Our Community, Our Mission

Ep #305 – Turning Compassion into Action: Meet Jamie Clark

• TRM Ministries

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Jamie Clark of AIM Strategies joins us to share how business, faith, and civic responsibility intersect in practical ways across the community. As controller at AIM Strategies, Jamie has helped shift the conversation from “make it go away” to “what’s really happening and how do we help?” This movement changed how local leaders and storefront owners felt frustration and turned it into coordinated action. 

We also talk about our big unveiling this week that the Compassion Impact Center will be housed at the TRM Children's Palace. Then Jamie made a surprise announcement that AIM is stepping up to raise money for the center. From March 3 to March 10, 25% of sales from select burgers at The Pennant (The Pennant Original), Iron Rail (High Rail Burger), and The Weather Room (Weather Room Cheeseburger) will go directly to benefit the center. 

Jamie’s perspective shows when business leaders lean in with intention, compassion becomes contagious and outcomes follow. The motto she lives by, "what you allow, you encourage," keeps her from being on the sidelines, stating that non-action is not an option. She sees hospitality as strategy, creating spaces where generosity feels accessible and actionable.

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Opening Prayer And Welcome

SPEAKER_04

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, um, we are so grateful. We are in awe of your majesty and the blessings and the gifts and the opportunities that you give us each and every day to serve you and to worship you and to recognize that you are the creator of everything. Uh Lord, we are thankful today for the guests that we have. Um we are so very thankful for all of our listeners, whether they listen today or tomorrow or a year from now, Lord, we would just ask that you touch their hearts and help them to hear the message that you need them to hear. Um, guide our conversation today so that it brings glory and honor to you in Jesus' precious name. Amen.

SPEAKER_00

Amen.

Big Reveal: Compassion Impact Center

SPEAKER_03

Hello, everybody. Thank you for joining us for our community, our mission, a podcast of the Topeka Rescue Mission here on March the 3rd of 2026. This is episode number 305. We're on the heels of a very special day yesterday here at the rescue mission, our community. Yes. Good morning, Laman and Miriam. Good morning. Yeah. So what happened yesterday?

SPEAKER_04

Well, lots happened yesterday. Which part, Barry? Yes.

SPEAKER_03

So some kind of historical things for the rescue mission, for the unsheltered, for 444. I'm not going to tell you all about it because I was there too, but I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_06

I'm doing the interview.

SPEAKER_00

Well, we got to announce that TRM will be hosting um what is going to be called the Compassion Impact Center, which is going to be a one-stop shop thanks to uh the incredible work of the Moving Ahead Partnership and Impact Avenues. Um and so we announced that we're the host and we announced that Compassion Strategies will take on the role of operators for that. And um so we're really excited to really see um what all happens for the people we serve when we're removing uh barriers that they they stumble upon um and they face. And so now we'll be uh fully operating by November and having all of the partnerships in place where people can come to one location and um hopefully build a lot of traction to um minimize the challenges that they're facing.

Naming Barriers And Why They Persist

SPEAKER_03

Aaron Powell Yeah, I think you know we we uh we've talked before, but we're gonna talk more about barriers that people face. And and you know, when we're doing life and we get everything like we think it should be, there's still challenges in life. But to people maybe that don't have um place to lay their head at night, I mean that's a common one, or or maybe even identification. They can't prove who they are.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

They can't get a job. They can't get um housing, they can't get a lot of things, and to have a place you could come and maybe help you address that to get that identification, and um and then the list goes on and on and on. We we're beginning to unpack the barriers that people are reflecting to us that they experience. And uh then we wonder why they can't they just get a job? Why can't they just get pull their boots up, uh pull themselves up by their boots of their straps or whatever that's called again? Uh but uh and then we begin to realize, okay, if I was in that situation, I might be really looking for a place that could help me get through that. So it's pretty exciting. A lot of changes that are gonna happen um just with moving different offices around, different programs at the Topeka Rescue Mission. It's a big step of faith for the rescue mission to do this. Compassion strategies, which um I've had the opportunity, along with Miriam, to uh pioneer that um in regards to um uh working with the unsheltered more directly in our community working with this and then Impact Avenue. So a lot more to come on that, but uh people have been waiting sometime for this to happen. Yeah. And here we go. So jump on. Jump on. That's right.

SPEAKER_00

And you jump on the train is leaving the station. That's right, that's right. You know, and I think it I think it's a big deal to also thank everybody that showed up. Um, you know, we had around a hundred people um engaging in a press conference.

SPEAKER_03

Standing room only in that room.

Community Momentum And Volunteers

SPEAKER_00

And um I know that there were a lot of other people, sickness, work schedules, things like that. I've I've heard from several. I wish I could have been there, we're rooting for you, you know, those kinds of things. And um in that room, I just I'm thankful because usually I'm going 90 to nothing and I'm not sure I pause sometimes enough to kind of take things in. But you just saw uh board members of several different boards. You saw community leaders, you saw volunteers, uh, people, uh friends that came just to support. And we also in that room had people uh formlessly homeless, uh, but also people that are currently experiencing homelessness. And um, one of those individuals, and I know I have permission to say her name, but is Mindy, and uh, we've had a relationship with Mindy for years. And at one point, um, I got emotional sitting at the front of the room because she was emotional. And so afterwards, I said, Um, you almost made me cry. She said, Everything makes you cry.

SPEAKER_06

I said, Well, that's true.

