PODCAST

Our Community, Our Mission

TRM Ministries

Weekly updates and conversations from Topeka Rescue Mission Ministries!

business non-profit

All Episodes

56:51

Ep #305 – Turning Compassion into Action: Meet Jamie...

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2026/03/03

Jamie Clark of AIM Strategies joins us to share how business, faith, and civic responsibility intersect in practical ways across the community. As controller at AIM Strategies, Jamie has helped shift the conversation from “make it go away” to “what’s really happening and how do we help?” This movement changed how local leaders and storefront owners felt frustration and turned it into coordinated action. We also talk about our big unveiling this week that the Compassion Impact Center wil...

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61:16

Ep #304 – Moving Forward After a Challenging Year

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2026/02/24

After a heavy 2025 marked by physical pain, budget drain, and the strain of warming centers, we chose not to retreat but to advance—grounded in prayer, transparency, and guest-centered care. 2026 has begun with honest reflection and real work: centering every decision on the dignity of our guests, strengthening trust, and building systems that reflect the values we proclaim. We’re embracing authenticity over performance, naming fatigue and doubt while recommitting to show up daily with faith ...

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56:29

Ep #303 – The Power of Prayer, Our 2026 Theme

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2026/02/03

What if the most powerful prayer you said this week was the messy one you almost didn’t pray? This conversation pulls back the curtain on real-life prayer at the Topeka Rescue Mission—on the streets, in shelters, and in quiet moments when words run out. We name the barriers that keep people silent—unworthiness, doubt, and performance—and reframe prayer as relationship, not ritual. From “pray your distractions” to simple, honest prayers, you’ll hear how we bring our whole selves to God and dis...

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50:53

Ep #302 – Building a Downtown That Benefits Everyone:...

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2026/01/27

We’re joined by Jessy Moreno, the Manager of Downtown Topeka, Inc. & River Strategies, who brings a clear-eyed view of what happens when compassion and commerce stop competing and start collaborating. We discuss her ability to connect with others through listening, communication, and above all a kind heart. Her role goes far beyond serving businesses to empowering stakeholders and responding to real people in real time. We also talk about the challenges and successes of the year's first w...

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39:32

Ep #301 – Team Ringgold and the Joy of Serving

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2026/01/20

This week we focus on the people who make so much of the work at TRM possible—volunteers. You’ll hear from Team Ringgold, whose journey from real estate to committed partners shows how serving together builds joy, team unity, and meaningful impact. From manning distributions to supporting warehouse operations, their hands-on service meets neighbors with food, shelter, and dignity, while boosting staff morale and strengthening community connection—proof that impact goes far beyond donations. T...

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58:00

Responding with Dignity: Meet Fire Chief Chad Longstaff

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2026/01/13

We’re celebrating our 300th episode with Topeka Fire Department Chief Chad Longstaff, who brings 36 years of experience, a brief retirement, and a deeply human approach to modern emergency response. The conversation moves beyond firefighting to the rise of EMS, the power of communication over judgment, and how a culture of dignity helps firefighters manage burnout while serving people at their most vulnerable. Chief Longstaff explains how Topeka is connecting fire, police, mental health provi...

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54:25

Ep #299 – Choosing Faith Over Fear in 2025 at TRM

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2026/01/06

We look back on a year of storms and rainbows, where fear pressed hard, but faith proved stronger. From safety concerns, construction, limited access to food, to technology outages, we faced uncertainty on multiple fronts. Our teams navigated trauma in shelters, supported shaken frontline staff, and responded to a SNAP disruption that sent more families searching for groceries—while also managing financial strain, facility repairs, and staffing pressures. In the middle of it all, unlikely pro...

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57:07

Ep #298 – How 'My Why' became 'Why Not': Meet Kelli...

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2025/12/23

Kelli Howerton’s journey, from serving shifts at our warming center to stepping onto the board, frames this conversation. As a MAP volunteer and TRM Board Member, Kelli shares how slowing down, listening well, and setting healthy boundaries reshaped the way she serves. She reflects on patience in prayer, choosing presence over quick fixes, and the slow, faithful work that truly breaks cycles for families and kids through structure, safety, education, and trust. Through a volunteer's lens, we ...

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37:38

Ep #297 – Serving Omaha With Conviction: A...

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2025/12/16

The Christmas season can be a hectic time of year, so we slowed down to listen to a leader who has built a life around loving her neighbors. Candace Gregory, CEO of Open Door Mission in Omaha, shares how a one-year commitment turned into three decades of faith-driven service marked by grit, grace, and surprising joy. She opens the curtain on what it means to “serve everyone, stand firm,” a clear gospel foundation, zero tolerance for violence, honest conversations about sobriety, and a culture...

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37:27

Ep #296 – More Than Presents: Feeling Seen During the...

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2025/12/09

The holidays can feel magical—but not for some choosing between rent and a gift to their child. We pull back the curtain on how our community makes Christmas possible for 1,100 to 1,200 neighbors, puts on shelter parties, and delivers gifts to homes, all while continuing to provide food bags that turn a quiet kitchen into a holiday table. Along the way, we talk candidly about spending money the right way, the impact of possible funding cuts, and the practical steps that keep people housed, fe...

