggling places help.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
I think most people understand the importance if you
were a kid at one time to be inschool with the right amount of
supplies like your peers havenot to kind of stand out, and
that includes today, backpacks.
Kids are using backpacks tocarry all their stuff around,
and that's a need still of somemore backpacks, if I understand
it.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
Yes, that's probably our number one need right now is
backpacks of all differentsizes, all different types, for
little kids, for older kids, soa variety of backpacks, and then
we also have a significant needfor highlighters and
composition notebooks everythingthat people, people need, we
need right now.
But backpacks is a huge, hugeneed.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
So if people don't remember, they can go to the
website at trmonlineorg, andwhere do they then press the
button to find out what thatneed list is?
Speaker 3 (11:18):
They can go to the needs tab.
Just the needs tab, exactly,and it will be at the top of
that list on what we're needingfor back to school.
Speaker 2 (11:26):
Okay, very good, and then they can bring them to the
distribution center to pick arest.
Commission Monday throughFriday.
Eight to three is the time.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Yes, and that's at 401 Northwest Norris.
Speaker 2 (11:35):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (11:36):
And I also wanted to say, you know, in case people
are kind of like, why does TRMdo a back to school drive?
You know how does that tie into.
So I just want to share from myperspective as as CEO I do hope
in the future, possibly nextyear, that maybe some of us that
are doing the drives can gettogether and have some
(11:56):
collaboration to and it might be, barry, that our community does
need the five to 10 to 15drives that are happening
because of location, because ofquantities, those kinds of
things.
So I'm not saying we need lessof them, I just want to, in the
future, really make sure we'reall working together just
because resources are lower thansome other arenas, with food
(12:18):
distribution and other kinds ofhelp too.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
So it makes sense that that would be a goal in the
future.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
Yes.
So that is something that's onmy radar, and if we can help
support other ones in differentways, we want to do that, and
vice versa.
The other piece to this is Iwanted to explain the reason.
One of the reasons why wecontinue to do this is it's a
way for us to be both proactiveand upstream, as well as
reactive to those experiencinghomelessness.
(12:45):
So, on one hand, our drive thatwe do blesses the 50 kids in
the Hope Center.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
That are currently there.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
Correct.
Now, not all 50 of those kidsare school age.
Some of them are infants, zeroto five, not going to school yet
, but I would say right nowwe're probably looking at at
least 27 to 34 of those will beschool age kids, and so those
are kiddos experiencinghomelessness, that their safe
(13:14):
refuge and their meals and theirclothing and all of that is
completely coming from TRM Ithink it's important to know,
too, that there's 50 kids, orthe number, that are school age
are not the only ones that willbenefit from this who will be
coming the rest of the schoolyear Correct, because some
children will be coming in thataren't here right now because,
the homeless situation.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
The ones that are here, hopefully, are going to
get housed, and so you need asupply Correct so you're not
having to go out and ask formore.
So if there's something leftover, you put it away for those
kids that are coming in, yeah,oh sorry, no, go ahead.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
Well, I was just going to finish that thought of
you know we've got this, that itis immediately going into hands
that families that are alreadyexperiencing homelessness, the
other side of this, and I hopeas a community we continue to
talk more about this but it'sthis upstream approach.
And let's just say, for easymath and I can tell you it's
more than this, but just foreasy math let's say it's $25 per
(14:09):
backpack, the supplies that arein it in the backpack.
If a family has four, that's$100.
And I'm telling you that's aminimum number, $100 that they
are spending on just fourbackpacks and supplies.
If that's the case and we areable to bless them, or another
(14:30):
drive can bless them, that's$100 that month that is still in
the pockets of the grandparents, the parents, you might pay the
rent.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Correct, buy the food .
Speaker 4 (14:39):
And that we're seeing that go towards vehicle
payments.
We're seeing that be waterpayments for people.
We're seeing that be part ofelectricity bill, which right
now everyone's a skyrocketedbecause it's so hot, which we're
going to talk about more in aminute.
There's just a way that we arealso blessing families that can
reroute that hundred dollars tofood utilities and other
(15:03):
necessities in a time that it'sreally needed.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
And you know something I just learned today
and I've been at the mission.
How long is that?
The Lions Club is also at ourback-to-school drive to do
vision screening.
Yes, how amazing is that right?
Because kids that can't see,well can't learn well.
You know when they can't see theboard when they can't see their
papers, when they can't do that.
(15:26):
So what a benefit and what agreat partnership.
And I was just thinking,lamanda, as you were talking.
It really is all aboutpartnership for us, whether it's
with other organizations likelet's Help or Doorstep or the
number of people, salvation Armyor groups like the Lions Club.