County Commission Briefing And Support

SPEAKER_00

And then I said, Um, but I saw that you were were tearing up. Why? And she said, I don't know. It just seems like there's gonna be more help um for people like me who just take longer. Oh yeah. And that spoke to me that she is an incredible human being. She's got struggles. They might be different than mine, but I have struggles as a human being. And to know that because of things like impact avenues, map, and now this compassion impact center, it's a it's a safety net that allows us to, even if somebody falls off or somebody's not ready for the big next step, we're able to keep this relationship in place and love on people, check on people. Um, and and those kinds of things in the gap is then what helps them move ahead at the right timing. And so that whole room, just seeing all of us come together with different backgrounds, um, different experiences, different thoughts, but united in one thing, and that was our love for people. And that was something that I think I'll forever remember.

SPEAKER_04

You know, one of the most powerful parts to me was when uh Barry, I think you asked for the all the people who have volunteered with MAP or TRM raise their hands. Nearly everyone in that room raised their hand. I couldn't get my camera up fast enough um to to take that picture of seeing, you know, yes, all of us as organizations work really hard, really diligently to get this stuff done. But frankly, without the volunteers, without almost uh 99% of the people in that room have volunteered in one way or another to help the people that we um are gonna be serving at the one stop. And so to me, that was a really, really powerful moment. Um, and I wish I would have grabbed it. I didn't.

Guest Intro: Jamie Clark Of AIM Strategies

SPEAKER_00

And new volunteers and long-standing volunteers. And that was one of the reasons why I mentioned that too, because I was looking at it going, I know there's some people that we might not be as familiar with. Yeah. And Barry's known for decades. Yes. And then there's some of the other volunteers that are just getting started in this that are like, man, I wish I would have been doing this for for so long. And you could see that, especially when, you know, we asked them to raise their hands. It's like it connected the compassion that has been there and the work that's been done, that's been great, where we're at now, but also the work's gonna continue and where we're going.

SPEAKER_03

And that's really it's it's been a building system. Uh for those that aren't familiar with the term map, um, it's uh stands for the Moving Ahead Partnership. And it used to be called the Mobile Access Partnership, but we changed it and it started during the pandemic or at the end of the pandemic to take services to the unsheltered out. And it's build built over a period of years of different agencies and lots of volunteers that are actually um uh helping people who aren't in shelter yet, who aren't at the Topeka Rescue Mission yet, or maybe will go straight to housing or whatever. And it's just a people, it's a group of people who just love people immensely. With the goal. The goal is to find a way that someday um homelessness, um chronic homelessness could be rare, brief, and non-reoccurring, which we call putting an end to it. So it doesn't have to be this way if we do this well. And so so it was a good day and more to come and yeah, more um kind of And you all talked to the county commission in the morning.

SPEAKER_04

We did. I I don't think we can underestimate the power that could come from that if they make a choice to support the effort, and not just in words, but in actions and investment. Exactly. Um and they were all three commissioners, uh Cook and Ripon and Mays were all so very attentive to what you all were saying. And I that is worth noting.

SPEAKER_03

I think you're right.

SPEAKER_04

Because maybe maybe this is the turn that it will take for people to say, people in policy and government positions to say, okay, we have a role here and we need to step up and do more than just um kind of the um more punitive side of things, but also be on the restoration side of things. Um and I thought you all, obviously, you all and Brett and Carey did a really great job, uh, but I felt that the commissioners were just paying attention. Yes.

SPEAKER_03

Well uh one thing that's noted too is that we didn't ask to be heard. They asked us to come. Right. And I think that's a big, big difference there as uh Commissioner uh Ripon had said, can you come and help us to understand some things? Exactly. Which we gave them a lot of stuff.

SPEAKER_06

Yes, you did. Yes, yes, you did.

SPEAKER_03

A lot of stuff. Well, hey, we want to get to our what's special about March the third uh stuff. The research and development departments down here going, Are you gonna forget me? No, we're not, Alec. We're you know, we know you worked hard on this. But you know, a lot of times what we do is we do this and we we don't introduce our guest, and our guests can participate in this as well because I've kind of gotten to know her a little bit here in the last you know 10 minutes. She's a pretty smart gal. So we have Jamie Clark here who is uh controller, we're gonna find out find out what that means, with AIM Strategies here in Topeka. And so uh welcome to the podcast, Jamie.

SPEAKER_01

Thank you.

Giving Back: Burger Week Fundraiser

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, so uh we got a little cheat cheat here, and you're not supposed to look at it. It's got the answers on it, but this is for mainly uh Merriman Lamanda to get them thinking because I'm kind of slow in the morning.

SPEAKER_04

This is a gotcha time.

SPEAKER_03

This is a gotcha time because they get me in a lot. So this is by payback. So but anyway, you can join in on this. So um um um to get them, in other words, or you can answer the questions too. So um so this is National 33 Flavors Day. Now, what comes to your mind when you think about 33 flavors?

SPEAKER_00

Ice cream. We well, that's what we eat our feelings in sometimes in ice cream.

SPEAKER_03

Now, Jamie, did you go right to ice cream when we thought 33 flavors?

SPEAKER_01

I have to admit that I cheated a little bit.

SPEAKER_03

You did.

SPEAKER_01

I did my research last night because I figured this was an icebreaker for me.

SPEAKER_03

So you already knew that that's I already know.

SPEAKER_01

Like uh you're the next couple on the phone. She knows your games.

SPEAKER_03

Okay. I was uh getting to know you in the whole 10 minutes that we did before we started this. Um I thought you might have gone to um a different kind of treat, which would be hostess.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. Because you used to be an executive and hostess, right? So I was. Do they have 33 flavors too?

SPEAKER_01

Uh they may very well have.

SPEAKER_03

Okay. All right.

SPEAKER_01

So walk to the grocery store. There's lots of limited time offers.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. So anyway, um where did ice cream originate from?

SPEAKER_04

I don't know. Um a dairy farm?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, probably. It was a different country, though. China. China, yeah. Oh, that's it.

