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A podcast focusing on the perspectives, lives, and stories of Kansans to provide greater insight into the state we all call home.
AAK_Ep24
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Introduction and Nathan Pyle's Illustrations
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[00:00:00]
Gus Applequist: Okay, so I have a fa, actually Tim has a favorite, uh, Facebook creator Okay. Named Nathan Pyle. And Nathan does really fun illustrations, um, a lot of aliens and stuff.
Sydney Collins: Okay.
Gus Applequist: And so the other day I saw a post of his, it's like a map of the US overlaid with some of his characters.
Mm. And, uh, so yeah, Merlin, if you would pull that on screen.
So it says, uh, somebody like, instead of saying like, I grew up in Kansas and then moved. Yeah. I grew up and I reckon like, like my response to this is, well, I'm from horse butt.
Sydney Collins: Yep. That's about it. I mean, yeah. Yeah. We're like smack dab in the middle of the butt.
That's so funny. That's
Gus Applequist: so mature.
Sydney Collins: We're we [00:01:00] are smack dab in the middle. Middle, yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. But our, uh, guest today is from the nose of the crocodile.
Gus Applequist: There you go. There you go.
Guest Introduction: Abel Frederic
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Gus Applequist: Welcome to Acid Kansan, a podcast amplifying, uncovering, and connecting Kansas
Sydney Collins: today. Our um, guest is from the Wichita area. He is a transplant Kansan. He'll, um, introduce himself, but, uh. An amazing conversation. Um, after talking with him a little bit after, um, the podcast, he was telling us, um, that he was nervous, but I couldn't tell when he sat down.
I know. Yeah. Um, I am [00:02:00] super grateful that he came on. But, um, he is Abel Frederic.
Sydney Collins: Abel is, um, the Vice President of Community Impact at the, uh, United Way of the Plains, um, which is based in Wichita. Um, we met Abel through, um, leadership Kansas. He came to Salina and we were able to interview him, um, just a little bit. Um, and that really stuck with me.
So, without any further ado, um, here is Abel. Hello? Hello. Hello. Welcome. How's it going everyone?
Gus Applequist: Good afternoon. You are looking short sydnee. We haven't
Sydney Collins: officially met, but I'm Sydney.
Abel Frederic: Yeah. Good to see you. Nice to meet you.
Sydney Collins: Thanks for making the drive. Thank you so much
Abel Frederic: for having me. And thank you for the beverage. Yeah,
Sydney Collins: no problem. So you'll move this in front of you, kind of like a Okay.
Fist away and you can lower it or however you want. Okay. There we go. Yeah,
Abel Frederic: let's lower it because I am a little guy.
Sydney Collins: Um, we all seem little when we're sitting next to Gus. 'cause Gus is very tall. I apologize.
Gus Applequist: You guys match incredibly [00:03:00] well. I have to say. We do, yes. Kind this over email. We, we did. There you go.
Yeah. But as usual.
Sydney Collins: Um, so for our audience. Uh, can you introduce yourself for us?
Abel Frederic: Hi, my name's Abel Frederic. I'm the Vice President of Community Impact at United Way of the Plains based in Wichita, Kansas.
Sydney Collins: I feel like you've said that a number of times. Got a lot of
Abel Frederic: practice.
Sydney Collins: Um, so give us a little bit about your personal background.
Abel's Journey to Kansas
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Sydney Collins: Are you originally from Kansas?
Abel Frederic: No, I'm a transplant. And so I got to Kansas in 2002. Uh, and I'm laughing because. The, my first experience with Kansas was actually in this area, um, got to Kansas in 2002, was a young 18-year-old kid, uh, received a scholarship to play football at Bethany College in Sport Kansas.
And so I spent a lot of time in Salina because Solana had a movie theater and a mall. Mm-hmm. And [00:04:00] things to do, um, originally from Fort Lauderdale. South Florida area. Have family in Miami, Fort Lauderdale. Yeah. And, and throughout the United States now, but mainly based in South Florida. Um, transferred from Bethany to Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas.
Mm-hmm. Yep. After two years at Bethany and, and completed my education. There in my athletic career there and then was able to attend law school in Charlotte, North Carolina at the Charlotte School of Law. Graduated in 2012 and that same year I moved back to Kansas, uh, to, to accept a job, uh, with what was then United Way of Greater Topeka and is now United Way of the Call Valley.
Sydney Collins: Okay.
Abel Frederic: And so it was in an entry level role there. Um. I got a few different roles throughout my career with increasing responsibility, mainly around philanthropy and fundraising. Mm-hmm. And, um, land landed at United Way here in WI in Wichita.
Sydney Collins: what brought you back to [00:05:00] Kansas?
Career and Community Impact
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Abel Frederic: In all honesty, I knew pretty early in law school that I wanted to use my education to do something else.
Mm-hmm. I did not want to be, uh. Your typical lawyer. I had friends that were graduating and passing the bar and were in some law offices' basement doing research for a case or mm-hmm. You know, their first job outta law school was something called Document review. Doc review.
Gus Applequist: Yeah. That sounds exciting.
Abel Frederic: Yeah, and I knew, I, I knew I didn't want to do that. I wanted to use my education to be able to improve the lives of people around me or the community that I lived in and. Uh, moving back to South Florida after law school was eyeopening. You know, it was a place, don't get me wrong, it, it's, it'll always be home, right?
Mm. Mm-hmm. Um, but there's some challenges there that I know I just didn't want to be around, and I thought, [00:06:00] where were you the most happy? And it was Kansas.
Sydney Collins: Hmm.
Abel Frederic: Um, you know, of course in college you make your best friends.
Sydney Collins: Yeah,
Abel Frederic: right. And, um, a buddy of mine who lived in Ottawa that I had, had a really, you know, just meaningful conversation with about my future goals for my career.
He said, Hey, there's this job in Topeka, had a place called United Way, and it seems like it would be perfect for you Well I was reading through the job description. Why don't you come back? You can live with me. Just pay half the rent. And, you know, let's make it work. And I did. I came back, I was in September of 2012.
Sydney Collins: ironically, so my pivoting here a little bit. My husband is from, um, south of Houston, Houston area. Mm-hmm. He also got a scholarship to Bethany.
Abel Frederic: Oh. What's his
Sydney Collins: name? Uh, Milton Collins. Okay. Um, he would've been. I'm trying to remember what class he was in. He graduated high school in oh eight, so whatever the math [00:07:00] is around there, I I wouldn't
Abel Frederic: have, I wouldn't have crossed paths with him.
Yeah, right.
Sydney Collins: But, um, he also stayed, that's so, um, it's kind of one of those, we have a lot of transplants, all because of Bethany football. So shout out to Bethany Football. Oh, yeah, right. We have a couple of Kansas Wesleyan grad go sweet grads in the, I I can't, I'm sorry.
Abel Frederic: I can never, I can't ever. Say Go Kub.
I can't, it's not, that's okay. I'll say it for you. Yeah.
Sydney Collins: Does graduated from Kub, so to Tanner. So, um, I have a lot of love for Bethany in Tan, but yeah. But we have a lot of love for Bethany, so, um, yeah. So, um. Also in that same way, sorry, I'm going going back to my husband here. That's okay. Um, he also made Roots and friends here.
Like we have a family who basically, they're in-laws for me 'cause they're his Kansas family, right? Yeah. Every Thanksgiving, every Christmas. Right. We, we plan around it. So, um, that's amazing. So. What inspired you? You said you wanted to do something different [00:08:00] after law school, something that meant something.
What inspired that? Like where does that come from?
