Transforming Communities, One Step at a Time
Your support helps make this work possible.
SENT Topeka is more than a nonprofit. We are a group of people working side by side to help our neighbors grow and thrive.
Since 2018, we have focused on the Hi-Crest neighborhood. We work on the real problems families face every day. Together, we are creating lasting change that helps people now and in the future.
By investing in SENT, you’re not just giving—you’re building hope and transforming lives.
With your help
Hi-Crest has faced many challenges for years. Families have dealt with poverty, housing problems, and limited access to care and education. But change is happening. Every month, SENT supports thousands of people through our programs. With your help, we can:
- Build safe, affordable homes
- Provide care for mental, physical, and behavioral health
- Expand educational and workforce development opportunities for teens and adults.
- Bring people together to build a strong community
When you give, you are helping create stability, hope, and opportunity.
Stories From Our Neighborhood
Kristin Miller: A Voice for Hi-Crest
"I grew up in Hi-Crest and have raised my family here. SENT is different from other organizations because they’re here to stay. They don’t just give—they empower. They ensure that homeowners and renters alike have skin in the game, building a better future together."
Watch Kristin’s story to see how lives are changing, one family at a time.
“SENT represents the living version of growth and prosperity for people in an area overlooked and unappreciated. It’s exactly what we need in a time of unknowing. SENT is a resource that empowers people to depend on themselves while learning to help each other. - Leosha Giardina, Highland Park High School, Assistant Principal
“SENT lets us help our neighbors improve neighborhoods and lives in our community with love, respect and strategic planning. We support SENT to make a difference.” - Drs. Mica and Doug Koehn
“Communities/Neighborhoods are the backbone of every society. We agree with the approach of SENT ‘One Home at a Time’” - CFG Retirement Advisors, Inc. Jeff & Jon Vogel
“The dedication and commitment made by SENT to enhance and encourage the development of neighborhoods in need, through community relationships and service, is truly inspirational.” - Dr. Josel Doyle
“FHLBank Topeka is committed to helping make housing available and affordable for everyone. SENT, too, recognizes the power housing has to revitalize a community. By partnering together, we have grown our impact, benefitting lives in Hi-Crest, Shawnee County, and beyond.” - Troy McMaster, Federal Home Loan Bank
“Home is where you rest, find peace, and connect as a family. SENT is in the home business providing an oasis to our citizens, workers, students, and family.” - Matt Pivarnik, Great Topeka Partnership
“What I love about SENT is that they seem to truly understand the neighborhood redevelopment and genuine involvement of the residents who live there. ” - Karen Hiller
“SENT is one of the few organizations that has truly invested in the Hi-Crest neighborhood. They’ve rented at a reasonable rate and allowed renters to buy their homes at a fair price to give them a sense of pride in ownership. This has helped folks to set down roots and stabilize the neighborhood.” - Fueling Hope, Marvin Spees
"I love the holistic approach SENT Topeka is taking and helping individuals work through trauma and loss to make a stable foundation. A foundation that enables higher education and assists in building a stable financial future. SENT provides the tools and direction for individual families and encourages our community to come alongside to help change the narrative of Hi-Crest." - Lesleigh Hodam, Sales Associate & Marketing Director for Derrick Hodam, Farm Bureau Financial Services, and Board Member for Project Forward
"We started volunteering in the Hi-Crest and Highland Park neighborhood about 7 years ago. When we heard SENT Topeka was being created we were thrilled. SENT is exactly what Hi-Crest needs. I am excited to see the narrative change as their affordable housing initiative, cradle-to-career education efforts and community wellness support change the game for individuals and families in this community. Their approach in transforming the neighborhood is grounded and has amazing potential, but it will take our community to get involved." - Derrick Hodam, Agency owner of Derrick Hodam, Farm Bureau Financial Services
“SENT Topeka’s community engagement is the model of impactful and transformational 21st-century ministry.” - Pastor Marcus Clark, Love Fellowship Church
“SENT is living out the Gospel by working to bring about holistic community transformation. I look expectantly to the years ahead to see how their work will not only impact a neighborhood but make our community better as a whole.” - Andy Vogel, Area Director of Topeka Young Life
“One of the ways that we as Christ's ambassadors are asked to show His love is by walking shoulder to shoulder with people in our neighborhoods. SENT has provided an opportunity for us to do that. They come alongside individuals and families in our neighborhoods, who need different types of resources and provide a gospel approach in assisting them. SENT gives those in need resources that can empower them to make a change in their lives by sharing the love of Christ.” - Deb Jorgensen, Young Lives Coordinator Topeka Young Life
Simple Ways You Can Help
You can be part of this work in many ways
Sustain SENT’s work year-round.
Every gift helps meet real needs right now.
Donate goods or skills that support our programs.
Your support helps power real programs that change lives.
Your Impact in Action
Curb Appeal Projects: Beautifying homes to restore pride in ownership.
Fremont Hill Development: Changing the Narrative - The New South!
Beat the Heat Program: Providing affordable air conditioning units and installation for families in need.
Educational Initiatives: From school partnerships to adult education and workforce training programs, we’re creating brighter futures.
Making Sense of Your Worth Groups: Building a community with a solid foundation of self-worth
Substance Use Disorder Services: supporting our neighbors through the challenges of substance use disorder
Southside Filling Station: providing access to healthy food in a food desert
Southside Wellness Clinic: providing affordable quality express care in a healthcare desert
With your help, we can continue to bring hope to Hi-Crest and beyond.