By Abbey Lord, WIBW
A Shawnee County group that wants to improve life for everyone in Shawnee County is taking action to shine a spotlight on the work its doing in Washburn’s Lee Arena on Monday.
Topeka Jump–a faith based organization that fights injustice for marginalized groups in Shawnee County— hosted around 700 people and 29 churches in lee arena where they focused on different issues in Shawnee County.
Topeka Jump stands for justice, unity, ministries and program and brought people from all Shawnee County to hear about mental health, violence reduction, and for the first time homelessness from different speakers.
According to Topeka Jump, 1 in 20 Topeka adults will experience a serious mental illness in their lifetime, 44% of renters in Shawnee County can not afford their housing, and 35 Topekans were murdered in 2023, a tragic new record for Topeka.
However, Topeka Jump has led the charge on a new state program that will allow behavioral health providers to receive Crisis Intervention Certification.
“It’s just a great movement for our community. It lets everybody take part in what capacity they can and I just love all the projects,” Chaplain Carmen Raines said.
To one attendee–violence’s hits close to home.
“Well tonight, I resonate with community violence as a Chaplain, I see those cases come through the doors and I can see how devastating it is for families,” Raines said.
Pastor Annie Ricker has worked with Topeka Jump since 2013 and has never looked back. They have helped Topeka Jump with the Payday Loan Campaign and more.
“I think a lot of times we know that things could go better, things out to be working better, but we feel very powerless there’s not much we think we can do, but when we have 800, 900, 1000 people together for this common goal to do good,” Pastor at Berryton UMC Annie Ricker said.
Ricker continues to have faith that the more they help thy neighbor the better Shawnee County will be.
“But what we do here tonight and throughout the whole year is, we are investing our time and our energy in a way that does work,” Ricker said.
View the original story here.
