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About CLM Outreach

A Native-led nonprofit, rooted in Topeka, reaching outward.

CLM Outreach is a 501(c)(3) organization built on a single belief: that real healing happens when people are seen, supported, and given the tools to carry their own stories forward.

A diverse circle of CLM Outreach volunteers outdoors — Black, Hispanic, Native, White, and Asian community members sharing a moment of connection, some wearing traditional accessories including a sweetgrass braid.

Our Story

What we carry forward

CLM Outreach began with a simple act — neighbors showing up for neighbors. Today, that work continues through two flagship initiatives that meet the moment in different ways but share the same heart.

Raven Quest creates pathways for underserved communities through education, resources, and gathering. The Red Feather Project lifts up Indigenous visibility, knowledge, and reconnection. Together, they are how we live out our mission.

What Guides Us

Principles in practice

Healing-Centered

Every program — from a food drop to a workshop — is designed to leave the community stronger than we found it.

Community-Led

The people we serve guide the work. We listen first, plan second, and serve always.

Culturally Rooted

Indigenous values, traditions, and voices shape how we move through the world.

Built to Last

We aim for impact that outlives any single program — tools, knowledge, and relationships that endure.

Our History

Two decades of showing up.

2002

CLM Outreach Founded

Teddy and Anna Vale establish CLM Outreach in Topeka, Kansas — beginning a legacy of direct community service rooted in compassion, culture, and showing up for neighbors.

2011

Joplin Tornado Disaster Relief

When an EF5 tornado devastated Joplin, Missouri on May 22, 2011, CLM Outreach mobilized immediately — coordinating shipments of food, clothing, children's toys, and essential supplies directly to displaced families.

11 Years

44 Community Food Drops

Over eleven years of monthly mass food drops — pulling together vehicles, volunteers, and donations to put fresh food and pantry staples into the hands of families across Topeka and surrounding communities.

20 Years

240 Senior Commodity Distributions

Two decades of monthly commodity distributions served 240 seniors aged 60 and above — a sustained, dignified commitment to the elders in our community who helped build it.

Coming Soon

Dawn-Box & Sovereign Threads

Two new programs are taking flight — the Dawn-Box Digital Hub bringing free professional tech certificates to the community, and the Sovereign Threads Project carrying Indigenous craft and culture forward.

Be part of the work.

We grow through volunteers, partners, and friends who believe in the work.

Get in Touch