SPEAKER_04

No, I did not tell I read this. I cheated, too.

Business And Hospitality As Civic Duty

SPEAKER_03

So um Yeah, in uh about 1271. So anyway, I didn't know they had freezers back then. But anyway, um, so there's over a thousand flavors of ice cream, but baskin robins capitalize on we're gonna do 33 at a time. So anyway, okay, there's good. All right. What's a what's a uh uh uh a common phrase that has been around for a long time? When you something good has happened to you and you want to do something good for somebody, you do uh well pass it forward. Uh-huh. Or pay it forward.

SPEAKER_04

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_03

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_04

Okay, pay pass. Give me a break, Mary.

SPEAKER_03

Um I'm about the pass thing. Okay, it's a pass it, but pay it forward means you've got to invest in it. You don't just throw it at Miriam. You've got to invest in it. Okay.

SPEAKER_04

Well, I'm sharing my ice cream with you.

SPEAKER_03

Well, do you know what today is National Soup It Forward Day? Soup It Forward Day. Soup It Forward. I did not wake up this morning knowing that. So, you definitely, because you were doing the research. That's right. So help us understand what is soup it forward, maybe?

SPEAKER_01

Um well, it's just about the sharing of soup and making people uh what does soup do, right? It makes you warm and comfortable and um it's one of those cozy moments. Yes. Um and I thought, oh, this would be a great way to create some other partnership, right? Some other and then I looked into our our soup sales, and we're coming off of chili season right now, thanks to the weather. Um, because I was gonna say, hey, let's do a give back for chili with you guys. Oh yes. Um and so last night at 11 o'clock, we decided that um soup probably wasn't it, even though it's soup day, that um one thing that we do have a lot of are burgers. Um I like burger forward day. I'm good with that too.

SPEAKER_03

I am really good with it. Especially the burger place that you're gonna be talking about.

unknown

Exactly.

From Complaints To Compassion Downtown

SPEAKER_01

So what I I'm happy to say is that um starting tomorrow, because I think this is released tomorrow, right?

unknown

Today.

SPEAKER_01

Today, today's okay. Um for a week. Uh any of our top burgers at our three restaurants, we're gonna give 25% back to the Compassion International. Yeah. Or Impact, Compassion Impact Center. Oh, yeah. That's huge.

SPEAKER_03

That's huge. We want to find out more about that. Um That's awesome. Put a pen in that one because we wanna we want to hear what we're doing.

SPEAKER_01

I was gonna be excited about soup.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. Okay. Well, hey, we're excited about burgers.

SPEAKER_03

Hey, you know, we can still do the soupy thing today because if you're in Topeka right now on this particular day, it's a little soupy out there right now. A little chilly, but yeah. But uh anyway, oh one more, and then we want to get on to uh Jamie. And uh but it's uh national. I wanna I want to be happy day. I want to be happy day. I want you to be happy. No, I want to be happy.

SPEAKER_01

Well, we want you to be happy.

SPEAKER_03

So you caught that really good, you all. See now that's that soup it forward thing.

SPEAKER_04

Well you know, it it says a lot about us, though we are always concerned about others. Oh no, thank you. Yes, well, I'm concerned about me. We are very concerned about you.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, good. Well, uh can you make me happy today?

SPEAKER_00

Uh I Barry, I want you to be happy.

SPEAKER_03

Why?

SPEAKER_00

Uh it's my life's easier with the Do we need a day for that?

SPEAKER_01

Uh no, we don't, actually. It should be like every day, right? As Christians, it should just be that's right.

SPEAKER_03

We should want to make other people happy. What is the definition of happy? Uh oh.

SPEAKER_04

Well, it could be so many things. You're happy as an emotion. You're joyful.

SPEAKER_03

You're Why should I want to make somebody else happy? You know, you serve them, you feed them, you you know, do special events for, you know, places like the Compassion Impact Center, those kind of things. Why do we what's the value of making people happy?

SPEAKER_01

You never know. Right? I mean the one happy situation or the one circumstance could turn somebody's entire day or week or month completely around.

SPEAKER_04

It makes them see a possibility of something different. Yes. If you're sad, you're you may feel hopeless, you may feel discouraged, you may feel frustrated. When you're happy, you can view the world a little bit different and see different kinds of possibilities.

SPEAKER_01

And if somebody goes intentionally to try to make you feel that way, right? Yes. And make others feel happy, then you you're seen. Yes. Yes. Exactly.

SPEAKER_03

So we talk about a lot of very important things that are very difficult things on this podcast. Um what Topeka Rescue Mission does, what all the other agencies we've talked about do, are working in some very challenging, kind of sad situations in people's lives. You talk about Mindy, and we can mention her name. She's just a sweetheart, sitting up there close to the front row, or maybe on the front row yesterday. Um she's had a lot of hard things in her life. Yeah. She told me last week as she followed me out of the map where we are stationed in Salvation Army right now. She said, Barry, Barry. And uh I was kind of hurried to go somewhere, but you know, I'm getting too hurry now. And she said, Thank you. I said, For what? She said, You guys are my family.

SPEAKER_02

Uh-huh. Oh.

SPEAKER_03

And um, so did you know that she's getting housing probably in the next 30 days? Yes. And yesterday I said to her, I said, You know what you're required to do if you get housing. Uh-huh. She goes, What? I said, Come on, think. Uh-huh. Think. Oh, yeah, I gotta invite Lamanda over for dinner.

SPEAKER_00

That's exactly right. She um, yeah, we were talking about it yesterday, and she said, We're close to you telling me what you want. And I said, Yep, I'm making my menu now. So we've talked about that for several years, that I just believed in her and she was gonna get her own place, and then she owed me dinner for everything I had done.