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61:23

Ep #295 – The Power of Transformation: Meet Mark...

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2025/12/02

Winter arrived early, bringing urgent questions about how and when we activate cold-weather exceptions and, in extreme cases, warming centers. We unpack the temperature and wind-chill thresholds that guide each step, our coordination with National Weather Service briefings, and why just opening everything is far more complex than it sounds when you’re feeding hundreds and staffing 24/7. We also focus on Giving Tuesday, known as Transformation Tuesday at TRM, the need for donors, address risin...

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33:21

Ep #294 – Gratitude In Every Season

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2025/11/25

The holidays tend to magnify whatever we’re already carrying—joy, stress, or grief—so we open with light, honest moments before leaning into a deeper question: how do we practice gratitude when life is complicated? Drawing from 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, we explore a three-part rhythm of rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks that turns Thanksgiving from a single day into a durable way of living. TRM Director of Strategic Development Josh Turley talks with Mike Schoettle, Director of Spiritual W...

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42:27

Ep #293 – Holiday Help, Real Needs, Real Hope

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2025/11/18

When costs rise and the holidays draw near, one question always leads the way: who will stand in the gap? As needs increase across our city, the TRM team and our incredible volunteers continue to show up, expanding meals, strengthening distributions, and keeping dignity at the center for families navigating SNAP gaps, new work rules, and rising expenses. In this episode, we walk through our year-end realities, including unexpected building and appliance repairs, added meal services, and the g...

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58:07

Ep #292 – Posture of Curiosity: A Conversation with...

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2025/11/11

What if partnership is the most practical form of love? In this episode, we sit down with GiDeanLeigh Ogilvie, Organizational Partnerships Officer at Phoenix Rescue Mission, to explore how relationships with churches, companies, and foundations turn compassion into real, measurable impact. GiDeanLeigh shares her journey from HR into organizational partnerships, why staying close to frontline teams strengthens honest fundraising, and how initiatives like Code Red—mobilizing the community to de...

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41:41

Ep #291 – A Season of Hope: Faith, Food, and...

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2025/11/04

As the holidays draw near, the Topeka Rescue Mission is facing both celebration and challenge. A critical SNAP suspension has stretched already thin budgets and heightened the need for food, faith, and community support. In this episode, we unpack how a partial return of benefits is impacting families across Topeka and how partners like United Way, Harvesters, and local pantries are working hand in hand with TRM to keep meals moving and hope within reach. Even amid uncertainty, the Mission is...

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54:10

Ep #290 – United Community: Preparing for the Season...

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2025/10/28

As our community works to prepare for potential changes to federal benefits and rising costs, local partners are coming together to stay ready and responsive. In this episode, we sit down with Jessica Lehnherr and Brett Martin from United Way of Kaw Valley to talk about how collaboration through efforts like the Tuesday Call helps Shawnee County navigate uncertainty—and how generosity still shines brightest in challenging times. We also look ahead to one of the season’s most meaningful effort...

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46:41

Ep #289 – Stories That Connect: A Conversation with...

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2025/10/21

This week on Our Community, Our Mission, we sit down with Sarah Rieger, Communication Specialist for Citygate Network, for a heartfelt and eye-opening conversation about the power of storytelling and connection. Sarah shares how Citygate’s small but mighty team supports more than 325 gospel-centered ministries across North America—equipping leaders, offering practical tools, and reminding them they’re not alone in the fight against homelessness, addiction, and poverty. With warmth and candor,...

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47:03

Ep #288 – Walking Humbly, Loving Mercy, Acting Justly

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2025/10/14

What if the life God wants from us is simpler—and harder—than our best performances? In this episode, we dive into Micah 6:8 to discover a way of living that trades polished offerings for a posture that changes people: act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God. From ancient Israel’s fracture and looming empires to Jesus’ challenge to religious leaders, we connect the dots between scripture and street-level compassion at the Topeka Rescue Mission. We explore what it means to act ju...

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52:16

Ep #287 – Opening the Mailbag: Facing a Hard Question...

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2025/10/07

A quiet prayer and a reminder about peaceful communication open this heartfelt episode of Our Community, Our Mission, leading into a discussion that moves from Christmas logistics to deeper reflections on grace, safety, and change. We share how the Topeka Rescue Mission is preparing for the holiday season, and why October is the critical time to act. From meal staples and new winter clothing to bed sheets, crockpots, socks, and underwear, we highlight the specific items that make Christmas wa...

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47:24

Ep #286 – One Voice, Many Stories: Night of Praise...

Our Community, Our Mission ·

2025/09/30

Headlines may feel heavy, but hope sounds different when a city sings together. At Night of Praise, hundreds gathered as blended worship teams lifted one voice, prayers filled the room, and powerful testimonies of transformation reminded us why this work matters. With open doors and generous hearts, people responded with food donations, sponsorships, and support that will help meet real needs and extend love in the gap for those experiencing hunger and homelessness. In this episode, we reflec...

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Our Community, Our Mission

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