Abel Frederic: I'm the son of immigrants. My mother and father, uh, immigrated to the United States from Haiti about 45 and 50 years ago. Oh wow. Um, basically my entire family on both sides immigrated to the United States and watching specifically my mother.
Watching her work. Um, and just thinking about the opportunities that were made available for me because of her hard work. Um, just it's, it's, it's inspired me to live a life of service to others. My mother was actually here last week for grandparents day for my 4-year-old son.
Sydney Collins: Oh, that's
Abel Frederic: awesome. It's awesome when you're retired and you can.
Get on the plane and mm-hmm. Say, yeah, grandparents day, I'm here, you know, I can't wait. I don't wanna leave yet. Pete, I promise Pete, Pete Nehara is our president and CEO and he's allowing, he's given me some grace to be here. I [00:09:00] love that. But, uh, yeah, we were talking and. You know, it really was a sobering conversation because it made me think of the current state of the economy and people living in Kansas and around our country.
My mother is the epitome of the American dream, and I'm not sure everybody can live that anymore.
Sydney Collins: Mm-hmm.
Abel Frederic: You know, and some of the challenges that she had as a, as a mother of two children who was working as well as putting herself through nursing school. Um, are challenges that people face now. I had a first grade teacher, Ms.
Clayton. She would keep me after class just so that my mom had time to come pick me up. Wow. Before she had to head off, before she had to drop me off and then had off the night class for nursing school. She would, she would keep me nowadays.
Sydney Collins: That's unheard of. Yeah.
Abel Frederic: DCF would've taken me away from my mom because of neglect.
Right. Um. [00:10:00] But you know, my family really is the epitome of the American dream, and no matter all the challenges that we face here in our country, I can't say anything bad about America because, you know, here we are, you know, 50 years after my mother's arrival, a woman who came to this country with $20 in her pocket, no concept of the English language, and a dream that terrified her.
You know, and she looked at me last week and she said, I'm so proud of you. You know, you've done everything I've wanted you to do. It doesn't get better than that. Mm-hmm. I can't, you know, she came here, she worked hard and. She gave us every opportunity to be successful. And my sister and I, fortunately have, we've, we've fallen and bumped our heads a few times.
Right. But, uh, we are, we have been, I guess, my mother's definition of success. And so, [00:11:00] yeah, watching her work hard, the, the opportunities made available to me by a Ms. Clayton.
Sydney Collins: Mm-hmm.
Abel Frederic: You know, and. That has inspired me to be in service to others. You know, so many people just need a chance, um, or need somebody to advocate for them.
And so I said, how can I use my, my ability to think, um, my skills in relationship management, um, how can I use this education and these gifts that I've been given to do something different? Hmm. As opposed to doing doc review, no shade to any of the lawyers or that's how
Sydney Collins: you learn?
Abel Frederic: Yes. Or I to think there's a, a guy, a basement who just smirked or whatever.
Right. Right. And no shade to any of the recent law grads that have had to do doc review for, for income after law school while they're studying for the bar. I just know I didn't want to do that.
Sydney Collins: Mm-hmm.
Abel Frederic: So,
Sydney Collins: yeah.
United Way's Role and Services
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Abel Frederic: Could [00:12:00] you describe what your role is within? Yeah. Yes, I can. And so as Vice President of Community Impact, um, I wear two hats.
Uh, I oversee our strategic grant making process in which we, uh, grant monies, uh, to nonprofits to do work around healthy communities, youth opportunity and financial security in our south central Kansas coverage area. Mm-hmm. And then I also oversee all of the direct services that our United Way provides to our service area and different parts of the state at no cost to the client.
I oversee both of those, uh, arms of United Way. Uh, and in that, you know, there's a, a lot of relationship management. Um, you know, working with our, our city government, our county government, working with other nonprofit leaders on how to get to, yes. For, uh, the betterment of people [00:13:00] in Cedric County, Cley County, uh, Pratt.
Um, you know, we, our, our work extends across the state. We partner with other United Ways. Um, so the Solina area, United Way is, I'm sure kicking off their workplace campaign. Mm-hmm. Their giving campaign, um, as we are. And I encourage anyone in this area to please get on board. Yeah. And support your local United Way.
I heard this quote from a longtime donor to our United Way. His name is Fred Berry, and he said, no one wants to live in a community where there's not a strong United Way, right? Mm-hmm. As, as we strengthen our United Ways, you know, our, it makes our nonprofit ecosystem strong, and in truth, our nonprofit ecosystem has become the social safety net for so many families.
Here in our communities, and we're at a point in our country's history where, um, [00:14:00] you know, there's so many families who are struggling, costs have gone up astronomically, and the cost of living for many families is not afford, not affordable. You know, they have a survival budget. And in that survival budget are things like rent, childcare, food, um, your basic phone plan, right?
But things that are not in that budget are savings for retirement, uh, winter coats for kids savings for a college fund. How do we get, how do we get it to a point where, um, our families can thrive? Our Alice families, as we call them, asset limited, income constrained, but employed. And so, you know, we really need to strengthen our nonprofit ecosystem so that they can.
Our, our nonprofit providers can help lift up those families that need opportunities like my mother did. [00:15:00]
Gus Applequist: Could you describe, you know, I, I'm familiar with the United Way. Mm-hmm. Um, I'm guessing not every one of our, our listeners may be. Could you describe what the United Way is? Yeah. And how it works.
Abel Frederic: each United Way is different. Right. Okay. Um. To be frank with you, how did United Ways start? And so nearly, let's say nearly 150 years ago, uh, specifically in our community, uh, charitable business, people got together and they said, wow, we are consistently being [00:16:00] asked by all the charitable organizations, uh, to provide funding for different programs.
Wouldn't it be great if we had one place, a clearing house, if you will, to vet the quality of each program and then you know, do the giving for us? Right? Our United Way is a little unique in that yes, we do a bit of that, but we also provide direct services, and so I am in the same shoes as many of the nonprofits for which.
We are granting funds to, right. And so each United Way is different. Some United Ways have direct services, some don't. Uh, I think the value proposition, the, the strength in, uh, United Way is our ability to advocate on behalf of the nonprofit community and our ability to convene the nonprofit community around specific problems.
Um. [00:17:00] To, to do good work in our, in our, in our cities. And so each United Way works differently, but that's our United Way and some other United Ways in a nutshell. I hope that answered your question. It did.
Sydney Collins: There's a lot of probably misconceptions of United Ways. Um, I used to be on a couple committees, because there is kind of like a corporate office and people think like, oh, well if I'm gonna give here, it's just gonna go not into my community.
Abel Frederic: That's not true.
Sydney Collins: Yeah. Can you speak to that?
Abel Frederic: That is not true. Um. And so I think we pay about 1% of whatever we raise in dues to the corporate office because we do receive a benefit from being a part of a national and worldwide network. Um, marketing packages access to different research and data, right?
So there's a benefit there, and we want that benefit for the ben betterment of our communities. Um. But that's not true. The money that you donate to your [00:18:00] local United Way stays in its community. Whether it's for the betterment of, you know, other nonprofit programs or the betterment of the direct services that that United Way provides to the community.
Your money is, is safe in the hands of a United way. You can take that to the bank. I love that.
Gus Applequist: One of the things we do here at ly mm-hmm. Is, uh, is is a lot of videos for nonprofits. Mm-hmm. So we've been able to get out and get to know a lot of different nonprofits and nonprofit leaders and volunteers and service, uh, recipients.
And one of the things that, that strikes me frequently is, is how there might be. Two or three different organizations or people in one community that are all working on the same thing and they don't know each other exists.
