A new ongoing campaign has been announced by Barry Feaker and the staff at TRM Ministries. Here is the announcement and details on how the program will work:
We are pleased to announce THREEDOM TOPEKA, a new monthly campaign to give each member of our community a way to get involved in whatever capacity they are able, with the resources they have. Starting January 3rd, 2020, and continuing on the 3rd of every month, we are asking every individual in our community to do three things:
ONE: Pray. On the 3rd day of every month, pray for those of us on the front lines of serving the homeless, the hungry, the victims of trauma and abuse, and those suffering from illness and despair. It’s a daily, hourly, moment-by-moment job that requires great support and grace to keep our staff going. Pray for all those receiving our services, and pray for those suffering in silence, who have not yet found their voice to ask for help.
TWO: Give. On the 3rd day of every month, give something in the amount of three. Whether it’s $3, $30, or $300, it matters! If everyone in the greater Topeka community gave just $3 per month, it would enable us to continue our current operations and greatly expand our services. If 3,000 new donors gave $30 a month, it would create an additional $1 million per year to help ease suffering and bring greater freedom to those we serve.
THREE: Reach. On the 3rd day of every month, make a note to reach out to 3 people that month you don’t know and do something kind. Possibly just a smile, cookies for your new neighbor, paying for the meal at the table or car behind you at the drive through. And don’t forget to reach out to yourself too. Whatever your circumstances, you matter too. You are part of our community. You have value in our community and value to those we serve – and we won’t be as successful without you.
As we enter this brand-new decade, we hope to continue to unite the Topeka community and remind them of the simple power of three: praying together, giving together, reaching together – and the freedom it can create.
Threedom Topeka begins January 3rd 2020. You can follow TRM Ministries on Facebook to stay up to date.
Community response to TRM’s 2019 call for help
Feaker has also responded to the community concerning their response to the call for help made last summer. Due to a 40% decline in donations, the Rescue Mission faced closure, and other programs had to be cut or discontinued. Here is his response:
In August of last year the Topeka Rescue Mission came to our community in critical need: many months of declining donations along with increased ministry services had drained TRM reserve funds to the point of potential program and shelter closure. We found ourselves in need of a strong, compassionate community to keep our doors open.
Thankfully, many of you stepped up. You demonstrated, yet again, that you have our back, and you’re invested in each man, woman and child in need of help and support in our community. You proved Topeka is not a community who turns away in a crisis – it’s a community of people who rally together to help in any way they can. From garage sales to multiple community fundraisers, from social media posts to local businesses spreading awareness, from large donations to those who donated what little they could, within a few months our community had raised enough to allow us to keep our doors open and most of our services intact.
Throughout this experience, the same questions kept coming to the forefront. What’s next? How can we prevent another financial crisis? How can we continue to support our Mission? What can we as individuals do on a regular basis to help provide for the increasing needs in our community?
In the following months the Topeka Rescue Mission team came together with community leaders, donors, and those who needed our services the most. We opened a discussion and received feedback like never before, causing us to focus on the heart of the discussion. What role is the Topeka Rescue Mission supposed to have in our community, going forward?
Over the past months our community has showed us – abundantly – that helping the hungry and homeless is not just about us, or them. It’s not just about the people who need and the people who give. It’s about every individual in a community. From Penny Baker, a young lady who along with her friends made and sold bracelets to support the Mission, to the donors who faithfully give every month without fail, to those who don’t have financial resources but give of their time and prayers – we recognized again that we are all in this together, and we should all feel like we are a vital part of bringing positive solutions when the need arises. This is OUR Community, OUR Mission – and we want to continue to remind you of that.
The message that was laid on our hearts came from Ecclesiastes 4:12 – “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
In the end, the success of the Topeka Rescue Mission, the success of our community, and the success of our homeless guests comes down to three sets of people: those who serve, those who give, and those who receive. And it’s about all of us, together.
For more information, you can contact TRM Ministries and the Topeka Rescue Mission at 785-354-1744 or
trm@trmonline.org.
–Lee Hartman | Metro Voice
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