It really is about comingtogether to meet all of the
number of people Salvation Armyor groups like the Lions Club.
It really is about comingtogether to meet all of the
(15:48):
needs that people have that theymay not even realize.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Yes, Well, that's really true.
I'm going to tell a story aboutmyself, since you brought up
delicately how big I am.
So big guys in grade schoolalways get put in the back of
the classroom, right, okay, well, in your back of the classroom,
if you?
Okay?
Well, when you're back in theclassroom, if you don't have
good eyesight, you may not seewhat's on the chalkboard.
You remember you're hearingabout chalkboards, lamanda.
Speaker 4 (16:09):
Listen, I did a little bit on chalkboards.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
I did Were you in a museum.
Speaker 4 (16:14):
And for some reason on the bottom it said BF Barry
Feaker.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
Carved in it.
So in the sixth grade, right Inthe sixth grade carved in, of
course.
In the sixth grade my parentsnoticed I kept running into
stuff.
Okay, Like I'd be walking downsomewhere and run into a tree,
I'd run into a wall, and so theytook me to an eye doctor and he
says he needs glasses.
That was on a Friday.
Okay, I got my glasses a weeklater and went into school on a
(16:43):
Monday.
I'm sitting in the back of theroom and I'm looking up on the
chalkboard and I go that's whatthat stuff is doing up there.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
Because you didn't even know, didn't know.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
I absolutely did not know and my grades shot up.
So one example of how visionlike you mentioned is important
to kids, plus the backpack.
Yes so all those kinds of things.
Okay, we're going to switchgears and talk about a subject
that's on everybody's mind thisyear and every year this time,
and that's the heat.
We were predicted to get muchhotter weather than we have seen
(17:17):
, but we have some more coming.
Fortunately, we had a couple ofdays where it was supposed to
be really really cooking and itrained, and so it was really
really nice.
Yesterday was one of those days.
And actually last night waskind of cool.
Speaker 4 (17:27):
It was beautiful 78, something like that.
It's because all of us at TRMdid the rain.
Dance, lord, please, please.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Well, it helped.
Speaker 4 (17:36):
So keep doing it.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
But more heat's coming, more heat has been here
and this presents a huge problem.
You mentioned utility bills forpeople that have housing and
those kind of things, but peopledon't have housing, people that
don't have a place to go.
This is not only problematicfor them, it's very dangerous.
And so we have what's calledthe cooling centers that are
going on and we also, in thewintertime, have the warming
(17:59):
centers.
And so, lamanda, talk a littlebit about what you understand
about the cooling centers thatare going on through our
community and what's thedifference between a cooling
center and maybe Speaker RescueMission's involvement more in
the warming center.
Component of that.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
Yeah, I'm really glad that we get to talk about this
because I have had so manyone-off conversations where
people have asked you know,conversations where people have
asked you know TRM has taken onthe bulk of kind of leading the
way with a lot of other amazingpartners that make it happen
Warming centers, and why are weso involved in communication
(18:35):
with warming centers and gettingeverybody on board but that we
don't really do a lot withmaking a cooling?
centers yes, so a couple ofthings with making a cooling
centers.
Yes, so a couple of things.
One we have to remember thatwhen we're making decisions for
the warming centers, that it isnot just based on just
temperature or just wind chillsor just precipitation.
(18:56):
We are looking at the extremeweather that comes from a
culmination of those three.
If we have issues so extremelylow temperatures, extremely low
wind chills and then also a lotof precipitation, the real main
concern that comes from us forour unsheltered neighbors is the
(19:17):
overnights, when it iswintertime.
And if someone has gotten wetbecause of the snow or the sleet
, what happens at night?
The temperatures drop.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
The wind chills get worse.
So you don't just bring themduring the daytime, you take
care of them overnight.
Speaker 4 (19:31):
We have to.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Because it doesn't get any warmer at night, correct
?
Speaker 4 (19:34):
And so there's no relief really that comes for our
unsheltered neighbors when it'sthe what I'm going to call the
extreme winter weather, which isthe combination of all of these
three things.
In the summertime there is notas much risk overnight for
people with the heat becausethings cool down.
(19:55):
So am I saying that it's notuncomfortable?
Am I not saying that it's notunsafe?
I'm not saying that.
It's just completely differentwhen we look at life or death
overnight in the winter versuslife or death overnight in the
summertime, because there's notrelief that comes in the
wintertime.
So that is one of the reasonswhy TRM has not chosen to try to
(20:19):
bring all the troops togetherand to do cooling centers.