Sydney Collins: Mm-hmm.
Gus Applequist: Yeah. And, and so I, that, that was one of the things that you said that really caught my attention is, uh, anytime that we can center our resources and marshal those resources and, and, and, uh, you know, bring people [00:19:00] together that are already working together, they just don't know it yet.
Right. I think magical things can happen a hundred
Abel Frederic: percent. And you know, when we're. Well, looking at philanthropy and nonprofit work, you know, one of the things I ask people to consider is to take a look at who's doing the work that you're passionate about and consider how you can. Strengthen that organization's capability, their capacity to be able to do the work.
Instead of thinking about all of this money needs to go directly to food or directly to buying books, how do you strengthen the capacity with the organization? Many times nonprofit entities have board members who are. Private business leaders and these board members make decisions about the function of the nonprofit that they would never make in their own business.
Mm-hmm. They want to cut their way to impact. Hmm. That's, [00:20:00] you know, you gotta have marketing, you have to have a development, uh, arm. You have to have. A direct services arm. You have to be able to be good in all those things. As we say at United Way of the Plains, if you do good things and you tell the story, then you raise the money.
My department is the Do Good Things department as I I refer to them. Uh, hello everybody. Um, hi. Good. Do good things Department. Um. But yeah, I mean, I encourage donors to really think about investing in the capacity of an organization and not spreading the peanut butter too thin in terms of, Hey, I'm gonna give a a little bit here.
No, no one loves
Sydney Collins: the peanut butter. The peanut butter.
Abel Frederic: No. I like my peanut butter junkie. Um, not, you know. We're gonna give here, and we're gonna give here, and we're gonna give here who is doing the work and who's doing that work. Well strengthen the capacity of that organization in order for them [00:21:00] to amplify their work.
Sydney Collins: I wanna pivot a little bit.
Leadership Kansas Experience
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Sydney Collins: Um, you had the opportunity to be a part of leadership Kansas.
Abel Frederic: Yes, I did. Um.
Sydney Collins: W what did you gather from that experience by entering all these, uh, different, I guess a little backstory on, sorry. People don't know what leadership Kansas is. Um, it is, um, put on by the Kansas
Abel Frederic: chamber.
Sydney Collins: Yeah, the Kansas, uh, chamber cameras, commerce, um, and it's. I don't know, maybe 40 people. How many were in your class? There's
Abel Frederic: 40 leaders from across the state of Kansas. Yeah. Who gathered together for seven months and we tour different areas of Kansas to learn what the issues are, uh, in that region and how that community is coming together to solve those issues.
In addition to that, uh, how that community, that community is celebrating the successes. That it has. Mm-hmm.
Sydney Collins: but what did you [00:22:00] take away from that experience? Um, overall
Abel Frederic: that there has to be, uh, collaboration over competition. You know, when we saw things done well and in a community, it's because you had.
Each entity within the community working well together. You know, I think about a, one of the stops that we took, uh, to Pittsburgh, Kansas.
Sydney Collins: That's a drive.
Abel Frederic: It was a drive. Um. But they were very transparent in letting us know, Hey, you know, there were some ill feelings here, and there were some ill feelings here, but hey, just because we didn't necessarily get along didn't mean we couldn't respect each other and work with one another.
And you had nonprofit leaders, government entities, and private business all in the same room looking to solve an issue. And you know, whenever we saw success in any region of the state. It was that, you know, we, we kept seeing that. [00:23:00] Um, I, I go back to, and I'm gonna butcher this quote, but, um, famous football coach from Smith Center, I believe his name was Roger Barta.
Um, he said to his team, we, you know, we're not gonna like each other at first. But if we, if we can respect one another, we can grow to like each other. And if we can like each other, we can grow to love one another. And if we love one another, we're gonna, we're gonna win championships. And they did, you know, those guys won a lot of games.
It was a lot of love in that locker room. Actually. Renowned, yeah. Yes. And so, yeah. Wow. I'm not sure that I nailed the quote all, all the way, but you know, it's a quote that's always stuck out to me. Wow. You know, if we just respect one another. Look how far we can get. And those folks down in Pittsburgh obviously had a, a great respect for one another to solve some of the issues that they were able to get to Yes.
On. Hmm.
Sydney Collins: Wow. So [00:24:00] from that experience in, in what you've taken away, how are you applying that to your work at the United Way?
Abel Frederic: My, um, my colleagues in the building were probably, are probably sick of me saying this, uh, but one of my favorite quotes and. Uh, sayings in the building is be nice. Um, you know, we're gonna experience tough situations, we're gonna be involved in conversations where people don't agree with us, and they might not even be respectful, but just be, be nice if, if we are right.
Don't do anything to make ourselves wrong. Right. Be respectful because if we can respect one another, we'll grow to like one another. And if we can like each other, we can love each other. Mm-hmm. If we're loving each other, we're gonna win championships. We're not playing a game, you know? Mm-hmm. With our, our underserved community.
But the championship to me is housing our unhoused neighbors, uh, helping our, our [00:25:00] community raise its graduation rates, um, ensuring that. So many more young people that are entering kindergarten in, in our public school system are prepared raising the reading scores of our third grade young people, our third grade students, that's the championship to me.
Sydney Collins: Hmm.
Abel Frederic: Right. I want, I, I, I have a son, he's four. His mother is a school administrator. My wife is really smart. She has a Master's in educational leadership. I love you, Lauren. Um. And I have a law degree, and so there's not a lot that my son's gonna be worried about educationally, you know, everything I do and everything, you know, I, I believe my team is doing are for the kids sitting next to my son in class, right?
And so there's just, we gotta respect one another. We have to enter into conversations with an open mind, even with people we may not agree with. And it's okay that we don't agree. Um. I think we can [00:26:00] still get to, yes, we can all agree that people deserve that, that we should extend decency to human beings.
So how do we, how do we get to Yes on that? You might have a little different way that you're gonna get there. I have a different way that I want to get there. What's the happy medium? So be nice.
Sydney Collins: I love that how you phrased it of, I'm not like, obviously you're educating your own son, but you're doing the good work for the person he's sitting next to. Um, so with that, um.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
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Sydney Collins: There's a lot, there's a program that I absolutely love that, um, all, uh, my kids have participated in Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
Yes. So, um. For those who don't know what it is. A most United Ways participate. Yes. Participate, help fund. However it's organized. I don't know, but I just know that you have to sign up. So what it is, um, actually, you'd probably be better at Yes. At telling what it is.
Abel Frederic: [00:27:00] Yes. And so if you sign up for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, you can sign your child up.
If your child is age is zero to five years old. Mm-hmm. If you sign up, your child will receive one free book in the mail every month. Up until their sixth birthday. And so, you know, it, it's, it's an opportunity to help build the literacy of your child at an early age. You know, I know that when Gabriel receives his book in the mail, he's excited and mm-hmm.
That's the book for story time, that evening. Right. And so we wanna encourage parents to sit down and read with their children, read to their children. We know that when kids. Are literate by the time they're in third grade. You know? 'cause by the time you're in third grade, you are reading to learn. You're not learning to read.
Mm-hmm. Child is literate. By the time they're in third grade, their life outcomes are so much better. And so, yes, [00:28:00] doing it for every child sitting next to Gabriel. And doing it. So every child has the opportunity to become the best perversion of themselves.
Sydney Collins: Mm-hmm.
Abel Frederic: And I, I, I'm a strong believer that literacy helps to do that.
And Dolly Parton Imagination Library is one great tool for us to do that. Mm-hmm. To encourage reading and connection with parent and child.