SPEAKER_03

Well, and then she asked me for a paid job yesterday, too. So but anyway.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

But that it's it's it's serious. Um Jamie and I were talking earlier about life is messy. Yeah. And uh if we can have a little happiness in the mess, it makes a huge difference.

Partnership In Action: Downtown Case Study

SPEAKER_00

So I think, you know, Barry, I think it's important to say too, just real briefly, it's um happiness isn't just important for those we serve. It's also that we care about each other who are doing the serving. You know, um, you know, we mentioned that yesterday in the press conference that yes, this is serious business. But we also hoped people left that press conference excited and joyful and they did anticipatory, yeah, of what's coming and doing this work, um, even though it is purposeful and beautiful, it also comes with the heaviness. And so I think sometimes we take ourselves too serious because we do understand the seriousness of our roles. But the other side of it is we need to be um caring about each other's happiness, enjoy, um complimenting each other, loving on each other, uh because it's just it's hard work too.

SPEAKER_03

So Yeah. I in my retirement, uh-huh. Um I'm studying to be a stand-up comedian. Uh-huh. So it ain't working very well. But you know, just because I want to be happy. But other people are happy too. But anyway, we need a little humor. Yes. Now then we do. Okay, we want to talk to about our guest here before I just start interviewing her, interrogating her, we call it sometimes. Uh-huh. But um why Jamie? Uh-huh. Uh Lamanda, Merriam, you are working in downtown um on the um DTI board. Okay. And Lamanda, you've been very engaged with the downtown. We're talking about downtown Southside downtown. We have the no-toe downtown too, which you both are very involved in. And so uh you've gotten to know this lady by the name of Jamie. And so why did you think it would be a good idea to invite her to our podcast today?

Relationship Capital And Rapid Response

SPEAKER_00

We would be crazy not to. Um Jamie, you know, sometimes I think there is this myth out there, and it's not just our community, I think it's kind of everywhere, that if you are compassionate or, you know, loving and kind of in this like social work arena, there's this myth that you also can't be business like or logistical and wise and some other things. And um we're really trying, TRM um for the past couple of years, have really been trying to like share that message of yes, we do things for faith and from heart and compassion, but there's also a lot of logic into um the code of conduct here at TRM and how we strategize things and that we are a bigger part of our community. We don't just do whatever TRM wants to do, we make decisions on what's best for our community. And so um, Jamie, the first time I met her, well, she was coming from um a recommendation with Leslie Hodum, which I love, and so she's amazing. She is amazing. So to me, if you're a friend of Leslie, you're a friend of mine. Um but instantly just connected with Jamie on she not only has the right heart for everyone, the underserved, the business owners, um, volunteers, like she just gets it. But then she's also got the wisdom to be able to make things happen, in my opinion, for all stakeholders. And you just don't you don't get to come across people like that very often. Um and then we did an event together, which we'll talk about. And so as we were looking ahead on the podcast, I said, we need to highlight her because she is so special, um, but we also need to highlight AIM strategies and and what they do and just the partnerships with downtown.

SPEAKER_03

So there's your intro again, Jamie. Thank you for joining us today. Um yeah, I can see just in a little bit of time that we visited Lamanda spot on with this. So, first of all, talk about what is this organization called AIM Strategies, and you are the controller of that massive, large organization, right?

AIM’s “Aim For The Cash” And Family Nights

SPEAKER_01

I am. You know, a lot of people don't know who AIM Strategies is. Um We are private equity, um, family owned, and mostly in downtown Topeka, we have the iron rail. We have Taco, we have the Pennant, we have the Weather Room and the Cyrus Hotel. We um own the Colombian building for some history. Um we're remodeling the mall. Um, you know, there's we're we're kind of got our hands in a lot of areas of Topeka. And I had joined them about a year and a half ago um after leaving corporate America and hostess, and I I have never looked back. You know, um aim is about hospitality, and and I was told that, right? And I didn't come from the restaurant business, and I thought, hospitality, I don't know anything about that. So I started to experience it and I went and read a book, um, Unreasonable Hospitality. And that's when it occurred to me that that's exactly how I was built. Right. It's about giving the cool gift, right? The the meaningful item to somebody, right? And making a very specific problem go away or a situation better. Um and not only do they want that for you know our customers in the community, but our employees as well. You know, they they take care of um the community. And I kind of say our our customers and guests will never have a better experience than our employees, right? Because we want them to be there at the top of their game and not concerned about you know some of the things that happen in life so that they can pass that on, you know, and and that joy, right? You never know when um that'll change somebody's day.

SPEAKER_03

So I think because you've mentioned some of those uh different um business um um adventures within AIM strategies, uh we we are aware, especially when we think about the latest news on uh Westridge Mall. Uh we're talking about Cody Foster and Jen. And uh they're super involved in this community, and a lot of people would say, well, they're business folks and they're growing business, which is good. But it sounds like um from what you're saying, and and and those that maybe not know this, there's a bigger reason here uh versus just being business people there and also advisors excel uh and all that, that there's something bigger, deeper, more at at stake here than just being business folks?

Why Joy Matters In Hard Work

SPEAKER_01

Absolutely. You know, um we are owned by Cody and Jen, and um they are fantastic. They are business owners, but when when I tried to come up with a phrase, right, last night I was sitting there, what am I gonna say tomorrow? And I I this is what I put together as AIM, right, or Cody's organization, um business and community aren't separable. They're they're one and the same. And whether we're doing economic development downtown, hospitality, right, how we interact with our guests, philanthropy, right, things that we can do to help others and the community that um it's our responsibility, right? This it we have a civic responsibility, we have responsibility to to take what God's given us and be able to use that and pay it forward. Yes. And I have never been more proud to work for a company who does that. And it it's kind of like he puts his money where his mouth is, right? And he sub gives back. He loves Topeka.