The other pieces we do have andit's not like that in the
wintertime, especially overnight, when the extremities are so
worse During the day.
There are places that ourunsheltered neighbors can be in
and out, as long as they are, ofcourse, not misbehaving or, you
(20:40):
know, criminal activity.
So that provides a relief.
We do have our communitycenters around town that open,
that allow people to be in andout.
We have the mobile accesspartnership that happens on
Tuesday, thursday.
That provides people relief inthe wintertime, like I said,
when we're concerned aboutparticularly overnights, and
(21:01):
we're concerned even in thedaytime.
A lot of times stuff shuts downand there is literally no
options, which is why I thinkthere's also some confusion.
I had somebody tell me not toolong ago well, wasn't the idea
for warming centers TRM?
So shouldn't TRM do all of this?
And I just want to take aminute to remind you, you got to
(21:23):
do it.
So I just want to go there realquick and then we can get back
on heat, cause I really I kindof want to set everybody um with
a real straight understandingof what happened at that time.
Uh, when, when we were facingthis um, that was because we
were facing a polar vortex thefirst time since 1989, I believe
and the city of Topeka actuallycame to you, me and Bill
(21:47):
Persinger, because of Vallejo'soutreach, asking what are we
going to do?
Because historically there'snothing in place and the city
was hearing From othermunicipalities that were saying,
hey, this is not going to begood and we could have a high
death toll with this.
So you know, vallejo hadn'tdone one, we hadn't done one,
(22:10):
but the Lord had laid on myheart nine months prior to that
to research warming centers andI had presented that to you and
Miriam a couple of times.
Y'all gave feedback again, notyou guys were experts on warming
centers.
But you looked at what I had andwe had something ready to go
should that happen, and so thatwas really an effort from city
(22:32):
of Topeka, us, vallejo andeverybody just saying we have no
option or we're going to havepeople dying Well, it wasn't
just like you got to create thisthing, that you weren't already
doing something, because Topekarescue mission was already
sheltering maybe 250 people atthe time.
Speaker 2 (22:46):
There was no room in the inn, correct, so it wasn't
like there was a lot ofavailable other places.
I remember that first winterPolar Vortex was in the
warehouse area with mattresseson the floor, and then some
other people joined in on that.
So it wasn't like what peoplenormally find in a shelter.
(23:07):
It was very triage.
Speaker 4 (23:09):
Correct and I couldn't pause any of TRM's
operations.
If you think about it, weneeded street reach for
transportation, plus therelationships letting people
know we really want you indriving the ATV to get them.
We had the shelter still going,we had the distribution still
needing to be doing, fooddistribution and all of that.
(23:29):
So move forward.
Two or three years now thathave passed.
It's one of those things youknow better, you do better and
we know better now and we'redoing better Now.
With that being said, thereason why it still seems so
primarily TRM is because we'rethe ones consistently doing it
At any time.
(23:49):
We welcome, we plead, we begright People to get involved in
that, because this is notsomething we we don't operate in
, being territorial, we don't.
We did this because the citycame to us concerned about this,
constituents that areunsheltered neighbors and we saw
value in that and we willcontinue to do that as much as
(24:12):
we can.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
So you have a group of different individuals in the
community that came togetheragain last year to plan last
year's, and you'll be rampingthat up again here pretty soon,
even though it's hot.
Speaker 4 (24:23):
Correct.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Because it takes time to plan these.
Because it's not just like, hey, you just come in and here's a
blanket and go rest up.
It takes a lot of differentmoving parts, it takes the food,
it takes a place to go to therestroom.
Remember that first yearOutdoor porta potties that you
could not keep thawed.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
We talked about trauma earlier.
Speaker 4 (24:47):
That is a trauma response.
That was a whole new meaning tostirring the pot.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
No kidding, or at least chopping the pot, that's
right, oh my gosh.
And.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
Barry, you mentioned you know that talking about the
warming centers like that,that's going to be starting up.
We've already had two internalmeetings on warming centers,
which is kind of ironic.
Yes, it's really ironic to be.
You know, it's in the 90soutside and we're talking about
well, how do we keep people fromgetting frostbite as they're
walking to us or as they're?
Speaker 2 (25:18):
coming Major efforts of reaching people, which is a
little more complicated todaybecause we have camps that are
not clearly identified anymorewhere people reside because of
different ordinances.
So reaching them, getting themout of harm's way safely and
then keeping them safe whilethey're in the shelter and being
ready for it to do whateverit's going to do, whenever it's
(25:40):
going to do it, because there isno oh, we're going to decide.
This is going to be January15th, right?