Sydney Collins: The other part that's amazing, um, about this program that I've noticed is that there are books that I probably normally wouldn't have picked out a [00:29:00] library for Madeline or maybe Madeline wouldn't normally pick out.
Um, but it also, um, touches on subjects that. They may be experiencing, um, 'cause they are age appropriate as they go on. So like for instance, there's one book that we have about just going to the dentist.
Gus Applequist: That's great. I might need to read that one. Yeah. And
Sydney Collins: um, there's another one about, you know, going to the doctor for a checkup.
There's another one about, um, I think their very last book they get is about entering into kindergarten. Oh yeah. Um, and so. They are age appropriate and they are, um, and they touched on multiple cultures too. Yes. That you wouldn't normally, um, uh, probably get, um, what others? We just got one and they're really creative.
Sorry. It's okay. I'm going on a tangent because I No, it's okay. Absolutely love
Abel Frederic: this. Yes. This is your podcast.
Sydney Collins: So we got a book the other day and I could not figure out how to read it. And it's because it had two [00:30:00] stories in it. The middle page combined the stories. Oh, that's cool.
So you turned it around, read the first story, ended on the same page, same ending, and then you turned it around. Read the second part of the story, ended on the same page. So books that I didn't know that they did, things like that. They also come in English and Spanish. So one page will be English and then another page will be Spanish.
Yes. So. Poor Madeline has to handle my very poor Spanish because it's, I don't know, it, I took a whole year, so I least know the letters. Um, but it gets your kids involved in, again, other cultures, other languages, things like that. Anyway, okay. Wow. That's my spiel. That's great. Not only do I love the Sunflower Summer app, but I love the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
Abel Frederic: And I, I encourage any parent, you know, if you're expecting you can get your child signed up before your child even. Gets here. Um. You know, if, if child's already here and you haven't [00:31:00] signed up yet, you're hearing about it now, sign up. Yeah. Or if you have a loved one that's expecting sign that, sign that young person up.
It's a great way to promote literacy and parent child connection. I love it.
Sydney Collins: And, and the book comes with your kid's name on it. So it's mail for them so it gets them excited about it. 'cause then they, that's very exciting. Start learning their name,
Abel Frederic: so. Mm-hmm.
Sydney Collins: Um, what, oh, go ahead.
Abel Frederic: I think you were gonna ask the same question.
Sydney Collins: Yeah. What other programs Yeah. Maybe that we don't know about,
Give Items of Value Warehouse and 2-1-1 Call Center
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Abel Frederic: Uh, we also have what's called our give items a Value Warehouse. We have a partnership with Amazon, uh, as well as Walmart, uh, where they may have items that they have not been able to sell. Right.
And these items are brand new still in the box.
Sydney Collins: Mm-hmm.
Abel Frederic: They donate them to us. We have, we pick them up on our, we have two box trucks that go out to pick them up. We bring them up back to our warehouse. We're [00:32:00] powered by volunteers as well because our volunteers then break down the boxes and set those items out for us to display on our shelves and nonprofits are able to come into the warehouse and shop.
For items. Oh, that's cool. Items that they may need, uh, that are germane to their business. Uh, and these items are free, right? And so we are helping these nonprofits. This is just one more way we're adding value to our nonprofit ecosystem as a United way. Um, these nonprofits are able to come shop for free.
And cut down on their overhead. And so if I'm nonprofit X and I need furniture,
Sydney Collins: mm-hmm. I
Abel Frederic: can come shop for office furniture if I'm a nonprofit that. Um, deals with in that, that specializes in early childhood development. I can come get formula, I can come get diapers, I can get clothing. If I'm a nonprofit that provides safety [00:33:00] for, uh, children who have been victims of abuse, I can come get, uh, Christmas decorations
Sydney Collins: Oh,
Abel Frederic: to decorate our area so that.
Children have a Christmas within our mm-hmm. Our, our safe space. One of my favorite stories, one of our funded partners, youth Horizons, uh, shout out Robert Van and Rebecca. Um, uh, youth Horizons is a, an organization that, uh, specializes in, um. Mentorship as well as, uh, the development of foster care youth.
Sydney Collins: Mm.
Abel Frederic: And so they have several houses in which they have some foster care children and they put on an art program for their foster care. Children and these, these children that needed art supplies, where do they get those art supplies? Give [00:34:00] Warehouse. And these kids, you know, they, they, they're very talented and, you know, youth Horizons was able to, to then, uh, display their art and put on an art show for these kids and in a legit art gallery.
And these young people were able to sell their pieces.
Sydney Collins: That's amazing. Right?
Abel Frederic: And so. It was really cool for us to be a small part in a young person experiencing, you know, some type of independence or some type of success, you know, something meaningful for themselves. So I give items of value Warehouse is one that I, I always brag on.
Another one is our two one one call center.
Sydney Collins: Mm-hmm.
Abel Frederic: And so we are the State's 2 1 1, uh, United Way of the Plains operates 2 1 1. Uh, and we respond to 98 of the 105 counties in Kansas, the. The United [00:35:00] Way of Greater Kansas City has these seven other counties, right? And so we like to refer to 2 1 1 as hello to help.
And so if you're anywhere in the state of Kansas and you have a food insecurity, you can call 2 1 1 and we will direct you to your nearest food bank, right? Or if you are trying to escape, uh, an abusive situation, we will direct you to a, a safe place. If you're looking for shelter, we'll direct you to someone who can help you, uh, escape your unhoused situation.
Mm-hmm. And so our 2 1 1 operators are, they're rock stars. Um. Hello Michelle and team. Um,
Sydney Collins: I love that, you know, you can remember everyone's names. That's awesome. That's amazing.
Abel Frederic: I just, when, when you work with great people, it's easy. I, I, and there are people that I, I've worked with that I no longer work with that I, I'm just.[00:36:00]
Hmm. You know, they've made such an impact on me. I have a, I have a team, you know, any mark, any definition of success that some successful, that someone thinks I am, I credit my team, you know, they do the real work. I provide some guidance, maybe a little bit of strategic leadership or pretend to, alright, I got this.
I promise guys. Um. But they are, they're wonderful. Our two one one call center. They're an amazing group of individuals, uh, that partners with nonprofits all across our state to ensure that people receive the resources that they need. And right now, we're currently in a, a, a fantastic partnership with the Stand Together Foundation, uh, where they have partnered with us to provide some technology called the Loop Close Referral System.
And so. You two call into two one one with a need. We direct you to your need and then we ask, [00:37:00] we say, Hey. Were you able, you can provide us feedback. Were you able to get resourced? Did you receive the, the help that you looked for? And you can fill out a survey and let us know what your needs, what needs were met, what needs were not met, what needs you're still struggling with.
Using Data to Support Nonprofit Partners
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Abel Frederic: And now we can use that information to provide feedback to our nonprofit partners, um, to tell them, Hey, you know, here's. Here's one, how you're performing, and here's some. And we can use that data to say, Hey, here are some gaps that we need to close for people here in our community. And so, you know, we're very thankful for that partnership with Stand Together so that we can make sure that people are getting resourced appropriately.
Introduction to the Continuum of Care (COC) Program
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Abel Frederic: Um, another uh, program that I'm always very excited about is our COC, uh, our Continuum of Care. And so. I don't know if you all are familiar with that, uh, but for those of you that aren't, uh, there are about 400 cities [00:38:00] around the country that have ACEC, LC
Sydney Collins: Hmm.
Abel Frederic: Right. Um, and so I. Uh, the federal government grants dollars, uh, to a community to stand up ACEC OC ACEC Continuum of Care in order to address homelessness in that area.
