Our Mission
With the assistance of faith-based organizations, community members and groups, Doorstep, Inc. will provide short-term emergency aid to individuals in need and provide information on services to promote long-term self-sufficiency for our clients.
Read our 2022 Summer Newsletter
Supplying More
Than the Basics
At Doorstep, we provide Topekans with the support they need to live fuller, more self-sufficient lives. From combatting hunger to offering individuals and families the services and resources they need to enjoy independent lifestyles, Doorstep is committed to extending a helping hand to our forgotten friends and neighbors in their time of need.
We’re proud to provide our neighbors assistance where they need it most:
Emergency Needs:
• Food
• Clothing
• Rent
• Transportation (local gas vouchers/bus tickets)
• Prescriptions
• Utilities
Who we help: Whether they’ve lost everything in a house fire or are living alone with a disability, Doorstep’s up-front emergency services are for those who require assistance with critical needs while they wait for additional aid. We don’t impose income guidelines for emergency services, though most of our neighbors who use these services are at or below the poverty line.
Short-Term Needs
• Food: Once every eight weeks; this is intended to provide three meals for five days
• Clothing: Once every two weeks
• Rent: One time per 12-month period
• Transportation (local gas vouchers/bus tickets): Vouchers available two times per 12-month period
• Prescriptions: Two times per 12-month period ($150 cap)
• Utilities: One time per 12-month period
Who we help: Short-term assistance is designed to help those recovering from sudden loss of employment or health-related issues. These solutions are designed to help our neighbors get back on their feet rather than cope with long-term needs.
Our Staff
Lisa
Executive Director
Jason
Associate Director
Barb
Office Coordinator
Jim
Congregation Coordinator
Tracy
Intake/Volunteer Coordinator
History
On June 8, 1966, a tornado roared through Topeka. In minutes, 17 people were killed and hundreds were injured in addition to damages totaling right at $100 million. Thousands of people were in need of shelter, food, clothing and furniture. One of the agencies lending help to the people in need was a six-month-old agency named Doorstep, born of the need that six congregations saw for help at their own “doorstep.” The tornado seemed to galvanize Doorstep and provide us focus.
Doorstep grew by leaps and bounds and was providing many community and Christian service needs in Topeka. Doorstep had a daycare and clothing bank that were located in Central Congregational Church. The food bank was located at Central Presbyterian Church. There were numerous other programs such as The Salt Company, which was a coffee house for teens; sewing and cooking classes; transportation; travel to seminars to educate young people; low-cost housing; forums for discussing welfare reform; and help with high school certifications and grants to get into college. Doorstep also bought and fixed up dilapidated houses and resold them for a monthly price that a low-income family could afford in addition to sponsoring beautification and playground projects.
White and black ministers acted as mediators between parents of black students and Topeka schools after a strike and convinced the parents to send the students back to school. Segregation had only recently been done away with, and these were fragile times; however, Doorstep trudged ahead. Ministers from Doorstep sat in with police, parents, kids and experts to figure out why street fights were breaking out. They found the cause to be attitudes of discrimination passed from one generation to another. Doorstep used its daycare to introduce the races to one another. Doorstep has always been a remarkable example of people working together across denominational and racial lines without losing focus.
Through the years, Doorstep has evolved into a modern faith-based emergency aid agency. Along the way, certain needs in the community were taken care of by other organizations and businesses. Doorstep continued to change and grow to fit the need becoming what we are today. Doorstep started out operating out of Central Congregational Church with the food bank being located in Central Presbyterian and Grace United Methodist. With the need growing, Doorstep needed more space and secured the building at 12th and Washburn in 1981.
Unfortunately, the need continued to grow, and additional space was needed. In 1993, The building at 10th and Buchanan was purchased, where Doorstep operates today. The building at 12th and Washburn opened as “The Dovetail Shoppe” (a thrift store) in November 1994 and closed in April 2018.
Doorstep has had some kind of Christmas Store for at least 50 years. We participated in the first CROP Walk in 1976 and did every year until it ended in 2016. We have provided the Topeka community with clothing and household furnishings for 55 years. Doorstep has helped more than 403,000 households with services, which involves over 988,000 individuals.
Doorstep has always operated with input from each member congregation making this organization their own. The staff and volunteers through the years have shown God’s love through their actions and helping hearts. From the very first executive director, Donna Kidd, who held that position for 12 years, to our current executive director, Lisa Cain, who has been here for more than 28 years in various positions, dedication and conviction is what this organization is made of.
Doorstep’s goal in the beginning was “to provide short-term emergency service, to be aware and use other organizations for long-term assistance and become an advocate in helping people.” In that respect, things haven’t changed much at Doorstep. Where do we go from here? Wherever it is, we know that neighbors will continue helping their neighbors at Doorstep!
Member Congregations
Asbury Mt. Olive United Methodist Church
Calvary Baptist Church
Capital City Community Church of God
Central Congregational
Central Park Christian
Christ The King
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Community of Christ
Countryside United Methodist Church
Crestview United Methodist Church
Fairlawn Nazarene
Faith Lutheran Church
First Baptist Church
First Christian Church
First Church of the Nazarene
First Congregational Church
First Lutheran Church
First Presbyterian Church
First United Methodist Church
Grace Episcopal
Grace United Methodist Church
Highland Heights Christian Church
Islamic Center of Topeka
Lowman United Methodist Church
Mater Dei Catholic Parish
Metropolitan Community
Most Pure Heart of Mary
New Life Baptist Church
New Mt. Zion Baptist Church
Oakland Methodist
Oakland Presbyterian
Our Savior’s Lutheran
Potwin Presbyterian
Prince of Peace Lutheran
Sacred Heart Parish
Shiloh Baptist Church
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian
St. David’s Episcopal
St. John African Methodist Episcopal
St. John’s Lutheran
Susanna Wesley United Methodist Church
Temple Beth Sholom
Topeka Friends Meeting
Trinity Lutheran
Trinity Presbyterian
Unity Church of Christianity
University United Methodist Church
Wanamaker Seventh-Day Adventist
Wanamaker Woods Nazarene
Westminster Presbyterian
West Side Baptist
West Side Christian
Need Help? Let Us Know!
Get Help
General Information
Rent Assistance requests must go through the City of Topeka's EAS Program. You will most likely need to leave a message and wait for a call back.
EAS Phone: 785.368.9533
EAS Email: EAS@topeka.org
Website: https://www.topeka.org/eas/
Utility Assistance is by appointment only. Please call us at our number below to see if funds are available.
Address
1119 SW 10th Ave.
Topeka, KS 66604-1105
Office hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Client service hours: Monday 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday-Friday 9:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Phone: 785.357.5341
Fax: 785.232.4865