Yeah, don't do it that way.
So you have to be ready to puta lot of things on pause as much
as you can and be ready to thenjump into high gear to save
people's lives.
Yes, bottom line.
Speaker 4 (25:56):
And that's what we have.
So our initial survey will goout by the end of this week.
That goes to the heavy lifters,is what I call them, the
primary partners that arehelping us just to assess are
you going to be able to beinvolved in warming centers?
Again it asks in what capacity?
Are you willing to help staffwith your staff or your
(26:18):
volunteers?
Are you willing to be a warmingcenter site?
Are you willing to help providefood for some of it, which
offsets TRM's costs?
So all of that's coming outthis week, which is still July,
but then we do that.
From that Then comes these kindof partner meetings on that
survey as well.
It is who is not at the table.
That should be so.
(26:39):
New people will be hearing fromme.
New people heard from me lastyear.
That should be so new peoplewill be hearing from me.
New people heard from me lastyear and so that comes.
And then we have some communitypartner meetings that really
the kickoff for these is tied tothe debrief and the wrap up
that we did this spring.
And so we take feedback that wegot I believe we had that
(27:00):
meeting in April and and we takethat information that we get
and then we update our manuals,we update all of that and then
that's how we say this yearhere's what these are going to
look like.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
A lot of moving parts and it takes a lot of people to
get those moving parts andcommunications that are ongoing,
not just before but during theextreme weather events.
In regards to technology, 24-7people are communicating about
how they are taking care ofpeople at one side.
Or do you have any resourcesfor this side?
Or in the volunteer capacity, apiece of this.
(27:33):
It's a big deal, but at the endof the day, there are many
people who might not make it ifit wasn't for that, and they
make it.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Oh, we know that there are lives saved for a
variety of reasons from theweather, or the weather being
the motivation that helps peoplesee that they want a different
life.
Speaker 2 (27:52):
So we have a back to heat because it is it is hot out
there.
We're in July, and so I want totalk a little bit more about
that.
What does Topeka RescueMissions role at this point in
regards to outreach and whatyour teams are doing, your team
is doing outside?
Speaker 4 (28:09):
So first I want to touch on something that I think
can be overlooked when we startthinking about the heat, because
we go straight to unshelteredneighbors, which we should.
But the other piece is shelters.
Are also shelter staff equipped?
Because sometimes we havepeople in really rough shape
show up at the doors and eithertrying to access shelter or
(28:36):
still not ready to take thatnext step.
But they also are scared ofbeing out there by themselves.
And so I love the teamwork ofTRM and I am so proud of the
departments and how they worktogether.
So last week there was a biggroup thread between several of
us leaders on hey, here's whatwe're going to be doing for
(28:59):
outreach efforts with theunsheltered.
But then shelters chimed in andsaid but how can we help?
Because we need to be moreequipped with some of those same
resources when outreach teamsare not out or it's nighttime or
someone comes into the shelter.
So literally within minutes ourdistribution services kicked in
(29:20):
.
They had an accurate count andinventory of different types of
electrolyte based drinks, likePropel, and the packets and the
types of popsicles.
We had all of those kinds ofthings, and then knew exactly
how many cases to bring over sothat the shelters were able to
(29:41):
hand those out in case somebodydid access us and that we would
have proper things to try tokeep people hydrated while we're
waiting on AMR which that'salready happened, where we've
had somebody with heatexhaustion or while they're just
still trying to figure out whattheir next steps are.
So we're passing out thoseitems from shelter on top of
(30:01):
what shelter.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Front desk staff are navigating, somebody might be
brought in, or just walk in.
Who is dehydrated, who is in amedical crisis?
when they come in.
So I think, lamanda, what thatspeaks to is that the team
whether they're in shelter oroutside of shelter, working
together has to know how to makesome evaluations very quickly
and know when to call for help.
In regards to AMR firedepartment different folks that
(30:26):
will come in to do some thingsand be able to then maybe be on
site, whether it's in shelter oron the streets, to be able to
help that person and stay withthem until that proper help
comes.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
And I'm going to try to get through this quickly and
where I can talk, where peoplecan hear me, because I feel this
one pretty deep.
But there has been a woman thatwe have known for about two and
a half years now, myselfincluded, and this woman has
(30:59):
been, health wise, in really badshape, probably of someone that
is elderly.
However, this person's age isin the 50s, so this person has
fallen in between every crackour system could create.
Not old enough for this, quote,unquote, not bad enough for
(31:24):
this.