COC's Impact on Homelessness
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Abel Frederic: United Way of the Plains is the lead agency for Wichita and Sedwick County's COC. We then disperse federal funds. Two, um, our homeless services providers so that they can help, uh, those who are unhoused become permanently and safely housed. We have a rockstar team from, you know, they provide grant administration, they provide, uh, help with data and they also provide housing navigation services.
Housing navigation means, you know. Going out into the homeless community, having conversations, learning the story of each individual person and [00:39:00] walking alongside them so that they're safely and permanently housed. We just, we recently won a Wichita Business Journal Innovation Award. Thank you. John Kin team.
Shout out Wichita Business Journal. Thank y'all. Um. I just recently won an innovation award for that, for our work. Mm-hmm. Uh, in the homeless services area and to our navigation team, Donna, Jillian, Tyra. Jen. 'cause they would be so mad if I didn't shout them out. I'm not in the office today, but I'm shouting you out on, on a podcast.
Uh, you guys doing great work. And so just yesterday, you know, which is normally on Thursdays, they go out into the homeless community. Mm-hmm. And they build trust, uh, amongst our unhoused neighbors. They take down their information, they enter 'em into our data, our database, our by name. List where we address the needs of individuals who are unhoused by name and by need.
Sydney Collins: Mm. Um,
Abel Frederic: and [00:40:00] then, you know, when a housing resource comes available, they go back and they get that person and they walk with them through the housing process.
Challenges and Misconceptions About Homelessness
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Abel Frederic: And so, you know, I know there's been some conversations recently and in the past about why are people experiencing homelessness? Um, you know, some people say it's mental health issues.
Some people say it's addiction issues. Uh, just in my experience having worked alongside my team, Matt Cole, Haley, um, Shylee, having worked alongside my team, in my experience, I would tell you that, um. You know, hey, we all know someone who is dealing with a mental health issue or an addiction issue, right?
We all know some, and we all know someone who dealt with that issue that was safely and permanently housed. Now, imagine dealing with that issue as you're unhoused and then you're trying to get [00:41:00] that person housed. You're telling them, Hey, you've gotta go to treatment, you've gotta do this. You've gotta do that all while dealing with with your issue.
And on average we have to navigate five to six different resources. Mm-hmm. Now imagine having to navigate those resources when you're not in your proper mental state. So our housing navigators, they walk alongside, um, these unhoused neighbors so that they're able to get safely and permanently housed.
And our homeless services community in Wichita and CED County, they're a wonderful group of people. Uh, you know, I've said this before, but. In, in other spaces, homelessness is a tough issue. Mm-hmm. And those who are in the space very rarely get credit. You know, they're constantly, you know, why isn't this solved yet?
What are you doing? Right.
Community Partnerships and Success Stories
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Abel Frederic: So to our partners, such as humankind, uh, union Rescue Mission, you [00:42:00] know, we see you. Thank you. Uh, family Promise of Greater Wichita, you know. You all are doing a fantastic job. Um, you know, city of Wichita. Thank you for everything that you do. You, our partners at the City of Wichita mm-hmm.
Who provide housing vouchers for our unhoused neighbors, those at Dole va. Um, our, our, our VA in Wichita is amazing at providing housing resources for our homeless veterans.
Sydney Collins: I do have a story to add. So I was, I was at, uh, WIBA. Yes. Wichita Association Independent Business.
Associ Business Association. Association. a couple weeks ago, and I wish I could remember the gal's name or who she was with. I sat next to her the whole time. I need to start writing these things down. But she was telling me how they were able to buy abandoned like a. An abandoned block from the city of Wichita so they could start renovating those to help facilitate families who are unhoused and walk them through that process.
Abel Frederic: We have some amazing work [00:43:00] happening in Wichita, CED County, uh, because of the partnerships that we have with city government, uh, the nonprofit ecosystem. Uh, private business, county government. I don't wanna leave anybody out. Yeah. You know, we have champions in county government. We have champions in city government, whether it's staff or elected officials who are, you know, really, you know, pushing this issue to the top of everybody's radar.
You know, homelessness is, is a health problem, um, and everybody deserves to be safely and permanently housed.
Sydney Collins: Mm-hmm.
Abel Frederic: And, you know, to our, to our funded partners. To all of our partners who are out here doing the work and to our community champions that are making this top of mind for everyone in our community and getting us to yes, on a solution.
Thank you. Um, because, you know, excuse me, I'm [00:44:00] sorry. Breakfast hasn't settled yet.
Sydney Collins: You're
Abel Frederic: right. Um, but. And like I said, it's, it's a really sensitive issue. Mm-hmm. You know, you, for the business owners, you know, can, they're looking at this like, Hey, this is not good. Having someone sleeping in my doorway is driving away my business.
And I can understand that that's their livelihood and for the person sleeping in the doorway, they don't wanna sleep there. I guarantee you that. Um. You know, to anybody that's out there that says people choose to be homeless, I promise you, far more individuals would prefer to be safely and permanently housed.
As a matter of fact, our homeless services ecosystem in Wichita and Sedwick County has seen about an 80% success rate in keeping individual Wow. After housing an unhoused neighbor. And so they've done some amazing that that ecosystem has done some amazing work. With [00:45:00] walking alongside each person to ensure that they stay housed.
I'm gonna ask a really
Gus Applequist: like broad question. Okay. It's okay. Um, and because I'm a Lord of the Rings dork and I can't help but bring Lord of the rings up all the time. Okay. I'm bringing up a, a quote from The Hobbit, which is, uh, uh, the world isn't in your books and maps. It's out there. And, uh, that quote means a lot to me because I have a tendency to like overanalyze things and, uh, and plan, but not actually take action.
Okay.
Balancing Planning and Execution in Nonprofits
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Gus Applequist: Um, so in the nonprofit space and with the work that you all do, you know, there's obviously some need for planning and for long-term vision.
Sydney Collins: Mm-hmm.
Gus Applequist: But. But how do you balance kind of that with the, the need to actually take action, right. It's a, from everything you've said, you guys are, are doing so much.
Abel Frederic: that's, that's a really tough question to answer. As broad as it is. Yes. Um, you know, I appreciate planning, [00:46:00] um, but I'm also, I also appreciate execution, which is why I was hired, I believe. Um. Pete Nehara is big on accountability, and I don't know if he took a sneak peek at my Gallup strengths test, but that's one of my top strengths is accountability.
Um, you know, I think in the nonprofit ecosystem, uh, in, in regard to execution, you know, there has to be maybe more of a sense of urgency. When it comes to accountability, you know, I know personally with many of the funded partners and community partners that we have, uh, the conversation in the room is constantly around being good stewards of donor dollars.
Individuals have made an investment, right? And the return on investment is not a few extra dollars. The return on investment is what they see [00:47:00] happening in the community. Did we raise third grade Reading scores are more people housed this year than last year. So that's a really hard question to answer. I, I don't know how we balance that.
I just know we do, you know, we plan, but we execute and we hold ourself accountable with deadlines. Hey, drop dead date to execute is this day. Um. I also think, you know, we live in a state where entrepreneur, entrepr, the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well. Right? You yourself are an entrepreneur, right?
Um, in the nonprofit ecosystem, we have to promote that more because as people change, problems evolve. And so we can't keep coming at old problems with old solutions.
Innovative Approaches in Nonprofit Work
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Abel Frederic: We have to keep innovating and one way that we do that, or we look to inspire that, uh, we have a funding stream called [00:48:00] Impact on the Planes.
