Philanthropy Today
Philanthropy Today
Manhattan Emergency Shelter on the GMCF Community Hour Show Episode - 291
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We talk with Emily Wagner, executive director of the Manhattan Emergency Shelter, about how a long career in social services turns into leadership and what it really takes to keep a shelter stable. We dig into Bids for Bags, the stress of restrictive grant funding, and the changing faces of homelessness in our community.
• Emily’s 25-year path from volunteer to director
• Bids for Bags event details, auction items, and how donations work
• Why unrestricted funds keep operations steady
• Grant season pressure, increased competition, and shifting requirements
• Grow Green Match Day as a major support and a safety net during delays
• Trends in shelter guests, including unaccompanied youth and seniors on fixed incomes
• The value of nonprofit collaboration and community spirit in Manhattan
Go to our website, www.MESIKansas.org
Sponsor And Segment Setup
SPEAKER_00Philanthropy Today is brought to you by the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation. In this episode, we feature a recently broadcast segment of the GMCF Community Hour, as heard on news radio KMAN. And here we are, back with the GMCF Community Hour. I'm Dave Lewis, and we have Emily Wagner joining us. Emily is with the Manhattan Emergency Shelter, serves as an executive director. And you just told me you've been with the shelter for 25 years now.
SPEAKER_01I have.
SPEAKER_00That's a long time.
SPEAKER_0125 years, more than half of my life.
SPEAKER_00You haven't aged a bit. Have you?
SPEAKER_01Yes, I have.
SPEAKER_00Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_01How'd you start out there? Um, you know, I started in college.
SPEAKER_00Did you?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I had to volunteer for a social work class. I came to school to be a lawyer. Don't know what happened there.
SPEAKER_00Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_01And then I had to volunteer for a class. And they had a position open, and I've just stayed. So I've been everything from administrative assistant to the client service director to so I did all the social work, case management, and now I'm director.
SPEAKER_00Must have made quite an impression upon you when you uh first started to want to stick with it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I, you know, you do social services because you have a calling and you want to do it. Was there any really don't do it for the money.
SPEAKER_00Was there any background story in your life uh that kind of led you to the emergency shelter?
SPEAKER_01You know, I always tell people I am so my dad is a judge, was a judge. He's a retired judge. My father's side was all law enforcement and and judges and and attorneys. And my mom um was more uh her family is more like alternative health chiropractors and that kind of stuff. And so my dad is a judge and my mom is a hippie, and then you got me. So um, and I probably run the shelter a lot like that too. Who are you more like? You know, um, as I get older, I'm probably more like my mom.
SPEAKER_00Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_01Honestly, and um getting ready to have no kids at home and be retired and be a little freer. Um, but on I probably run things and and act more like my dad.
SPEAKER_00Okay. All right. Fun blend, huh?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely fun blend of those two. Where'd you come from? Um Burlington. Okay. Burlington, so south of Topeka.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Grew up all my life in Coffee County and then I see that caboose every time I go through there.
SPEAKER_00It's always what uh makes me remind me of uh Burlington.
SPEAKER_01Right there on Highway 75. Yep.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Well, let's talk about the shelter because you've got um your your signature event coming up here, and that is Bag uh Bids for Bags.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00Tell us about this.
SPEAKER_01Formerly known as Bag Lady, and I will probably say that a few times while I'm in here, but yes, it is it's the 22nd annual Bids for Bags event. Um, you know, this is this event, the last couple years we've kind of made it into more of a Kentucky Derby event because it always falls on that that weekend. And so we thought that's just fun, helps us know the theme every year. And so hopefully this year will be just as fun as the as the last few years. But it is Friday, May 1st. So coming up quick at St. Thomas More, the Utopia room. And we we start and doors open at 5:30. So you can start your your silent bids at that time. We'll have food available. And then usually about seven o'clock, I would say we uh we start with the live auction.
SPEAKER_00And you have bags that you that you sell.
SPEAKER_01We have bags and we've kind of involved.