This person had mental illnesschallenges, but yet when people
would talk to the individual,who is female, she's scared and
so she didn't want to just bediscarded like she felt, like
she had, and so then we weretold multiple times by multiple
(31:47):
agencies there's nothing we cando, either because of her age,
because she was still able,bodied somewhat and all of these
things.
And so Rachel Fliniken, hopeCenter director, has been
involved with this individual Imean probably for the full two
(32:09):
and a half years, and we havetaken this individual into the
shelter when really we probablyshouldn't have.
This individual could not takecare of herself at all Because
TRM is not a nursing carefacility and we're talking, um,
no control over bowel movements,no control over urination, um,
(32:33):
and the level of um compassionour guests had to have, that are
sharing spaces and anyways,there's been a lot to navigate
and there's been a lot of peoplethat have helped this
individual and I'm so thankfuland if we had time I would go on
.
But Rachel has really been theperson that just hasn't left and
(32:56):
even when this individual wasnot a guest, rachel just did not
leave this person.
Not a guest, rachel just didnot leave this person.
So I teamed up with some peopleat the hospital, a couple of
other agencies Another agencygave us relief and housed her
(33:19):
for a few, I think maybe twoweeks and we finally got her in
a facility where she is takencare of and just huge movements,
huge movements.
I say that because one of thethings that I know has continued
to motivate myself and Racheland some other people on the
(33:41):
team is she will not make itthrough this summer and we knew
that.
Now, none of us I know thespiritual side, we don't know
God's timing.
We could all go at any time, Iknow that.
But practically, looking atthis individual and her health
and seeing the deterioration,particularly over the last 12
months.
(34:01):
I know that was something thatwas determined it was.
We cannot lose her Like she'sstill a person.
Rachel spent on differentoccasions, one of them eight
hours with her at the hospitalbecause she knew the individual
would be scared by herself andwouldn't comply or would leave.
(34:24):
Or she was worried too thatmaybe not everybody would view
her the way that we see sheshould be viewed, and so for
about three days it was intense.
Right, rachel's texting me fromthe hospital, she's giving me
updates, she's nervous.
Oh, it doesn't look like thisis going to work out, oh no.
And then I would pray a coupleof times.
(34:46):
I was at events and I wouldjust be like God, please don't
let this fall through.
And anyways, because of someincredible partnerships, because
of um donors supplying theamount of clothes that
individual went through until wecould medically get her handled
(35:06):
was just outrageous, honestly.
But because of donors supplyingthe clothes, we could continue
to meet those needs.
But it finally all got throughand I am so thankful for people
like Rachel who is juggling,being on call for the shelter,
(35:27):
handling all of those issues andall that, but yet being
determined.
We have got to get a solutionand we have got to get a
solution by summertime or we areliterally going to see someone
die and it's stuff like thatthat I'm not sure I articulate
good enough because we're justalways fast paced and we have so
much going on.
But Rachel's doing those thingsin the months of April and May
(35:50):
and June, not including what weall did in November of last year
and December of last year inthe warming center.
Every single day every singleday so.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
I'm just thankful.
So where are we at with thislady now?
Speaker 4 (36:03):
She um is.
I haven't gotten an update inabout a week and a half but um
was admitted into a facility, isgetting medical assistance.
Um is now in compliance withsome other um aid and stuff that
she's going to get and I'mwaiting on when I can visit I
don't think a lot of peoplerealize how complicated the
(36:25):
system is, um can be.
Speaker 2 (36:27):
I mean, it meets a lot of needs for a lot of people
and we say the system that'svery generic.
But there are people that justdon't fit in the system well and
um Topeka rescue mission andour streets are, um are
populated with a lot of peoplethat don't fit the system well,
and it's not their fault, it is.
We haven't figured out the waysthat we can create different
(36:52):
systems or incorporate thosefolks into the systems that fit
for them, because we havefunding regulations, we have
policies, we have communicationchallenges, we have protections
for civil liberties and thosekind of things in regards to
mental health.
So it's very, very complicated.
(37:12):
And if it wasn't for placeslike Topeka Rescue Mission, if
it wasn't for outreach, if itwasn't for mobile access
partnership, if it wasn't forthose things, we would have
suffering that we can't evencalculate right now.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
And you know what I just keep thinking about.
So this person that LaManda wastalking about had advocates to
try to navigate a system.
Can you imagine those folksthat haven't connected yet with
an advocate right when they'retrying to navigate all of this
the best they can, it can'thappen, and then it's why the
(37:48):
people end up.
So you know, the thing that wenever know is how many of the
folks that we serve or that arestill out on the streets have
tried to get through some ofthose systems.