SPEAKER_03

He does.

SPEAKER_01

And um it's for structured in such a way that it gives us a lot of outlets, you know, and ways to give back. Whether it's, you know, the Easter at con at the mall, you know, for the community and the kids, or whether it's, you know, the a dinner downtown that we can donate, or you know, the cash giveaway, or cleaning the alleys, right? I mean, there's just a lot of ways, and and I've never gotten a no. You know, when I come up with some of these crazy ideas, I've never gotten a no.

Future Vision And Community Buy‑In

SPEAKER_03

So that's saying something. Yeah. Because uh Lamanda, you kind of mentioned this. There's in in in the way I was interpreting what you were saying, there's some people who are going to be very business, and some people are gonna be very kind. And we don't always see maybe those blend together well. We see those in what we're hearing about today. Yes. Hearing about Jamie, hearing about the fosters, hearing about that you can be business, you can be strategic, and you can also be about others. And uh, you know, we call this thing called compassion strategies. Compassionate and strategic. You can blend them both together, right? Yes. And so and that that's the great balance. And so, Jamie, as you have uh come into this position and you've you've worked in some other corporate arenas uh throughout your career, um what have you um learned, or maybe you came in already knowing, but what is the importance of what you're seeing happen with the PECA rescue mission? What's happening with the homeless in our community? Um, and you and we want to hear more about this uh um investment that you're gonna put into this uh newly formed uh Compassion Impact Center. So what's what's happened um since you have taken this position, which has got to be very strategic, gotta be very business, but what has happened with you personally about your um understanding about the hospitality for people maybe are non-paying customers?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Um literally my whole life's changed. I I spent, you know, 40 hours a week on the road before commuting, you know, and back and forth. And I have three kids. Um I have a 17-year-old, a 14-year-old, and a 10-year-old. And I've spent a lot of their childhood in Kansas City, you know. And so when I got ready to make that move and I was trying to figure out what my next plan is, right? Which because we always think it's our plan, sure. You know, when really God's got a plan all along, you know.

SPEAKER_03

That's a great move.

SPEAKER_01

Why should I stress about it, right? Um, that's when I got the call from Seth and it out of nowhere, you know, to about this role. And as I've gotten to know the community and the business owners downtown and the work that's being done here, you know, when I first started diving into the what's going on downtown, I was part of a group where there are several business owners, you know, that would uh text and say, you know, there's a problem here. This person, this homeless person is here and it's creating a problem, you know. And it was a complaint. It wasn't I checked on them and this is what's going on. You know, it was a fix it. And I have seen that start to shift. You know, I don't, I don't see those texts come across anymore, you know, and that's all the work that's being done here.

Closing Details And Ways To Support

SPEAKER_03

Okay, so when you say there's a shift, so there's a it starts out with uh this is not what I want to see or I want to deal with, so it's a complaint, but it's shifting to what?

SPEAKER_01

There's more compassion. There's trying to understand the how and the why and what can we do about it, right? Um how do you think that's a good thing? There's a reason.

SPEAKER_03

Why why why does that begin to shift?

SPEAKER_01

I would like to think it's because people are just God's putting it on their heart to come together. I mean, we're a community, you're never gonna get a better community than we have here, you know, and it's we've got to protect that, you know. The harder the world gets, um, the more important that is. And I just the work here is fundamental to making that happen. The um compassion impact center that's opening, I not only, you know, will that help the clients, right? The customers, but the synergies that will happen from having the network of those different providers, you know, all in the same place will be highly impactful as well. You know, it's it's on both sides of it. And um, I'm just super excited to see where that goes.

SPEAKER_03

Lamanda Merriamus, got to bless your heart to hear this um perspective from Jamie in regards to um a transition, transformation from just a complaint to an understanding and and the compassion. Because you both have been very invested in trying to help that happen.

SPEAKER_04

Yep, for sure.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

So whether it's downtown or in Noto.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. Um throughout the entire community, actually. Yes.

SPEAKER_04

But we're so involved, you know, with being how we can be responsive. But I think it has also helped that we've gotten involved in both of those areas, which allows us then to through education or information, take away some of the stigma of folks who are experiencing homelessness.

SPEAKER_01

You know, I think that what you don't know you're afraid of. Yes, right. And I think that education, I think that's exactly what happened, you know, is as those complaints, as it were, came in, you know, it it turned into, let me explain to you what we do and why, you know, this is happening and how we can help. And sure, not just I'll deal with it. Right. You know.

SPEAKER_03

Oftentimes when we don't understand thing and you're right, we fear a thing, then we fight the thing we fear. And so we try to uncomfortable. Yeah, we're uncomfortable with it. We want it to go away. And so um, but that doesn't necessarily solve a thing. It just uh maybe sometimes makes it worse.

SPEAKER_01

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03

Um and so coming together to understand what uh services like Topeka Rescue Mission do and what they can, what they can't do. Same thing with law enforcement firefighters, whatever the case might be, is is a beginning of understanding here's what we can and can't do. Um, but also for organizations like the Topeka Rescue Mission, understanding what the businesses are facing and the importance of that and customers and so forth, and come into the table together is huge. And uh it it begins to it's the beginning of transformation in regards to people talking it out, learning from each other, to be able to say what can we do together. And um and then if there's gonna be one thing that's gonna happen out at Topeka Rescue Mission, it's gonna be these are people. These are us.

