In this episode of the Topeka Talk podcast, hosts Gretchen Spiker and India Yarborough wrap up their three-part series about how funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, commonly known as ARPA, are supporting local programs and making an impact in Topeka. If you missed the first two episodes, be sure to give them a listen! In this final episode of season two, Spiker and Yarborough are joined by Pam Evans, director of marketing and development for Family Service & Guidance Center, who shares how FSGC—a leader in children's mental health—benefitted from the funds and was able to open up its new Youth Crisis & Recovery Center. They talk about the new center, services available under its roof, and how FSGC is serving kids and families in the region. Stick around for the end of the episode to hear final thoughts on the ARPA process from Topeka City Council member Christina Valdivia-Alcala. It's an important community conversation you won't want to miss!

In this episode of the Topeka Talk podcast, hosts Gretchen Spiker and India Yarborough sit down with one of the local recipients of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, commonly known as ARPA. This episode is the second installment in a three-part series about how $10 million in ARPA grants are impacting social services in the Topeka area. Today's guest is Chris Palmer, executive director of Cornerstone of Topeka. Palmer talks with the hosts about housing needs in the city—especially for individuals who are unhoused and those who are working but live below the poverty line—and dives into how ARPA funding allocated to Cornerstone is helping bridge the gap between housing need and inventory. Listen in to learn more from this community conversation you don't want to miss!

In this episode of the Topeka Talk podcast, hosts Gretchen Spiker and India Yarborough kick off a three-episode series about how funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, commonly known as ARPA, is impacting social services in the Topeka area. It's been about a year since the City of Topeka, through its governing body, allocated $10 million in ARPA funding to community organizations in Kansas' capital city. In episode one of the series, Spiker and Yarborough sit down with Topeka City Council member Spencer Duncan, who helped spearhead the city's grant allocation process, to learn more about the local dissemination of ARPA funding, which key focus area emerged, and much more. Following the conversation with Duncan is an interview with Sarah Elsen, executive director of Child Care Aware of Eastern Kansas, who dives into how ARPA funding will impact child care providers, and families seeking care, in Topeka. Listen in to learn more from two community conversations you don't want to miss!