And then because they can't wellnow, they end up on the street,
they end up at the TopekaRescue Mission, they end up in
all these different placesbecause systems are so
(38:09):
complicated and not logical inso many ways that they end up in
a negative situation because ofthe systems that we are
challenged to navigate with them.
Speaker 2 (38:24):
I think that you know and this is brings up something
, miriam, I think, for we needto devote a whole podcast to
advocates yes.
And the value of people who areadvocating for other people and
who are caring for them.
Just like LaMandie mentioned,rachel spending all that time
with her at the hospital been inthose situations before it
(38:47):
kills your whole schedule, butyou can't leave that person
because, if you do, they'regoing to end up right back where
they were, or worse.
And so we need more peoplehelping people.
Yes, helping with the clothes,helping with the funding,
helping with the food, helpingwith giving your life to work at
a place like Topeka RescueMission, but we also need more
people helping people.
And there's the secret sauce.
It really is.
(39:07):
That is.
The secret sauce for success ispeople working with people and
getting to a place where theyunderstand systems.
Speaker 3 (39:14):
And just think about what that personal thing that
Rachel did, which was stay withthis person in the hospital, how
much comfort and healing thatprovided for that person.
Right, because she didn't haveto be scared, because she didn't
have to not know anyone, shecould relate, there was
relationship.
If we've said it once, we'vesaid it a thousand times, we can
(39:37):
never undervalue relationshipor overvalue it.
Rather, we can never overvaluerelationship.
It is, and it's what you'resaying, barry, it's the secret
sauce.
Speaker 2 (39:49):
It really is.
Speaker 3 (39:50):
Relationship is what makes the difference in so many
ways.
Speaker 2 (39:53):
I think it's rocket science when we consider from a
spiritual standpoint, when theOld Testament and Jesus repeated
it, the key here is to love Godand to love your neighbor as
yourself.
And when we do that, not justtalk about it, not just throw a
resource at it and say one anddone, but actually loving our
neighbor and asking God what isit you want me to do for my
(40:16):
neighbor and who is my neighbor?
Speaker 3 (40:18):
I think somebody asked Jesus that one time and to
go after the one.
Speaker 2 (40:21):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (40:21):
Because in this situation, Rachel was serving a
lot, but she went after the one.
Speaker 4 (40:27):
And there were pages of documentation, pages I'm not
sure because I don't have it infront of me, but I did have a
count at AMR calls on thisindividual over a 12 month
period, and so I can onlyimagine what it was like to be
an AMR worker.
(40:50):
And I know that's got to bedifficult and I know sometimes
you're like, oh, is this personcrying wolf, you know?
And what are we doing?
And now what do we do with her?
Because the hospitals are goingto be, you know, understaffed
and overworked and all of that,and so it just impacts all of us
.
But now we've got one that hadI'm not joking sometimes as much
(41:11):
as four to five AMR calls aweek.
And now not only have weeliminated that stressor on
everyone's taxpaying dollars,right and resources, but the
other side is we haven't justkicked a person down the road
Like we have stuck with her sothat she's getting the care she
(41:32):
needs.
I'm not saying I wanteverything depleted from the
community and I don't want ourcommunity to thrive the
community and I don't want ourcommunity to thrive, but a lot
of times, if we work together,we will find a solution that is
dignified for the person andalso equitable for our community
.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
So, through the investment of some people not
giving up on this woman, there'salso been an immediate cost
adjustment in regards to howmany emergency calls that were
out there which she's not ableto pay for.
But still they have to doeverything they're going to do.
It takes keeping those unitsgoing and the staff and all the
protocols and going to thehospitals and so forth.
Somebody gets to pay for that,and it's us.
(42:10):
In one way or another we get topay for that, and so we reduce
cost when we do it right, and sothat's what we're trying to
communicate now is what is itcosting us to do it the way
we're doing it versus what wecould do, maybe better?
Speaker 4 (42:22):
and the connection I want to make to that is um, I
want to go back to how you weretalking about the relationship
piece.
Um, some people will hear thisand think, oh, that's a success
story.
What I get frustrated with isif you would have seen us seven
months ago.
People that give accolades tothis part of the story sometimes
(42:48):
are the people that are sayingsome very mean things.
If you would have seen this sixmonths in people look at her as
dirty.
People look at her as she'sdefecating on sidewalks.
People look at the trash thatshe was trying to carry but was
unstable and would fall with it.
This can't be a quick fix.
We're talking this oneindividual, two and a half years
(43:10):
of working diligently with her,and so, you know, this week and
next week we're going to begoing out with bags of fruit and
hydration drinks, which we cantalk about in a minute.
Some people look at that as arewe enabling people.
