Cornerstone of Topeka

08/30/2026

New homes on SW Mission Ave. coming along nicely!

08/07/2026

We are so excited to see the progress on our three new single-family homes!

The first two photos show the homes being built in the 1100 block of SW Mission Ave., just one block west of Gage. The third photo is our home being built in the 1300 block of SW Fillmore, near Robinson Middle School.

It’s great to see these homes taking shape and to know that before long, three families will have a new place to call home.

More progress to come!

07/02/2026

What a wonderful evening!

Thank you to everyone who joined us at Kay's Garden Event Center at the Topeka Zoo for Cornerstone's 2026 Housewarming Party. We are grateful to our sponsors, donors, volunteers, board members, staff, and friends for making the evening such a success.

We were honored to recognize Countryside United Methodist Church with the Otto & Jane Schnellbacher Community Service Award for their partnership in keeping our pantry stocked with household essentials, helping families transitioning from homelessness get a fresh start in their new homes.

We were also inspired by two Cornerstone tenants who shared their journeys through our six-month Transitional Housing Program and into permanent housing. Their stories were a powerful reminder of the life-changing impact of safe, stable housing.

Thank you for helping us interrupt the cycle of homelessness and build stronger futures for families in our community.

06/10/2026

🏡 Join Us for Cornerstone's Annual Housewarming Party Fundraiser!

Please join us on Wednesday evening, June 24, at the Kay's Garden Event Center at the Topeka Zoo for an evening of fellowship, celebration, and support for Cornerstone of Topeka's Transitional Housing Program.

This year's Otto & Jane Schnellbacher Community Service Award will be presented to Countryside United Methodist Church in recognition of their longtime partnership and generosity. For years, Countryside has "adopted" our Transitional Housing Pantry, providing mountains of cookware, sheets, towels, personal care products, and other household essentials. These donations help ensure that individuals and families entering our Transitional Housing Program after experiencing homelessness have many of the basic household items needed to settle into their new homes and begin rebuilding their lives.

🕠 Social Hour: 5:30 p.m.
🍽 Dinner: 6:30 p.m.
🎤 Program & Award Presentation: 7:00 p.m.
🏠 Home by 8:00 p.m.

Tickets are $40 per person and include dinner and beverages.

Can't attend? Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to support Cornerstone's Transitional Housing Program and help individuals and families build a foundation for long-term housing stability.

https://cornerstoneoftopeka.org/about/donate

We hope you'll join us for this special evening as we celebrate community, generosity, and the power of helping neighbors move forward.

For more information, please contact Chris Palmer at 785-232-1650 or [email protected].

Take a look at a few photos from past Housewarming Parties!

04/22/2026

Last week, Cornerstone of Topeka held our board elections, marking both a meaningful transition and a continuation of strong leadership.

After serving two full terms (4 years!) as Board President, Mark DeGroff officially passed the gavel. As tradition dictates here at the Buchanan Center, that means a stop in front of the “presidential portraits” for one last photo. We’re still waiting to hear if his portrait will be added to the wall. 😊

We’re excited to welcome Cody Fredrickson as our new Board President. Cody previously served as Treasurer, and we’re grateful for his continued leadership in this new role.

We’re also pleased to introduce our full slate of officers:
• Vice President: Dana Dobbie-Blindt
• Treasurer: Jonathan Henry
• Secretary: Wayne French

We also want to extend our sincere thanks to our outgoing officers for their service:
• Sara Hood, Vice President
• Mirida Osborne, Secretary

Mark, thank you for your steady leadership and dedication over the past four years. And to Cody and our new officers—we’re looking forward to the year ahead!

03/19/2026

WOW! Today we were shocked at the volume of donations from Countryside United Methodist Church for our Transitional Housing Pantry! We are so grateful! 28 of our 215 Housing units are dedicated to the recently homeless and when those tenants move in, they receive a laundry basket full of household supplies such as cookware, towels, personal hygiene products, etc.

12/17/2025

Some pictures from our annual Transitional/Homeless Housing Christmas Party. Our staff and board of directors look forward to this event all year! So much fun!

10/30/2025

Cornerstone of Topeka attended the annual Kansas Housing Conference in Overland Park. We had such a great time. We met alot of great people and received alot of new information from our sessions and had great speakers. This year we werer finalist for the "Show Off Your Service". Though we did not win, it was a wonderful experience.

10/23/2025

Our very own Executive Director, Chris Palmer, was featured on WIBW's most recent Salute Our Heros segment.

In this week's Salute Our Heroes report we put the spotlight on the leader behind one Topeka non-profit's mission to provide shelter for those who need it most.

10/16/2025

Today Cornerstone staff celebrated Boss's Day! Happy Boss's Day to our Executive Director, Chris Palmer!