Our Community, Our Mission

In this episode (https://bit.ly/OCOM_EP317), we reflect on insights from the City Gate Network conference, where La Manda Cunningham and Miriam Krehbiel discuss the challenges of serving others and the importance of lasting change rooted in faith, collaboration, and shared purpose. Centered on the theme “All For Love,” the conversation emphasizes that while effective strategies are essential, love remains the driving force behind meaningful and lasting solutions to homelessness. Send us a Mes...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...