Jennifer showed up at the Topeka Rescue Mission’s Hope Center late one Friday evening. She was accompanied by her two young sons and was pregnant with her third. More than hopelessness and despair, this young mother was filled with anger. She was appalled at the idea of staying at a homeless shelter and resented the…read the rest

When going through difficult times, we often hear the familiar words – there’s always hope. When we look at the lives of those suffering around us, do we believe it? Is there really hope in the situations that seem impossible? In the lives that seem so lost? For me, it was a man named Johnny…read the rest

I am convinced that no child ever says, “I want to be a drug addict when I grow up,” or “when I get older I hope to fail at everything I do.” Many people like Johnny have had challenges and tragedies in their lives that have contributed to some of the poor decisions that they…read the rest

The first component in our strategic plan for addressing homelessness is to expand Operation Street Reach (OSR). Since January of 2011, OSR has been on the streets, in the woods, along riverbanks and under bridges reaching out to individuals who are unsheltered and homeless. OSR Director, Justyn Hosman, and his team of volunteers have gone…read the rest

Over the course of the next several months, we will be sharing about Operation NET-Reach and the progress in developing a new intake facility, which will provide shelter for approximately 180 additional men, women and children. Because such an endeavor is a huge undertaking, it is tempting to question and wonder how such a vision…read the rest