SPEAKER_00Kendra is looking at me like, boy, I'm I'm really astute on a Monday.
SPEAKER_01We have bags. We have designer handbags, but we uh we have all kinds of bags. We have golf bags and we have luggage and um totes and and little handbags and clutches. So you never really know. Um we also get a lot of fun experiences and and package deals, and that's one of the fun things is kind of putting putting all those little package deals together and trying to figure out what's gonna sell the best is is one of the hardest things for us.
SPEAKER_00So, you know, talk about the the the selection that's available. You know, you got a wide variety, obviously, from golf bags to clutches and such. Are all of these new? They're um some handmade, crafted.
SPEAKER_01We do get some handmade crafted ones, um, but mainly new. Everything on the auction is new. We may this year have a gently loved table. Um, and then we have our used bags always every year. Um, Jean Paquette and Jackie Good do that for us. And uh up on the stage we'll have some used bags for everyone and in case you don't find a new one that you want to bid on. Um, and usually people walk out with the with a few of the used bags.
SPEAKER_00Something for everybody.
SPEAKER_01Something for everyone. Yep. We even have some min type bags, some briefcases, and um, I think we've got a grill this year. A grill. Um, so maybe I'll come up with some kind of a grilling bag to go with that. I'm not sure. And uh I saw some whiskey glasses and um blocks and and whiskey donated too. So we'll have to come up with something.
SPEAKER_00So there's more than just bags.
SPEAKER_01There's more than bags. We'll we'll kind of pair those with a bag.
SPEAKER_00Okay. So and do people just donate these bags to you?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we ask for them to be donated. We'd love to have businesses donate, um, make it a fun thing, go out and and find a designer bag, something you think that would go well for us, and add your business swag to it and get some advertising out there for your for your business. But we have um some individuals too that have just been to the event for 20 some years, and and so we can always count on them to donate a bag for us.
SPEAKER_00Is there anything in the bag?
Why Unrestricted Funds Matter
SPEAKER_01Um, sometimes. Sometimes there's gift cards, sometimes there's oh scarfs or sunglasses or beach towels or you know, kind of whatever the theme is of the bag. Um, and sometimes the bags are just standalone because they're they're pricey and um and they don't need anything, I guess, to go with it to sell.
SPEAKER_00So how big of a chunk is this of your budget?
SPEAKER_01Well, it's it's big for us. So we'll we'll make about 60, 65,000 off the event. Wow. Um, yeah. And what's important though about that is it's it's funds that I can use for anything. I can use it to plug the holes. It's not designated for a certain activity, and that is what's um what what's hard to come by these days.
SPEAKER_00Aaron Powell, I bet you're fairly restricted because you do get a lot of grant money, and that all has to go to very specific aspects of the work that you do at the emergency shelter. So it's nice to have those funds at your discretion.
SPEAKER_01Yes. Yes. I've tried to be good at just just diversifying our front funds. So we get foundation grants, we have federal grants, we've got um local match grants, and then we run a lot off of donations and contributions. So with grant funding get a little getting a little bit harder these days to acquire these non-restrictive funds are really important to us.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Let's talk about the funds. Um, you know, we talk about grants that come in, and obviously there's a lot of concern, a lot of changes in funds that are coming in to nonprofits. And what kind of trends are you seeing and what are you hoping for and what are you concerned about?
Grant Uncertainty And Budget Stress
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Well That's a mouthful, the right theory. That is a mouthful, but that's all right. We so um, you know, we this is grant season for us. I think I've got four or five grants due by the end of April. So um grants are important for us. They allow us to do some really great activities, but they're getting more and more restrictive. Um, it's harder and harder to apply, and there's more and more people that are that are applying. So it's it's much more competitive. Our federal grants right now are just all changing. And so right now, it looks like for these this upcoming year, the grant contracts look the same. But we know the following year probably all the language in those grants will start changing. We'll have different requirements and reporting requirements. And so I'm interested to see how that kind of all shakes out. But for right now, the you know, the I guess I say scary thing, but the uncertainty of grant writing. So I'm writing grants right now for 26-27 grant year. So I will write a grant right now, and I won't know until the end of May if we're funded for the second half of 2026 for some of these grants. And so that just can be a little bit uneasy feeling. Um, and and it makes it very hard to budget because you can only budget really for half of a year.
