Our Community, Our Mission

Volunteers are the backbone of the Topeka Rescue Mission, helping provide everything from meals and clothing to critical support for people experiencing homelessness. In today's conversation with Suzie Paslay, Volunteer...

This episode tells the story behind the Compassion Impact Center, featuring guests Barry Feaker, CEO of Compassion Strategies and La Manda Cunningham CEO of Topeka Rescue Mission. It traces how the project grew out of...

Leadership isn’t just about making hard decisions; it’s about staying tender while carrying the weight of serving others. In this episode, La Manda Cunningham CEO of the Topeka Rescue Mission joins us for an honest...

In this episode, we discuss how extreme heat is impacting our community, driving increased demand for food, water, and support at Topeka Rescue Mission. We're joined by Kathy Mosher, CEO of Astra Mental Health and...

This episode explores the growing intersection of mental illness, incarceration, homelessness, and community support. Shawnee County Department of Corrections Director Brian Cole shares the realities facing the local...

In this episode, Scott Bryant, Director of the TRM Distribution Center and Marcus Molinar, Deputy Director of Property and Security Operations discuss the Topeka Rescue Mission's Back to School Drive and why it makes a...

In this episode, Isabell Cronister and Jamie Wiegert from Topeka Rescue Mission's Trauma Education and Development program explore the profound impact of adverse childhood experiences, the lasting effects of trauma on...

<p>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...

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...

<p>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...

<p> 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...

<p>“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...

<p>Safety isn’t just a statistic, it’s about trust, relationships, and whether people truly feel secure in their community.</p><p>In this episode, Chief Chris Vallejo shares how he’s leading in Topeka with transparency...

<p>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...

<p>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...