Some people are looking at thatas that's, you know, a waste of
(43:30):
resources.
I'm telling you that that bag offruit could sometimes lead to
that person trusting us as we'resitting with them in the
hospital for eight hours.
And so some of these effortsthat we've pivoted to for this
extreme heat is to, in themoment, look people in their
(43:51):
eyes, tell them that they'reloved, tell them we thought
about them, tell them peopleprayed about them as they were
cutting up cantaloupe andwatermelon and getting the
packets ready and making thecooling cloths.
And sometimes we leave thoseresources and we don't know what
it's going to lead to, right,we don't know how it's going to
help besides that moment.
(44:12):
But what I can tell you is timeand time again, that fruit bag,
that cooling cloth, thathydration drink leads into
someone, even if it's for thatmoment, or days after, or weeks
after, or years after thentrusting us or other agencies
whatever the that we do that aretied to food and drink, because
(44:32):
food and drink do not justnourish people physically, it's
a way that it also nourishestheir hearts and sometimes their
(44:55):
mind to realize, man, these arepeople that really do care, or
I can trust them.
And then they start telling usmore.
That's how we're able to startsolving more problems together,
and then we see transformation.
Speaker 2 (45:08):
So it takes a lot of different moving parts to this,
and the more a person is damagedemotionally, psychologically,
mentally, whatever physicallythe more it's going to take to
reach that person, to help themto get where they need to be, if
we even can do that.
But it's so easy when all wesee is the ramifications or the
(45:28):
outcomes of neglect and medicalissues, mental health issues,
and we look at that person andwe don't understand it, we're
afraid of it, so we judge it andwe then blame it.
And so we blame it, because ifI can't blame that, I may have
to blame somebody else.
Speaker 3 (45:44):
Right.
Speaker 2 (45:45):
And I don't want to blame me Right, and so it's not
everybody's fault for what'shappened in society.
It's just all of ourresponsibility to try to come
together to see what we can doabout it of other agencies and
incredible supporters andindividuals who help kids with a
backpack or help our neighborsto be able to get into a warming
(46:07):
center in the winter, orbringing them basic supplies
that they need right where theyare.
So before we close today, letme talk about some of the
practical things that'shappening in regards to you
mentioned things that arehydration and those kinds of
things.
What do we need at TopekaRescue Mission to be able to put
(46:27):
in the hands of people inshelter when somebody walks in
or maybe in the streets?
Speaker 4 (46:32):
Well, we need people and resources.
Speaker 2 (46:35):
What kind of people, what kind of resources?
Speaker 4 (46:37):
Yes, the people that we need is to help us cut up
fruit primarily.
You know you wouldn't thinkit's a lot until you get three,
four, five watermelons in thereand you're trying to cut them up
into cubes.
So if you're a fruit cutter, ifyou're a fruit cutter, upper or
if you just want to take it uponyourself to cut up your own
(46:57):
fruit right and bring to us that, that's helpful too.
But it really is the peopleaspect.
Um, you know this uh heat wave?
Um, the fruit and stuff weretaken care of um by a lot of
staff members at the children'spalace who paused what they were
doing to be able to um, cutthese up.
I know it sounds silly, butagain, there's a system for this
(47:20):
.
We cannot do watermelon just offthe rind, because, one, what
are you going to put it in sothat we are keeping it cool
while the outreach teams are out?
Secondly, we have to take inconsideration a lot of our
unsheltered neighbors do nothave proper dental care, and so
sometimes they might not haveteeths or they don't have good
(47:41):
teeth care.
So we're really particular onwhat fruit we're giving and how
we are dicing it, so that we'recognizant of that Same thing
with the cantaloupes as well,and so we need people to help
with getting those ready.
We need help with, once we havethe fruit cut up, putting it
(48:02):
into the baggies, those kinds ofthings.
As far as what resources do weneed?
Food wise, we need the fruitwatermelon, cantaloupe, grapes,
anything like that.
That is really heavy.
Water-based Honeydew is anotherone, and we're able to put
those all together in mixtures.
Speaker 2 (48:20):
You some vitamins in there and some sugars that
people need in those.
This very practical things.
Speaker 4 (48:24):
Yes, and then the last two big items that we need
are, um kind of more yourhydration drinks.
So, um, we get a.
We need a lot of propel andGatorade and, um, anything that
has the electrolytes.
Um, and that's for two reasonsOne, trying to pump people up
(48:44):
ahead of time with them, butthen also, we're going to be
doing this several times thisweek and next week and, barry,
we don't know what we're goingto find.
We could find somebody alreadythat is dehydrated and they need
a lot of those electrolytes.