Uh, it's our signature event every year. It's next week, September 18th. Tickets are sold out. Uh, if you know someone that knows United Way of the Plains, get with them to see if they got a table. It's a show you're not gonna wanna miss. Um, but you know, we open up a grant application and we ask the nonprofit community, Hey, what are you doing that's innovative In the nonprofit space, we have a panel that gets together and takes a look at these applications, grades, these applications.
And comes to consensus on who four finalists should be for that evening. And you know, we have four, it's like shark think a, think a nonprofit Shark Tank.
Sydney Collins: Mm. Okay.
Abel Frederic: Right? And so each, uh, each finalist gets up there and does a five minute pitch. To a five person panel of judges who are all very recognizable in our community.
[00:49:00] Thank you. Susan Devon, Heather Schroeder, Victor Ojala, Amy Williams, and San Chandler. It's gonna be a fun time. Um, but you know, these five judges then make a decision on who should receive the grand prize of $40,000. And who in fourth place should receive $10,000 and so on and so forth. And we add some more fun to the mix by, um, doing the People's Choice Awards, where the crowd does a, a vote.
Right then and there, uh, night of the event to see who receives an additional $5,000 investment. Wow. Right. And so we've seen projects come through. Um, some of my, some, some of the most memorable to me, um, my ICT launch pad, a, you know, a, an afterschool, uh. Tutoring program located in, uh, a, a, a specific zip code in Wichita.[00:50:00]
Uh, that has had some challenges, but that has also produced some very notable wich attempts, right? And very successful wich attempts. And so the leader of ICT Launchpad, Bryce Graham says, Hey, look, we have kids here who deserve to. Uh, be successful in school and he's providing them educational opportunities through ICT launchpad.
Right? Um, we've, we've had so many, uh, finalists come through. Uh, the folks at the center, shout out to Pastor Bill, van. Hi Bill. Um, you know, they also have a, uh, a tutoring, uh, STEAM program. Uh, where they're providing, uh, steam education for young people in a very challenged zip code. And so, you know, I, I love the, the work that comes out of, you know, this funding initiative and the way they're all going about it is in very innovative ways.
[00:51:00] And so we have to have some innovation in our space. We can't keep coming at food insecurity the way we have. You know, I, I think of our funded partners over at Catholic Charities who has a food pantry mm-hmm. And provides, uh, culturally relevant food for families. That's huge. Right? For families who are experiencing food insecurities that may be of other ethnicities and provides dignity in.
In accessing the food pantry. You know, when you go over there for an experience, it's like going to the grocery store. Mm-hmm. And so that stigma is not on someone, you know, there's a lot I think about it sometimes, just because of the, the work that I'm in. I'm able to get up and go to the grocery store and afford things to provide for my family, you know?
What's that weight like when [00:52:00] you can't do it? My mom has talked to me about that. I remember being five years old and understanding what broke meant. Hey, we're broke. You know, 5-year-old shouldn't understand that. Right? But the stress that my mother was on under to provide for us, I can't imagine, I can't fathom that right now, in addition to all my responsibilities at work, right?
That's stress. That can be stressful. It's enjoyable. I know that sounds really weird. You enjoy to be stressed. I enjoy people work in
Sydney Collins: different ways.
Abel Frederic: I enjoy helping people, helping people that I may never meet. You know, I, I enjoy helping shape a community, right?
Sydney Collins: Mm-hmm.
Abel Frederic: Um, so, yeah. Very long answer to your broad question.
Sorry. That's fair.
Gus Applequist: Well, I think you take the cake for, um, uh, most shout outs in an episode. Congratulations. I, I'm
Sydney Collins: more impressed that you remember everyone's name. Yeah. 'cause I definitely can't, I have literally looked at Gus in the face and been like, I know that I'm supposed to know your name, but I cannot think of it right now.
We've
Gus Applequist: [00:53:00] worked together for years.
Sydney Collins: Yeah. Is there anything else that you'd like to share?
Encouraging Community Support and Participation
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Abel Frederic: Right now, each of you, you know, wherever you're watching in the state of Kansas, each of your local United Ways are entering into their workplace campaigns. Please consider giving a small portion of your paycheck in order to impact the life of someone.
You may not meet, um, understand that it isn't about you. It's not about me. It's about shaping your community for everything that will come after us. My mother says this all the time, you have to plant trees for which you will never feel the shade, right?
Sydney Collins: Oh,
Abel Frederic: and my mom's a very, I really wanna hang out with your mom, but everybody does.
Everybody does. She's, she's really cool. She is. She is a. She's a, a fantastic person, but I, you know, I encourage anyone who is watching right now, [00:54:00] if you are a, a business leader, you know, please consider allowing your local United Ways into your business to run their annual workplace campaign. If you are at a company that runs their workplace campaign.
Please consider boosting your participation rate and giving to your local United Way. And even if you, you know, United Way is not, uh, your cup of tea in terms of charitable organizations to give to. Please consider supporting some organization within your community with your time, talent, and treasure. Uh, it is crucial right now, uh, to how our communities will move forward.
Right now we're in a very, uh, stressful time where we are seeing the need grow month on month. You know, families who are honest, hardworking people are. Accessing charitable organizations [00:55:00] for help at record numbers right now, and there is a strain on the nonprofit ecosystem and in order to meet the needs of those families, nonprofits are in search of funding to best serve these families.
So please consider being charitable.
Sydney Collins: Well, thank you so much for being on today and for making the drive. We really appreciate it. Thank
Abel Frederic: you, fa I still can't believe you guys wanted to talk to me. It's, well, we, I, I know what, I've been a fan since.
Sydney Collins: We met you at leadership, uh, Kansas. Oh, we did all the filming.
Oh, yes. I for that, remember? Yes. Yes. And so I was like, man, I have to put Abel in my brain, so thank you. So when this came up and I was like, we have to have Abel on.
Abel Frederic: Thank you. So you remembered my name. Okay. Thank you. I did remember your name. Thank you. But I
Sydney Collins: did watch that video a lot, so, and your name popped up, so that helped.
Thank you.
Abel Frederic: Good.
Sydney Collins: So I need basically lower thirds in my entire life.
Abel Frederic: Lower thirds, don't
Sydney Collins: remember everyone's name. But
Abel Frederic: yeah, I'm, I was blown away. I was like, you guys wanna talk to [00:56:00] me for what? Like, why would you wanna speak to me? I was just telling one of your coworkers, I am probably the most uninteresting person in the world.
Uh, I don't, I don't get any movie references, uh, pop culture completely over my head. Uh, I,
Sydney Collins: that's a hundred percent my husband, he doesn't get any of my, I'm a nerd. He is an athlete. Mm-hmm. I was banned and theater. He is a natural athlete, and so he doesn't get any of my pop culture things.
Abel Frederic: And our, our, you know, my teammates in the building are always giving me a hard time about it.
You know, I don't know the new TikTok craze. I, I, I don't know the new popular song. I have no idea what's going on. I, I, I'm, I'm just out here, I guess, you know, just out here. So
Gus Applequist: some of those things make you not more interesting, but, but. Definitely, you know, [00:57:00] you are interesting. Well, thank you. Yeah,
Abel Frederic: I, I appreciate the compliment.
You hear that, Lauren?
Well, thank you so much. Thank you for having me.
Gus Applequist: [00:58:00] I hope you enjoyed that interview with Abel Frederic.
Sydney Collins: I love that he is so passionate about his work, um, that, and he definitely gets the award for the most shout [00:59:00] outs.
Gus Applequist: Totally.
Sydney Collins: The amount of names that that man can remember, um, astonishes me because I can barely remember your name most days, like I mentioned.