SPEAKER_01

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_03

Um they're not them. They're the Mendies. It's we, right. It's we it's we're right. And it could be any of us at any time that we could end up in a situation. And so I think it's amazing. I just uh I just do. Um and but uh so practically speaking, it's one thing to have a better feeling. Maybe the the communications are better, and and so in your position with um aim strategies, um, and you are with some very creative thinkers um about doing the next big thing, uh whether it's uh buying malls and you know, renovating all that, or but uh you are focusing and we're hearing some things about being creative about the us, the we um who are in need. And so talk a little bit about that. You mentioned something about some hamburger.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, absolutely. You know, I in doing my research for this morning, uh I I was reading about the soup day, soup it forward, and I thought, oh, what a great way, because I was super excited about the announcement yesterday. Um thinking about it strategically, thinking about it for the people that's gonna benefit, right? And um so I started, I was going into our product mix. What can we do? Racking my brain, right? This is 10 30 last night. And um that's pretty early. It is for me, right? Um and I wanted to find a way to give back, but also allow others in the community to participate, right? And that's what's great about our, you know, spotlight tables that we do, because anybody who wants to contribute to that can come in and sit at that table, right? So I went through and I thought, okay, well, what we're gonna do, since you never know how soup's gonna do, right, with the weather, and you never know what Kansas weather is gonna do, um, is that starting today for a week, um, if you come into the pennant and order the pennant original, or you go to Iron Rail and order their high rail burger, or go to the weather room and get their cheeseburger. They're all fantastic. Um, 25 percent of the revenue will go directly back to the Compassion Impact Center.

SPEAKER_03

Well, 25%. You don't hear about that very often with any kind of fundraiser or with a business. That's uh that's that's amazing. So for one week, is it specific burgers?

SPEAKER_01

Yes.

SPEAKER_03

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

So that's why I tried to name them. You name them. Okay. All right. I imagine we have somebody who can put it up on social marketing. Yes.

SPEAKER_03

Uh-huh. Definitely. So we don't go in and order the wall gas. Sorry, that would be one of the last things. Happens to be my favorite.

SPEAKER_01

My husband's too.

SPEAKER_03

So that that's one practical thing that you're doing right now, but there's also been some other things that have happened here um since you've come on board. And talk some about those.

SPEAKER_01

You know, it it I kind of like to steal ideas from other communities as well. You know, I'm I'm always on a mission to find out who's doing what. And there's a gentleman in Kansas City who does these hiding cash, right? They hide cash and he does a little video, and then, you know, he people go off and try to find it, and he's now got, I don't know, 100,000 subscribers pay, you know, for this. Yes. Membership. But it made me think, right? Like people are doing that and participating because one, they need they need it, they need the money, they need whatever it is, right? Yes. Um, and so we kind of spearheaded an idea last year and we we branded it aim for the cash, right? But it involved a lot of different ways to give back. And it was all in the fourth quarter. Um the night of the Christmas parade, we gave away$1,000, um,$100 bills. Uh, my accounting manager Christy Pickett and I walked up and down the street, you know, in our Christmas sweaters and um engaged with all sorts of people, right? And and blessed them in a way. Um and we, you know, did the at the pennant, we opened our doors. Um we have a mistletoe pop-up, you know, Christmas is always decorated very nicely at the pennant. And I wanted Christmas is all about the kids for me, right? And while the kids may get excited about presents, right? It's the real aspect of it that the joy that the kids get, right? That that means so much. So I wanted to find a way to loop them in. And I that's when I started thinking about this, and and Leslie hooked me up with Amanda, and I wanted to be able to take the families and those kids that are here at the mission and won't wouldn't have the opportunity to go see that or do that and get them there. You know, give the families a way to provide that experience for those children and give um, you know, the meal and the video games and the you know activities and most that came, I don't think had ever been there, you know. And it it gave the parents, you know, a little sense of relief. Yes, right. And obviously the kids had a ball.

SPEAKER_00

Um the food was great.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, food's great. Um Todd always does fantastic with that. But it's it's a way to give back, right? It's it's not just about Ames making money. You know, it's about so much more than that. You know, we did scavenger hunts, you know, downtown to try to get some community involvement, you know. And uh, spoiler alert, they're coming back uh after St. Patrick's Day. Uh hopefully the weather will cooperate. Um But there's just a there's a lot more engagement that happens with the community and ultimately it benefits everybody.

SPEAKER_03

I was gonna say, I think there's problem, I'm gonna guessing for you and for AIM and everybody involved, the fosters. It's bigger than just doing a nice thing.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03

And w what what do you see? What what what speaks to you about the value of doing this? Obviously, it's nice to be known that you're doing nice things in the community. Um there's nothing wrong with that, but it's bigger than that for you guys. What what's what's the big value here?

SPEAKER_01

Um helping where others can't. You know, I I have one motto in my house, and my kids, if they listen to this, are gonna be, you know, face palming themselves. But it's um and anybody who's ever worked with me's heard it, and it's what you allow you encourage, right? And the non-action that I saw, for example, in that in that text thread, right? Or um when you see people who are clearly in need and you look the other way, or you're just not kind, right? You're just not you're sucking the joy out, right, instead of uh trying to provide that light. Um if you allow that around you, then it's no different than saying, Yeah, I'm I'm all about it, right? You gotta break that cycle. And that is something that for the first time in my professional career, you know, I'm surrounded by people who feel the same way.

SPEAKER_03

That's huge. It really is huge. Yeah. Um I like to listen to her all day.

SPEAKER_00

I know.

SPEAKER_03

So reflection here, Lamanda. Um there's a Kleenex right over there. So yeah, get ready.

