Weekly updates and conversations from Topeka Rescue Mission Ministries!
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June 16, 2026Episode 31647 min
Ep #316- God Runs Toward Us When We Finally Turn Back
In this episode we discuss one of Scripture’s most powerful images of grace, the father who watches in Luke 15, and what it means that he does not simply wait for his son’s return but runs to meet him. Through stories of faith, compassion, and unexpected moments of care, we explore how God calls us to see people beyond labels, beyond assumptions, and beyond their worst decisions. Sometimes the greatest act of love is simply keeping watch for someone a long way off.Send us a Message!
June 2, 2026Episode 31513 min
Ep #315- Standing In The Midst of Falling With Barry Feaker
In this episode we sit down with Barry Feaker to share the remarkable story of how a collapsing shelter in 1989 led to one of the most inspiring community efforts in Topeka Rescue Mission's history. What began as a crisis became a powerful testament to faith, perseverance, and the generosity of thousands of people who came together to make the impossible possible.Send us a Message!
May 26, 2026Episode 31451 min
Ep #314 - Inside the R.E.S.T.O.R.E program with Ashley Davis & Crystal Guerrero
What does it actually take to move someone from homelessness to lasting stability? In this episode, R.E.S.T.O.R.E co-directors Ashley Davis and Crystal Guerrero explain how Topeka Rescue Mission is reshaping homeless services through a relationship-first, trauma-informed approach that focuses on long-term support instead of short-term shelter. They walk through how the R.E.S.T.O.R.E program works, from personalized intake assessments and realistic goal-setting to consistent case management that stays with guests through rehousing and up to 12 months of aftercare.Send us a Message!
May 12, 2026Episode 3131 hr 0 min
Ep #313- Spiritual Wellness and Mental Health with Mike Schoettle
“Just pray more” can feel like an answer… until you’re the one lying awake with anxiety, carrying grief, or absorbing trauma from the people you serve. In this episode we sit with Mike Schoettle, our Director of Spiritual Wellness and Discipleship, to talk plainly about Mental Health Awareness Month and what mental health support really looks like in a faith-based rescue mission setting.Send us a Message!
April 28, 2026Episode 31253 min
Ep#312 - Faith and Public Safety: Meet TPD Chief Chris Vallejo
Safety isn’t just a statistic, it’s about trust, relationships, and whether people truly feel secure in their community.In this episode, Chief Chris Vallejo shares how he’s leading in Topeka with transparency and a strong focus on connection, while working to modernize the department and build trust. The conversation also explores how local partners respond to urgent situations affecting those experiencing homelessness and addresses difficult realities like camping bans and the lack of available options for people in crisis.Send us a Message!
April 21, 2026Episode 31154 min
Ep #311 - Meet Matt Fessman, Director of Main Shelter Operations
In this episode we talk with Matt Fessman, Director of Main Shelter Operations at the Topeka Rescue Mission, about what pulled him from military service, banking and an unexpected layoff into faith based non-profit leadership in Topeka, Kansas. Matt shares the moment he stopped chasing the next paycheck and started chasing what God put in front of him, then how volunteering at TRM helped confirm that calling. We also get real about what shelter operations actually require when you are caring for 250 plus guests every night across the Men's Shelter and the Hope center. Send us a Message!
Barry Feaker talks with La Manda Cunningham and Miriam Krehbiel from the Topeka Rescue Mission about their 2025 annual report and what it reveals about homelessness in Topeka. They break down key numbers, like over 1,200 guests, over 81,000 shelter nights, and more than 600,000 meals served, while exploring the human stories behind them. The conversation highlights longer shelter stays, rising disability rates, and the challenges of supporting families and children with dignity.They also discuss food insecurity, Topeka Rescue Mission's RESTORE rehousing approach, and what it takes to help people move toward stability. The episode wraps with reflections on community support, volunteer impact, and a forward-looking focus on compassion in action.Send us a Message!
March 31, 202656 min
Ep #309 – Purpose-Driven Partnerships: Part 2 w/GiDeanLeigh Ogilvie
We chat with GiDeanLeigh Ogilvie from Phoenix Rescue Mission to explore how partnerships can turn homelessness response into a shared community effort rather than a siloed one. We see that profit and purpose are able to feed into each other and that businesses can do good, while doing well. The conversation highlights how collaboration with local organizations, churches, and businesses builds trust and supports lasting stability. Instead of focusing only on short-term relief, these partnerships help create pathways for sustained recovery, emphasizing that real impact happens when communities work alongside people, not just for them.We then focus on what makes partnerships actually work. GiDeanLeigh breaks down corporate social responsibility and the practical ways nonprofits and businesses can align—through monetary donations, volunteer engagement, sponsorships, and in-kind support. Using the four T's framework: time, talents, treasures, and ties, we outline how any partner can contribute meaningfully. The bigger takeaway is a mindset shift: moving away from competition and toward collaboration, where shared purpose, clear communication, and mutual value create stronger outcomes for everyone involved.To learn more about TRM, Click Here!To support TRM, Click Here! Send us a Message!
March 24, 202657 min
Ep #308 – Rebuilding with Relationships: Astra Mental Health & Recovery
This week we talk with leaders from Astra Mental Health and Recovery about the work they're doing and the strong partnership TRM has with them. Our guests explain why the merger between Valeo and Family Service & Guidance Center to form Astra is more than administrative. It reshapes access to care across the lifespan of individuals. The conversation breaks down what community support really looks like, from peer support and tenant care to traditional case management and benefits access. It also highlights the essential role of building connections with each person we encounter, as well as organizational partners.The thread tying it all together is relationship. We dig into how stigma fades when language becomes person-centered, when we listen to the individual in front of us, and when leaders are willing to be honest about their own struggles, not just someone else’s. If you care about mental health services in Topeka, homelessness response, addiction recovery, and building a community that treats people like neighbors, you’ll come away with a clearer map of what’s working and what's still needed.To learn more about TRM, Click Here!To support TRM, Click Here! Send us a Message!
March 17, 20261 hr 3 min
Ep #307 – How the Compassion Impact Center Streamlines Access to Resources
On this week's episode, we talk with the key players of the new Compassion Impact Center. The Center is a bold step toward replacing a fragmented system with a single location where people can actually get help. Instead of sending individuals and families through a maze of referrals, the Center brings key services together under one roof at the Topeka Rescue Mission's Children's Palace, creating a true front door for those experiencing homelessness or housing instability. By combining efforts like Impact Avenues and Moving Ahead Partnership (MAP), alongside the resources of United Way of Kaw Valley, the goal is simple but powerful: make it easier for people to be seen, known, and connected to the right support without endless searching.Launching April 7, the Center represents more than a new program, it’s a shared commitment from community partners to work differently. Built on insights from a person-centered design process and guided by data-driven strategies, the Compassion Impact Center focuses on trust, coordination, and meeting people where they are. It also reflects the real cost of meaningful change, requiring funding, staff/volunteer time, collaboration, and perseverance through challenges like community resistance. At its core, the Center is about turning compassion into action and creating a clearer, more effective path to stable housing.To learn more about TRM, Click Here!To support TRM, Click Here! Send us a Message!
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