Our Community, Our Mission

TRM Ministries
  • 4.9 (11)
  • NON-PROFIT
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Weekly updates and conversations from Topeka Rescue Mission Ministries!

  1. 5D AGO

    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!

    54 min

  2. APR 14

    Ep# 310- Inside Topeka Rescue Mission’s 2025 Annual Report

    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!

    1h 4m

  3. MAR 31

    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!

    56 min

  4. MAR 24

    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!

    58 min

  5. MAR 17

    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!

    1h 3m

  6. MAR 10

    Ep #306 – Running to Help: Inside Fleet Feet's Partnership with TRM

    A holiday run turned into a ray of hope. We sat down with Fleet Feet’s Michael Fronsoe and Kirstin Williams to discuss how a simple idea—bring a new Thanksgiving 5K to Topeka—grew into a bigger-than-expected event. It boosted Topeka Rescue Mission Ministries' work, raised food donations, and reignited hope during a tough year. What began as a three-month sprint became a blueprint for how local businesses and nonprofits can move with each other, not just for each other. The Topeka Turkey Trot was designed to support and grow the community's running culture while also benefiting the people and programs behind TRM. In the conversation, we trace how Fleet Feet chose to partner with the Rescue Mission and how the event came together so quickly, drawing hundreds of runners and new attention to TRM's work beyond shelter and meals. During one of the organization’s most challenging years, the race became a source of encouragement and visibility. We also discuss what's next: growing the race, expanding food drives and volunteer support, and inviting even more of the community to show up and run for a cause. To learn more about TRM, Click Here! To support TRM, Click Here!  Send us a Message!

    44 min

  7. MAR 3

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

    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 will be housed at the TRM Children's Palace. Then Jamie made a surprise announcement that AIM is stepping up to raise money for the center. From March 3 to March 10, 25% of sales from select burgers at The Pennant (The Pennant Original), Iron Rail (High Rail Burger), and The Weather Room (Weather Room Cheeseburger) will go directly to benefit the center.  Jamie’s perspective shows when business leaders lean in with intention, compassion becomes contagious and outcomes follow. The motto she lives by, "what you allow, you encourage," keeps her from being on the sidelines, stating that non-action is not an option. She sees hospitality as strategy, creating spaces where generosity feels accessible and actionable. To learn more about TRM, Click Here! To support TRM, Click Here!  Send us a Message!

    57 min

  8. FEB 24

    Ep #304 – Moving Forward After a Challenging Year

    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 that has its sleeves rolled up. Longer shelter stays are seen as signs of deeper engagement with guests pursuing recovery, medical care, classes, and housing matches built to last. While within our staff, training, culture-building, and spiritual support ensure our team is equipped in both skill and heart. A major step forward is the launch of the RESTORE Team, merging outreach, guest management, and housing into one relationship-centered model that reduces handoffs and walks with each guest from the street through 12 months of housing stabilization. We’re also looking into upgrades like step-up beds—safer, individual sleeping spaces designed with integrated storage and accessibility in mind—to replace institutional bunks and better serve an aging population with mobility challenges. With clearer systems, stronger support, and a forthcoming announcement to expand how we serve unsheltered neighbors, we invite others to join us—through prayer, volunteering, giving, or even on our board—as we build a safer, kinder path home in 2026. To learn more about TRM, Click Here! To support TRM, Click Here!  Send us a Message!

    1h 1m
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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
11 Ratings

About

Weekly updates and conversations from Topeka Rescue Mission Ministries!

Information

  • Creator
    TRM Ministries
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    311
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Our Community, Our Mission
  • Show Website
    Our Community, Our Mission