GOVERNMENT

Coming to mission's rescue

Tim Hrenchir
threnchir@cjonline.com
Barry Feaker, executive director of the Topeka Rescue Mission, hugged Charlotte Amo, a resident and employee of the mission, at a news conference held last week to spotlight the financial crisis it has been facing. Feaker said Monday that things have since been looking up for the mission. [August 2019 file photo/The Capital-Journal]

An outpouring of generosity from the Topeka community has things "looking really good" at the Topeka Rescue Mission, executive director Barry Feaker said Monday.

"We've got a long way to go, but I'm encouraged, and I think this community has once again shown what we're about here," he said.

The mission plans later this week to publicly share information about donations it has received recently, Feaker said.

He said about 2:50 p.m. Monday that the mission so far that day alone had already received contributions totaling $105,000.

"I'm just humbled by what I've seen so far," Feaker said.

The mission on Aug. 5 put out an emergency "clarion call to the community" asking for help addressing significant financial problems it faces.

It reported that since the beginning of 2019 it had experienced an average financial shortfall of about $180,000 a month, amounting to a total debt of more than $1 million, which potentially threatened the mission's existence.

A synergy has since developed among the mission's supporters, Feaker said Monday.

"We are overwhelmed by the response from the community and love seeing all the different types of fundraisers/events going on around the community!" the mission said on its Facebook page.

Shawnee County Commissioners Bob Archer, Bill Riphahn and Kevin Cook said last week they would be willing to provide the mission $100,000 of the roughly $730,000 the county has remaining this year that it budgeted for contingencies.

Archer suggested the commission and the Topeka City Council hold a joint summit Wednesday evening to discuss potentially helping the mission.

But Feaker said Monday he told city and county leaders late last week he would like to see the mission continue the existing arrangement through which it is financed entirely through donations and receives no government money.

Under that setup, he said, people give to the mission "because they want to."

Archer said Monday he was withdrawing his request for the joint meeting.

"Reverend Feaker said that the private sector had overwhelmingly responded to TRM's financial call for help," he said. "He indicated his sincere appreciation for the county commission's concern and commitment, and that it may be needed sometime in the future, but not now."

Feaker said he suggested local government officials expend any money they would have given to the mission in a manner that assist the homeless in other ways, such as providing affordable housing or addressing issues regarding a "tent city" that has been growing near the Kansas River.

Archer also apologized Monday afternoon to Topeka city officials, particularly Mayor Michelle De La Isla, for having said at Monday morning's county commission meeting that city officials didn't respond to the request he made Thursday for the summit.

He said he hadn't realized until later Monday that De La Isla's executive assistant, Trey Brooks, had indeed sent him an email Thursday afternoon.