SPEAKER_00You don't have a crystal ball to figure those things out there.
Grow Green Match As A Backstop
SPEAKER_01I don't, but you know, we're always a good steward with our our funding, and and we are audited multiple times by grant funders and and have never had any issues. And so usually I can depend on that funding, but as it starts dwindling, we know the award amounts will get less and less.
SPEAKER_00Grow Green Match takes a big day for you.
SPEAKER_01Grow Green Match is huge for us. And you know, in the beginning of Grow Green Match, I don't remember how many years it's even been around, but in the beginning, it was kind of just this fun thing for us to get extra funds and build our endowment. And years and years we did not, um, we didn't touch our grow green match funds. We put it all in the endowment and let it sit, um, which is great. And it's grown our endowment. But interestingly, this last year, we have had to rely on our grow green match. And I was telling Vern, it's kind of probably an interesting perspective from our agency because we did not have grant funds, our federal grant funds from July until February of this year. So July of 2025 until February of this year. And we floated those funds. And so instead of um, you know, taking a bank loan out or or whatever, we were able to borrow from our endowments here and our Grow Green Match funding um played a huge part in that. And so now that I've gotten some of those grant reimbursements, we just got them this last month, then I'll start putting that money back into the endowment. But that that was a scary time for us because we didn't know how long we were going to go without grants. We didn't know if we were gonna get them and and if those contracts were even gonna come out. So luckily they did and it all worked out. But we we had the Grow Green Match funds in that endowment fund to be able to use and and borrow off of, which was huge for us.
SPEAKER_00What do you do in preparation of Grow Green Match Day to share your needs so that uh, you know, to to encourage people to give?
SPEAKER_01Mm-hmm. Well, we probably need to honestly, we need to be better about that and and putting stuff out on our social media and we can all say that. We can all say that. We just get so busy. We don't have tons of staff, and so we all wear lots of hats and and it's oh, who's remembering to post on Facebook and and our social media and things? But we'll do that, we'll put stats out. Um, we're gonna have some um some documents that we send out probably by email this year to our our constant contact list. And I'm hoping we'll be able to do a video. I always like the staff to to come in their green because you never know when um when the staff from GMCF is gonna come by. And so hopefully it's a fun year. And and we are gonna have a table this year, so come by and see me. I think I'll be here for a few hours uh during the day as I'm off the city.
SPEAKER_00You're just coming for the bunt cakes.
SPEAKER_01I am, I know, I know. I've got all these grants to write. So I'm gonna come just for an hour or so, maybe grab a bunt cake and then have my other staff fill in for me. But we're excited to to be here. And and as you heard Stacy say earlier, it is fun. It's a fun atmosphere. It's fun to see the people walk in and they're they're so happy to uh give their money away to us agencies. And I love Grow Green Match because I sit at home and I refresh and refresh, and I'm just waiting to see the number climb and climb and climb. And it's really fun. I probably just geek out on that, but it's fun to watch and and see it grow. And then um, I'll always go to bed and wake up first thing in the morning and and have to refresh again to see where we're at.
SPEAKER_00I think that's one of the fun things about you know, we talk about, you know, this is such a happy occasion. People are coming in and they're excited to be able to give. And the nonprofits are there, you know, just you know, soaking it all in.
SPEAKER_01Soaking it all in, yeah.
SPEAKER_00And it's just uh it it it really is a a joyous event. And and you know, you don't get to say that very often about, you know, whether it be a fundraiser or any other kind of event that a lot of nonprofits are involved in. So we just encourage people to come down. And if you're gonna give, you know, there's all kinds of ways you could do, but it's really worth the experience to come down here and give in person.