Speaker 2 (48:59):
You know, I think that there are listeners right
now who are saying I reallydon't have the time or the
expertise, or I'm not reallysure I'm the right person to go
out in the streets to actuallydo this.
But I go to the grocery store,Correct, and I've just heard
this that maybe I could pick upthe watermelon or the cantaloupe
or some of the Propel or justcases of water, whatever, and I
(49:19):
can get them to the TopekaRescue Mission.
Speaker 4 (49:21):
Or.
Speaker 2 (49:21):
I can send money and designate it to the Topeka
Rescue Mission for that.
There's just so many ways thatpeople can help and not
everybody's going to be on thefront lines like Rachel was and
that you have been and othershave been with this particular
lady and others like her, butthey can certainly be a part of
the team to be able to do this.
And just know that everybody hasgot a unique assignment on this
(49:43):
earth, a unique assignment.
Not everybody can do the samething, and that's a good thing,
because we don't need one thingdone by a whole lot of people.
We've got a lot of things doneby a lot of people to do them,
and so just encourage everybodythat is maybe thinking about the
heat, is thinking about thechallenges that people are
facing, thinking about some ofthe really awesome turnarounds
that have happened in people'slife.
You can be a part of that bybeing a part of the Topeka
(50:06):
Rescue Mission or your church oryour neighborhood or whatever.
There's a lot of people doingstuff out in the neighborhoods
that are helping their neighbors.
That's awesome too, and it'snot like just one organization
can do this, but there is onebig one and it's called the
Topeka rescue mission helping alot of folks we also need um.
Speaker 4 (50:23):
I think that a lot of people don't think of this, and
I've seen some already go onsale, which is crazy.
The other day I was in a storeand there's Halloween stuff out.
I'm like what Um?
But our popsicles, um.
So popsicles, from a logisticalstandpoint of our outreach
teams, they're able to freezethem, break them apart, put them
in coolers and they're veryeasy for distributing them out
(50:45):
and they people are able toenjoy them right then.
But then, even if it melts fast, the taste is still there.
Now there's a lot of cheaperversions, like the flavored ice
and things.
We accept those.
The other thing that we don'toften get but would appreciate
if people can do are thePedialyte popsicles.
So, Pedialyte again is for thesickness of dehydration with
(51:06):
kids.
Speaker 2 (51:06):
Not just for kids, but also for adults.
Speaker 4 (51:08):
But we tried two years ago not last summer, but
the summer before Pedialytepopsicles because I had this
idea.
And then I tell the StreetReach team like, do you think
the grown men are just going tothink we're crazy when we jump
out and we're like you want apopsicle?
And they're like well, boss,lady, we won't know until we try
(51:29):
.
So we did, we had coolers fullof them and um drove all around
town trying to pass outpopsicles and everyone accepted
them.
Speaker 2 (51:33):
Yeah, I'll tell you when you're hot.
Speaker 4 (51:35):
Yep, you do, and we had so.
Then it was last year.
I was like, can we try maybePedialyte, because they have a
little bit more than just thesugar, and so we did that.
But they are more expensive, sowe don't get them as often.
But Popsicles is another thingthat we could be blessed with.
Speaker 2 (51:50):
Topeka Rescue Mission's got some big old
freezers that they can put theirstuff in.
If you bring down a queso orwhatever you're going to be,
it's going to have a place, it'sto dock somewhere and melt.
It's going to get taken care ofbecause you, as supporters of
the Topeka Rescue Mission, havemade it possible by your
donations, by your volunteeringand by your support.
Lamanda, there's still a lot ofsummer left.
We don't know really what theweather's going to do.
(52:11):
We do know there's a lot ofefforts that are occurring every
single day to try to help ourneighbors who are in great need
and hopefully someday there's aturnaround in some of their
lives, which we know we seeevery day at Topeka Rescue
Mission.
And then also, you're going tobe talking about warming centers
pretty soon too, so you alreadyare so people will be hearing
more about that as we go forward.
(52:32):
Well, thank you for listening toour community, our mission.
You've heard a lot of differentsubjects about back to school.
You've heard about some needsfor backpacks about back to
school.
You've heard about some needsfor backpacks.
The day that we start thecommunity distribution here at
Topeca Rescue Mission is August6th, so that's right around the
corner.
So, if you can bring those, youcan also find some other needs
of Topeca Rescue Mission on thewebsite at trmonlineorg, and
(52:55):
maybe you might want tovolunteer, maybe even apply for
a job, maybe just be aware soyou can pray.
Thank you for listening to ourcommunity, our mission.
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