Um,
Gus Applequist: we need a TikTok that's just him, like him giving shout outs, the shoutout counter. I love it.
Sydney Collins: you know, how he applies his background and how he was raised to what he, um, does today. I really wanna meet his mom, um, and hang out with her just for like half a day. Um. Yeah. What was your biggest kind of pull away?
Gus Applequist: Um, this is a tangent, but I promise it connects. Uh, I, there's a YouTube, uh, creator, two YouTube creators that I follow, uh, called Cinema Therapy. And one, one of them is a movie director and one of them is a therapist. Yeah. And, uh, the therapist is always saying that he has a accountability kink. Like he's really.
Like that, that's what excites him is, is when people are accountable. Yeah. And uh, that was something that you could just tell in his [01:00:00] personality that he takes things very seriously. Not, like, not to a bad degree, just he takes his work very seriously. Yeah. And I think he elevates everyone around him because of it.
Sydney Collins: Very much so. Very much so. I, um, I wish I could pull away like all the quotes that he mentioned. Um. We'll have to do that when we, when we rero rewatch this episode. But again, I say this a lot, but people who are passionate about what they do really speak to me because that's what people who have so much passion and can exude that on other people.
Mm-hmm. I just love, and he's just one of those people. Yeah. So,
Gus Applequist: uh, we've had a lot of of people that I consider selfless on lately, and I, I simultaneously find it convicting 'cause I know I'm not as selfless as they are. But also, you know, just it's really, [01:01:00] um, makes what we do meaningful mm-hmm. When we see what these people are doing.
Yeah.
Okay, so I am introducing a new segment today. Um, this, I have to start
Sydney Collins: keeping a list of all of our segments.
Gus Applequist: Yeah, I, there's been a few that I've done that I won't come back to probably, but, but, uh, so I was thinking about what, what would be a good segment that I feel somewhat knowledgeable about and so, um.
Spotlight on Kansas Artists: Lester Raymer
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Gus Applequist: Welcome to Portrait of a Kansas artist.
Sydney Collins: Okay.
Gus Applequist: And, uh, there's a lot of really great artists from Kansas, and this, this initially is, uh, a visual artist, but we may branch out into others in the future, other types of artists. Um, but I think that, uh. When we're trying to elevate Kansas and what's happening here, part of that is cultural.
Mm-hmm. Like we aren't a no-name state where nothing happens. Like beautiful art is made here. Yeah. And so let's talk about it. Uh, so the first artist that I'm gonna focus on is named Lester Raymer. He lived from 1907 to 1991, and [01:02:00] he is closely associated with Lindsburg. He is probably the, the second. Best known artist from Linberg, the first being Berger Zain, um, which we may talk about in the future, but Raymer doesn't get quite as much love, so I, I figured we'd talk about him today.
Um, so I have a, a little slideshow of pictures here that I'll show. Okay. Um, and I wanna show you this first one, just because I think it's one of, well, this is an epic picture of an artist too. Um, but this next picture is just, I think it's like an action shot. That's really cool. So yeah, go ahead. Doesn't that look like, uh, something from like a, a movie?
I don't know. I just love it.
Sydney Collins: I feel like. Is this political by any means? Okay.
Gus Applequist: So, okay, so, uh, this picture is taken by Jim Turner, a, a friend, uh, from Linberg. Uh, so, uh, thanks Jim for this, for letting us use this. He hasn't given us his permission, so I hope he's okay with us using it.
Sydney Collins: Thanks, Jim. Um, yeah,
Gus Applequist: he took this when he was a student photographer at Bethany College.
Sydney Collins: [01:03:00] Okay.
Gus Applequist: And, uh, I'm. I'm about 90% sure the guy in the double-breasted suit on the right is Lester Raymer. And, and what I believe this occasion is is when the King of Sweden came to visit.
Sydney Collins: Oh, Linberg. Okay.
Gus Applequist: And, um, but there's just something about this that implies swagger and I think it's kinda cool. Yeah.
Sydney Collins: You're right. Um, I think I'm more impressed that you, I have actually, there's words that I'm trying to say. I apparently have no idea what a double breasted suit was. So when you started saying that, I was like,
Gus Applequist: now you're making me question dude color. You know this.
Sydney Collins: Anyway,
Gus Applequist: um, at the end of this, I want to, I wanna tell a story that I've heard about this occasion anyway.
Okay. So, Lester Raymer was born in. Alva Oklahoma, 1907. Uh, he had two older brothers and he developed a passion for art very early in his childhood. In 1933, he received a bachelor's degree from the Chicago [01:04:00] Art Institute. Um, on screen right now, we're seeing, this is a little bit later in the story, but, um, this is his studio in Lindsburg, the Red Barn studio.
Okay. Um. So, yeah, his art received critical praise even when he was at the art Institute. And after graduation, he established a small art studio on his family farm in Alva. And there he produced a large portion of work. He experimented with many different forms of classical art, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, and printmaking.
But in 1945, he married Ramona Weedle and the couple relocated to Lindsburg, Kansas. And that's when they developed. Oh, okay. Uh, and established this studio. Uh, the large and complex studio and home was made from recycled materials, which reflected his common approach to art. During his later years, Raymer began to branch artistically into mediums, such as pottery, wood, carving furniture, making jewelry, masks, toys, mosaics, paper mache, stitchery, and metalwork.
He became known for crafting discarded items and [01:05:00] materials into both art pieces and decorations for the studio. Hmm. Common artistic themes in many of his works include clowns, minstrels, um, uh, circus imagery, biblical scenes, ornate sons and animals, especially horses and roosters. Raymer was known as a private.
Person who often didn't participate in self-promotion. He famously, uh, was quoted as saying, my paintings, do all the talking. Um, throughout his career in Lindsburg, Kramer's artwork won many awards and his famous spread among the American art world and his most common clients during his life were churches.
During the 1960s, he was hired to do liturgical work for churches in Kansas, Illinois, and Texas. He remained active in his art until his death in 1991 when he was 83 and his wife died. The. The following year, um, he was buried in Lynchburg and in 1997, his studio was open to the public as a museum dedicated to his artwork.
And it continues to be operated by the nonprofit, [01:06:00] the Rayer Society for the Arts. Um, his style is, is unique, and I'm gonna have this, he's mostly known for his harlequins. That's what these are. And they're kind of like clowns. Yeah. And puppets. Um, and it's.
There's a lot of artwork that's made like with commercial intent, like a desire to sell. And I think there's, there's some artists like Les Raymer who just find something they're passionate about and they make it, and it ends up having commercial value in the end. So keep going through these images.
Merlin, here's an example of one of his biblical scenes.
Sydney Collins: Interesting.
Gus Applequist: Very different kind of body composition and stuff. Yeah. Roosters, like he said. Like I said in the thing, he likes architectural scenes as well. Um, this is St. Luke's Plaza. I can't tell if this is supposed to be Coronado Heights. I, I [01:07:00] kind of don't think it is, but it does have some similarities to, no, there's too
Sydney Collins: many trees.
There's not all the trees out there are.
Gus Applequist: No, that's true. There's not, you can keep going
Sydney Collins: like, that feels like a river. Oh, his, his
Gus Applequist: toys and his 3D yard are also very interesting. Um, uh, they're very playful. And uh, the next one is one of my favorites, uh, his Noah's Ark. Um, oh wow. And this one's in a glass box, so if you visit mm-hmm.
You can go on all sides of it and see,
Sydney Collins: look at it.
Gus Applequist: Yeah. And, uh, his work has been featured. That's a little museums before his time.