Homelessness Trends And Community Support
SPEAKER_01It is. It is, it's fun. So and we appreciate GMCF for for doing this for us.
SPEAKER_00So let's talk a little bit about the business side of uh the emergency shelter and the work that you're doing, uh, some of the trends that you're seeing uh within uh those that stay with you.
SPEAKER_01We're gonna end on a sad note. No, we um we are seeing um some trends that that are troublesome to us. We're seeing a lot of younger folk um 24 and under. So 24 and under are considered unaccompanied youth by our federal statute or standards.
SPEAKER_00What's the cutoff age there? What's up when you say unaccompanied youth?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, unaccompanied youth. So they still consider you a youth if you are 24 years of age or under. Okay. So basically that 18 to 24 range is what we're seeing a lot of. Um, and so that's uh, you know, it gives us a good chance to kind of start with some of these individuals young and get them on the right track. But it's also um, you know, it's tough because these young folk are coming without any um any parental guidance, any real mentors, um, and and really need some direction to kind of get on the right path. So that is a trend we're seeing, and then we're seeing a trend really of a lot of individuals 60 and older. And I think that's just because fixed incomes are they're not cutting it anymore. And so we see a lot of people with their social security um and sometimes disability uh retirement, and it's just not enough to be able to make ends meet here. So um I actually wrote a specific grant to the Warden Brenda Morgan fund for uh rental assistance just for individuals 60 years and older. Because the best thing I can do is hurry and find them a place and get them out of the shelter sooner than later. Um living in a shelter and and being that aging population is uh it's a difficult environment to be in. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And I know there always seems to be some concerns about, you know, what the economy is like and how that applies to a lot of people who are somewhat marginalized.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yeah. And when you think, you know, you only have$40 a week um left for expendable money and the price of groceries and gas and things, everything's going up. And so it's it's harder and harder to make ends meet. And it's getting tougher on the shelter, you know, just like everyone else's household supplies are going up. You think about how quickly we run through things in our large household, um, it's everything is more expensive now.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. What's it make you feel like to be a part of that that world, that sense of community that that helps these people? You know, when you when you take into consideration how many different nonprofits that we have here that are helping some of these people get through some of these challenging times. Does that give you a greater sense of community spirit?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. I think it, you know, really I think I'm lucky and I'm running a social service agency in this community. I do a lot within the state and homeless services, and we have a very unique community. Everyone seems to get along. We all help each other. I get multiple emails a day from from other directors with with questions or thoughts. And um I feel like we're all really good at just sharing information and um and helping each other out. So we're lucky for that. And and you know, to be able to do this kind of work really is um, it has to be a calling because it's tough. Um, most nights I go home and I don't want to see or talk to anyone. I just want to go sit out on my porch and listen to the birds because I'm just exhausted um dealing with people all day. But, you know, to see people get in their own homes and to see people come back and donate to us that we have helped in the past is is awesome. Um, and especially the kiddos that we we provide that stability for.
SPEAKER_00So it's gotta be more rewarding than a career as an attorney.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Maybe not as lucrative, but yes. Yeah.
Website Info And Next Guest
SPEAKER_00Yes. Emily Wagner is her name. How can we find out more about the shelter?
SPEAKER_01You know, go to our website, um Mesi M-E-S-I. And we do say Mesi, not Messi, although we are messy probably a lot, but Mesi M-E-S I, Kansasallspelled Out dot org. Okay. You can also find out about bits for bags benefit on there as well. There's a link that'll take you to the auction website.
SPEAKER_00May one.
SPEAKER_01May one.
SPEAKER_00Good luck with everything. Thank you. Always would like to have you in. And next, Kendra Kuhlman with the Manhattan Arts Center. We're going to recap an event that they had this past weekend. And that sounds like that was a lot of fun. They got some great shows on the way. So that's what our discussion will be uh directed toward next here on the GMCF Community Hour here on News Radio K M A N.