SPEAKER_00

Great. I'm already battling all the allergies and everything. You know, um, I don't know. Barry, I can't look back on this work like like you can, where you have been such a great mentor because you have decades in this. And so when I face a challenge as CEO, I can come to you and even if it's not the exact same challenge, there's something similar. And you you always encourage me to give it to the Lord, but you also always encourage almost like this normalcy of the struggle so that I don't um that I don't give up or that I don't um think too hard into what we're facing. Um and you really bring this light of like, yep, I face something similar to that with this situation 20 years ago. And basically you tell me, stay in there and stay faithful to the Lord um because he works all of these challenges out. And so I think thinking about downtown, thinking about Noto, there were significant challenges, um, even just you know, 24 to 36 months ago. And being a new CEO and um following after you, even though you said, Lamanda, God's not asking you to be Barry 2.0. You've told me that, you've said that, but there is there's just pressures. There's pressures that come from the community being a new CEO and all of that. And so then to come into that, and it was a time where there was a lot of um negative um opinions from from a few, but the few had been magnified. And so I was learning one, how to be a CEO, two, I was learning how you follow, even though you don't think of it, you were a community staple. Um and then navigating these few people that had negative connotations about the homeless, and they were magnified everywhere I turned. Um either a media thing was representing them, it was all over social media. I would go to meetings, and it was all of these things. And in some of the instances, myself and the team, we were a minority in trying to bring forth the humanity piece and yet not look like we were argumenting, arguing the business importance and those kinds of things. So to see this is like my first time that I can go, oh, I get to see, right?

SPEAKER_02

I get it now.

SPEAKER_00

Yes. Um, because there were times where I didn't know what to do as a leader to really advocate for the people we were serving because they mattered, and some of the stuff that was being said about them was atrocious. We wouldn't say about our own family members and and enemies and all of that. I don't I don't understand that. And so to try to find the voice to advocate for God's heart for people that um mattered just as much as the professionals, uh trying to do that yet in a way where I was also trying to say, but will you also listen to? Us because we do care about the business world. We care about other nonprofits. We're not wanting to compete. We want to do together. And to face sometimes myself and the team scrutiny, misunderstanding. Um yet because of people like you, Barry, that really kept myself grounded, which then allowed our team to stay grounded. We've seen God's faithfulness of his timing. And now what I think we see is I think the majority of businesses know the rescue mission cares about their businesses. And I think the other side is the Topeka Rescue Mission is seeing that businesses are wanting to know what to do when they encounter challenging behavior, whether it's someone experiencing homelessness or not. And now because there are people like Jamie's and Jesse's and um Nick, business owner downtown, Pedro with Noto, um, what we've been able to do is really come together with um sometimes hard conversations. I'm not always hearing what I want to hear. I'm not always saying what others want to do. Um but then there is amazing change that comes from that. And so we have authenticity, in my opinion, in downtown and Noto with the rescue mission. And a perfect example of this um of how that works in someone's life is just um this quarter. I believe it was the end of January, but I could be a little off. Um, we have a system, downtown and Noto, where there's concerns. Um they post it on um a confidential site, but we're all on it, and it's almost like a neighborhood watch. Um, I then respond if it's something that pertains to homelessness, or even if it doesn't, I try to kind of be the middle person for Astra, mobile crisis unit, map, those kinds of things. This individual um looked familiar to me, and this individual was um essentially asking for money. That is an issue for business owners, and I understand that. But then my role is to say, why is that person asking for money? And so I reached out to then in our internal team, and sure enough, it was someone that we were familiar with. So the person that was most familiar called me and said, Hey, what do we do? I'm engaged with this person with housing. And so I said, Okay, well, we've got to find out what the need is, and then we've got to find the next steps. If downtown would not have notified us, even though we're so involved in people's lives, sometimes there are things that happen in the moment and the person needs to go do what they need to do right then for money. And in this case, it was for a cell phone. And it was for a cell phone because this person was continually trying to find a job. And so then that sparked my staff member that knew the staff member comes to me and says, Okay, now what do we do? We did not have a program that was a right fit for this person, but mirror did. So then, because of downtown letting us know about someone we were familiar with but was in the middle of a financial crisis that we weren't aware of, we then connect and then realize, okay, well, this isn't the Topeka Rescue Mission show. If we don't have what the person needs, let's look at our incredible partners in this community that are doing their part. Got them connected, and that person graduated from their program.

SPEAKER_03

You can only do that with partnerships. Yeah, yeah. With relationship, with trust. Um not them and them, uh, but us. Correct. Yeah, and that's um and you know, you mentioned timing. Um and I think that uh, you know, I I I learned now today for my first time who who Jamie is. And there's a right timing for a Jamie to show up. You know, and it's um um I've seen that and you reflected back over a period of time, but that uh I I'll digress a minute, but when we were first seeing the birth of Noto, um there was the founders, which was uh um John Hunter and Anita Wallgast and uh the pioneers of this and uh way before what we see today. And they had just finished the Arts Center um down uh it's not where it is right now, but it was across the street, and it was brand new, remodeled, everything in there. And they hadn't opened it yet. And we had a huge rainstorm, and the waters on the river began to rise. And so I had already scheduled um a lunch uh to Bradley's with uh John and Anita, hadn't seen him in a while. And so uh I'm busy all day working with our outreach teams and firefighters and everything to get people off the river and uh trying to get them out of harm's way because the water was rising. So I really wasn't thinking about anything but just getting them off the river. And so I sat down with John uh before Anita got there, and he said, uh, so how's it going today? And I said, Well, it's been pretty busy. We've been trying to save lives and get people out of the way. And he said, asked me a question. He said, Where are all those people gonna go tonight? Do you have room in the mission? I had not stopped to think. Do we have any room for them? I just want to get them out of the out of the river, right? And I said, John, I hadn't thought about that. I'm not sure we do. You know what he did? He reached in his pocket and he put a set of keys right in front of me on the table at Bradley's. And he said, Here, call me if you need me. I said, What? He said, You can put them in the art center tonight. I said, What? He said, Yeah. I said, It's brand new. These people coming off the river. He goes, I know. We're not just here for arts, we're here for the community. And I was stunned. About that time Anita walked in. And uh he said, uh, uh, Barry, tell Anita your story. So I did. And she looked at him and they nodded at each other, and she said, Give him the keys. I said, All right, got him. That's what is timing. That is the God in all of this.