Sydney Collins: I mean like if you think so, I'm thinking of like when he would've been like peaking in artwork. So he was born in what? 1907
Gus Applequist: and died in 91 and
Sydney Collins: died in 91. So he was really making art between what, 19, 20 ish to probably
Gus Applequist: all the way, pretty much all the way up
Sydney Collins: until the sixties.
Mm-hmm. Maybe seventies?
Gus Applequist: No, into his eighties. Oh really? He was still producing when he was, okay. So into
Sydney Collins: the nineties. So I'm trying to [01:08:00] think of like, okay, what was happening in the world?
Gus Applequist: Hmm.
Sydney Collins: During some of these pieces. So like, yeah, that feels very. I don't know, eighties to me nineties, but maybe I'm totally wrong.
Gus Applequist: I don't wanna speak for you, but I'm not particularly well educated in art history.
Sydney Collins: I'm not either. Um,
Gus Applequist: so, and there are others that work here that have more of a specialty in that. I think this piece makes me think of something by like Picasso or something with the architectural kind of thing.
Sydney Collins: See, I get the 80 Oh yeah, go ahead.
Gus Applequist: Um, go back when. Yeah. So
Sydney Collins: I get the eighties vibe just from. Yeah. Like, it makes me think of the Labyrinth.
Gus Applequist: Yeah, I get it.
Sydney Collins: That's what that makes me think of.
Gus Applequist: Mm-hmm.
Sydney Collins: Anyway,
Gus Applequist: uh, he did, he did the cover or the, the program cover, I think for the Hangs Fest, which is the wow event that's coming up again this October, 1985.
Sydney Collins: Wow. Look at that. Yeah,
Gus Applequist: it's, it's just a gorgeous, I love. Love his work there. And then, so his, his legacy today, [01:09:00] um, the, the Red Barn Studio and the Raymer Society, I'd say, you know, be, besides the, the space itself that you can go and visit. Mm-hmm. There's kind of two things that they're known for today. One is their art auctions, um, which, you know, previous to this.
You could, you could find art by local artists. Um, but it was a little hard to like see that community in one place. It was kind of spread out and in auctions and in a few shops. But, uh, the art auction has really become a centerpiece of the local art scene. And, uh, uh, I guess if we're shouting people out, um, uh, bill Pearson is a, is a friend of the podcast and lives very close to us, and Bill Pearson's been involved at, at Red Barn and, um.
I, I should also mention the, the woman who's, who's really taken this on and kept it going and, and poured her life into it is Marsha Howe. Um, she's the one. Kind of behind the scenes. Mm-hmm. And then the other thing that, that Raymer Society and the Red Barn do is they [01:10:00] have a artist in residence program at the Red Barn Studio.
Oh,
Sydney Collins: that's cool. And so
Gus Applequist: every, I think it's every month they have a different artist that comes through different mediums and uh, you know, some of which are local, some of which are further afield. But I think it's, it's really cool to see that, uh, the museum is not just stagnant Yeah. With his work, but. But they're inviting other people to go there and be inspired by it.
'cause it's a really incredible space. I dream about living in that like it is such a cool studio.
Sydney Collins: So here's what it reminds me of. So you know how there's certain studios that artists use, like music studios mm-hmm. That are very significant, that are very popular artists Road. Yeah. Like artists dream about making music in there.
Mm-hmm. That's what it reminds me of.
Gus Applequist: Yeah. Yeah. And I could totally see, you know, a little kid going through that has some interest in art mm-hmm. And being like, I wanna be that person. Yeah. So it's, it's really cool. It's definitely worth a visit. Mm-hmm. I don't remember if there's a cost to, I think it might be free, don't quote me [01:11:00] on that, to visit the red barn, but totally worth a stop.
Um. Mm-hmm. And you can also head across town, takes literally two minutes to get there and visit Sanz Gallery. Yep. Same day. So that's what I had.
Sydney Collins: All right.
Closing Remarks and Future Segments
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Sydney Collins: Well, I just have a bunch of tiktoks that have been filling up space that we haven't had a chance to go through, so let's
Gus Applequist: do it.
Sydney Collins: I'll just have rewatch this. I came across this only because this guy is doing it in Kansas and like the background is legit and it caught my attention.
[01:12:00] So fire keeper golf courses in Jackson County. Okay,
Gus Applequist: so Eastern Kansas. So Eastern
Sydney Collins: Kansas. Mm-hmm. Um, but I thought it was, so, it kind of reminds me of, um, like having a Roomba. Mm-hmm. But for a golf course,
Gus Applequist: massive, [01:13:00] massive.
Mm-hmm.
Sydney Collins: But, um, the other thing is I thought was really interesting about this was obviously in Kansas, so that's why we're showcasing it. But
Gus Applequist: I've never heard of Fire Keeper before. I
Sydney Collins: have never heard of it either.
Gus Applequist: Mm-hmm.
Sydney Collins: Um, but I, this is another little tie in. So we a, as we mentioned in the podcast today, um, they.
Strive to help women get into kind of men oriented things. Mm-hmm. And one of those is golf. So they have a, um, wine and nine um, program that they created. I went to one of them. I did not get to participate in the wine, wine park 'cause I had to lead to go pick up Madeline. But, um, I only golfed like maybe four or five actual holes.
I cannot imagine mowing that by hand. Like, or not by hand, but like sitting on a mower and mowing that the entire time, and so. [01:14:00] I am a huge fan of robot mower. It's just, 'cause now I know what golf is.
Gus Applequist: Yeah. Yeah. I, um, in a, in a previous life kind of, I, uh, I was in a robotics team in high school. Oh yeah. And, uh, after graduate, well, halfway through college before I switched to business, I was a physics major and.
I, my dream, my dad had an a TV and my dream was to try to roboticize it.
Sydney Collins: Oh, wow.
Gus Applequist: And like, I, I kind of had a plan, probably wouldn't have worked out, but, uh, yeah, it's, it's incredible to see how quickly technology is developing and, um. You know, I, when, when we were in, in college mm-hmm. You know, it was like, uh, the quad copers were just coming up.
Oh yeah. We didn't even call them drones yet. They were just quad copers, quad copers. Oh my gosh. Yeah. And it's, it's impressive to see where this technology is showing up. Uh, three of our staff members here at freely went through a drone training program at Key State Salina, uh, back in January. And, [01:15:00] um, there were law enforcement folks that were using drones to, uh.
Search and rescue. Mm-hmm. Uh, there were people using them to spray, uh, you know, yeah. Chemicals, pesticides, um, all that sort of stuff. So, who's, who's to say? You, you sometimes think that Kansas is the last pace place. New tech will come. Yeah. But not always true. Not always.
Sydney Collins: Well, that's all we've got for you today.
Um, if you've hung on this long, thank you so much. Please make sure you're sharing. A podcast, a, a episode of Ask A Kansan with somebody. Um, that's what we ask. Um, we are in the process of doing a March line, so stay tuned for that. If you have ideas, reach out to us, like share, comment, visit us@askaans.com for more stories and behind the scenes.
What else have I missed?
Gus Applequist: Yeah. You know, I, I, I think keep trying to connect Kansas with Kansas. [01:16:00] Uh, yeah. You don't have to do it just through us. I think we're, we're hoping that, that Kansas can be better connected and, um, and that, you know, we're moving forward as a state,
Sydney Collins: as we're amplifying, uncovering and connecting.
Gus Applequist: Yes, we got it in there twice.
Sydney Collins: Plug. All right. Well, thanks for listening. We'll see you all next time and thanks for listening.