SPEAKER_04

Well, and Barry, it's yes, and it is absolutely 100% God, but it isn't all timing because it's about relationships. It's about relationships that are built before that need is there. That's true, right? That then God just wasn't our first meeting, right?

SPEAKER_03

Exactly.

SPEAKER_04

Right? I mean, it is all we say that over and over and over, and yet each time I hear these kinds of conversations with Jamie, with the with John Hunter, with Pedro, with it's because we have relationships, and it's because we have relationships with the people that we're serving that we're able to then help them move forward in a different way. This all comes because we are kind to each other, because we get to know each other, because we've develop relationships with each other on every front, in every way. And then, and obviously that is all God making this work. I'm not discounting the God part of it at all, just re-emphasizing that he leads us into relationships that allow us to do his work.

SPEAKER_03

And again, that's uh absolutely 100% right. And maybe the timing on the front end of all of that beforehand, that uh, you know, um Jamie inst indicated that this was kind of a game changer for you to be involved in this particular kind of work in this community at this time. And I would say, and I think we'd all say, um, you're God appointed to be here, right? Uh-huh. Sometimes we go, wow, that's a little overwhelmed. I've thought about that, but this is the right time, and you're built developing these relationships which it already had been invested in with uh Lamanda and Miriam and the team here at the rescue mission and others, and back to the rescue mission from some business folks. Uh you named a few other folks there, Jesse and and others. And there's some really great things happening in this community. Yes. Because people are saying, well, wait a minute, who are we as a community? Who are we? And I'm so blessed to see this happening. I really am. I um there's sometimes when you see certain leadership uh that will come in that just doesn't get it and doesn't intend to get it. And so then you go, it's it's hopeless. But it's not. It's not. You know, the uh God loves Topeka, He loves the people, whether they um have a uh important position in the community or they're living down in a tent right now. He loves them all. And he is really, through his word and through what we've experienced here, he is saying, I want you guys to come together. I want you to learn from each other, love each other, the Mendies. Um, you know, I mean, right there. She volunteers at MAP. And Stephen and others volunteer. I mean, they're they're essential services to us right now. And they're living outdoors because they don't have housing yet. And so, and then all the others that have a nice house, have a nice car, can drive there, they come together. Yes. It's huge. It's huge. Well, Jamie, what else would you like to share with us today? This is um we're loving to learn what you're doing. What uh what do you see as the future?

SPEAKER_01

Um I I just think it can only get better. You know, as more people jump on board and especially um for me personally, as I continue to meet people and and network and get involved in different areas, right, with the community, I see it it it takes off, right? My kids, my kids are young, right, relatively speaking. And they love to come down to town, right? Like they would rather do that than sit at home and play video games.

SPEAKER_03

Good.

SPEAKER_01

And right, right. Um they are engaged with the people, they know every employee at the restaurants their names better than I do, which is sad. Um my son, who's 10, knows all the dog's names, right? Everybody who has a dog, if they're walking downtown, you know, Nick with Hazel Hill. He's very obsessed that we stop and say hi to Copper. Right. And it's just it's amazing because that they didn't have that before. You know, when I was traveling and I was sure working out of out of town, they didn't have that connection. And, you know, they're they're employees that show up to Greg's football games, you know, to to cheer them on. And those relationships, you know, whether they're part of this intentional program that we're trying to do just to give back, or whether they just happen because, you know, we want every day to be, I want you to be happy day, right? Um that hospitality will only grow. And so I'm I'm excited about what the future holds. I'm excited to for some of the other things that we have planned and coming. Um and I'm blessed, and the community is blessed that I work for a company that doesn't say no, you know, to those type of opportunities. So that's awesome.

SPEAKER_03

So one more time, tell us about the hamburger 25% before they can go. We're gonna have it on social media here with TRM to remind people, but uh tell us about that because um I want to make sure I don't miss the day.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. So um it'll start today. We'll run it for a week. Um at all three of our restaurants that have burgers, taco is doesn't have burgers. Um the pennant original, the high rail burger at Iron Rail or the Weatherroom cheeseburger. Um if anybody who participates who stops in and orders that, then 25% of those proceeds will go.

SPEAKER_00

Well, I think everybody just needs to participate at all three.

SPEAKER_03

I think so. It's good protein and it tastes really good too. Uh today is March 3rd, 2026, if you're listening to this right now. So you today is the day to start this. So if you're listening to this in 2027, sorry, you missed that one. But there's probably some other things that happened by then. Jamie Clark, thank you. AIM Strategies, um, thank you for joining us. Thank you for what you're doing, what you've been doing. Looking forward to more conversation and partnerships as we um see who our neighbors are together. Thank you for joining us.

SPEAKER_02

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03

Thank you for being a part of uh um uh our community, our mission, and uh thank you for joining us today. If you'd like more information about the Topeka Rescue Mission, you could go to TRMonline.org. That's TRMonline.org. Also, you can find uh how you can uh especially invest in the work of the rescue mission and also the um Compassion Impact Center. Brand new. There's an opportunity to invest there as well. Thank you for listening and thank you for being a part of our community, our mission. I almost got that confused with another podcast name. I was like, I haven't done that one for a long time either.