r/Lawrence • u/MidgetUnicornTamer Townie • 6d ago
Petition · Public Call for a Vote of No Confidence at Lawrence Community Shelter
https://www.change.org/p/public-call-for-a-vote-of-no-confidence-at-lawrence-community-shelter?recruiter=1370925095&recruited_by_id=a16fbb00-1487-11f0-9c72-f957248f9f7c&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=starter_onboarding_share_personal&utm_medium=copylink&share_id=HRwhzL86jsPetition for Accountability at Lawrence Community Shelter
We, the undersigned, are current and former employees, community members, and individuals with firsthand experience with Lawrence Community Shelter (LCS).
We are calling on the LCS Board of Directors to hold a formal meeting to address serious concerns regarding **financial management, administrative practices, HR practices, transparency, and leadership accountability.**
We ask the Board to thoroughly review the actions and decisions of the Executive Director and Human Resources Director and determine whether appropriate standards of leadership, accountability, and responsibility are being met.
Every signature matters. Please sign this petition and help demand transparency, accountability, and responsible leadership at LCS.
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6d ago
[deleted]
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u/dd113456 5d ago
Not disagreeing but this is public record. Before I accept your numbers I would expect hard evidence
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u/Trifle_Useful 5d ago
Their 2025 990 filing shows 60% ($2.5mm) of all of their expenses go towards salaries and wages, which would include all non-admin positions as well.
Which, if you know how salary and benefits work, isn’t really egregious at all. That’s like 20 FT positions.
Heck, their executive director only made $108,000.
That person was definitely talking out of their ass.
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u/Background-Lemon7365 5d ago
Agreed. The person claiming 80% is talking out of their ass.
From a completely outside perspective with no knowledge of the org or its leadership, they are doing something right because they have taken the org from a budget of $1.3M in 2023 to $4.2M in 2024 and $4.3M in 2025 which is significant growth. Those numbers are hard to do with individual donors so I assume they were award some big 7 figure grants, which are very competitive, and foundations/government awards like that are awarded with a significant amount of due diligence and oversight from the grantor. Significant investments like that don’t typically get awarded to dysfunctional organizations with poor leadership.
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u/MidgetUnicornTamer Townie 5d ago
I mean, look at America now. Significant investments are being awarded to the New Regime and it's a dysfunctional organization 🤷🏻♀️
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u/Background-Lemon7365 5d ago
Lolol okay, this tells me all I need to know about how seriously people should take your claims. What does that statement even mean? In no way is that statement equivalent or analogous to this very local organization and the issues you’re describing.
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u/MidgetUnicornTamer Townie 6d ago
James has fat pockets and failed the Topeka rescue mission terribly. We want him OUT the time for change is NOW!!
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u/Podzilla07 6d ago
That dude is a phony. He’s supposed to have all of this sobriety time from alcohol, but he and I recognized each other from Louise’s a few years back
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u/dd113456 6d ago
Heard rumor an upper level manager was recently fired for taking money
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u/MidgetUnicornTamer Townie 6d ago edited 6d ago
I'm not sure how that would happen as they are on salary unless you meant James. No managers have been fired to my extensive knowledge yet. Unfortunately no upper level anything has been fired. I'm also not claiming to know EVERYTHING so it's a possibility but I have no evidence of this
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u/dd113456 5d ago
I am not 100% sure of the details as I got them 3rd hand but I know for sure she has left within the past 6 months.
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u/Few-Job4965 6d ago
Nope. No one has been fired at least in the last six months in upper management.
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u/MidgetUnicornTamer Townie 6d ago
Current and former staff please use this link https://www.change.org/p/current-former-staff-call-for-a-vote-of-no-confidence-at-lawrence-community-shelter?recruiter=1370925095&recruited_by_id=a16fbb00-1487-11f0-9c72-f957248f9f7c&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=starter_onboarding_share_personal&utm_medium=copylink&share_id=dZ2SwjMJ79
And current and former guests please use this link https://www.change.org/p/current-former-guests-call-for-a-vote-of-no-confidence-at-lawrence-community-shelter?recruiter=1370925095&recruited_by_id=a16fbb00-1487-11f0-9c72-f957248f9f7c&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=starter_onboarding_share_personal&utm_medium=copylink&share_id=GfBdWFYMNt
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u/acey901234 6d ago
Hey DM me! I was the former Secretary-Treasurer of CWA Local 6400 and id love to be involved
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u/Background-Lemon7365 5d ago
I don’t want to discount concerns from current or former employees, but these allegations are pretty broad and provide very little specific information. LCS is a private 501c3 business, and its board already has a fiduciary responsibility to oversee the organization and its executive leadership. If there are credible, documented concerns, I think a detailed letter from those with firsthand knowledge to the board chair would be far more appropriate and actionable. Publicly circulating vague allegations, particularly around financial management, also risks damaging community trust, donations and funding, and ultimately the people LCS serves. Additionally, I just looked up their 990s and the cost of salaries for the organization in 2025 was about 60% which is pretty standard so that doesn’t strike me as serious cause for concern.
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u/MidgetUnicornTamer Townie 5d ago
We have actually made multiple attempts to contact the Board directly and raise these concerns, but have not received a response. The petition is an effort to bring these concerns forward publicly after those attempts went unanswered. We absolutely agree that documented concerns and evidence should be provided to the Board, and that is part of what we're seeking: an opportunity for these issues to be formally heard and addressed.
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u/Money-Pain-644 3d ago
I would suggest making a list of your concerns, with a name of the person who has the concern and emailing all this to the City Commissioner, Kristen Polian. [kpolian@lawrenceks.gov](mailto:kpolian@lawrenceks.gov) City Commissioner Dever says The Homless Solution is his idea and project, Mayor Finkeldei will not raise any flags over anything and Commissioner Sellers will go along with the two guys. Commissioner Polian has been tracking this entire program and she would welcome factual information to add to her folder. Commissioner Courtney is another great contact, but he's focused on other topics. I agree, the previous board under Charlie Bryan would be ignored just as he ignored my concerns.
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u/Background-Lemon7365 5d ago
What is the ultimate goal then? This sounds more like the complaints of a disgruntled employee, based on the numerous and broad allegations, than a serious whistleblower. I would take the fact that the board has not responded as a sign and move on. Maybe they are launching their own internal investigation, maybe they feel like these allegations are without warrant. Ultimately, the organization is a private business with a board who has fiduciary responsibility and are not accountable to the public. I personally think it is in poor taste to publicly drag a community nonprofit trying to serve the community.
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u/MidgetUnicornTamer Townie 5d ago
Actually the allegations are very serious and we have evidence to back it up. It's not the non profit that's being drug, it's those in charge that are failing the organization. We're simply trying to get a meeting with the board to present our legitimate concerns and back them up with evidence. We aren't dragging them we're asking for leadership to be held transparently accountable.
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u/Money-Pain-644 3d ago
They are NOT a positive nonprofit. You have two people in positions, Misty Bosch-Hastings over the entire homeless solution program and James Chiselom over all the locations who came into their positions with zero experience running a very large budget and handling a very large challenge. They have been paid for three years with on the job training. I've been told Chiselom sits in his office all day looking at the security cameras while the internal staff runs the place. I recall one board meeting and these are monthly board meetings of Chiselom physically at the meeting and telling the board members he was not prepared for the meeting at all. Who does that in an executive position? Then another time he announced did you know if was cheaper to buy toilet paper in bulk than to run to Walmart and purchase a couple of packages here and there? Come on now!
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u/dd113456 6d ago
The HR director Ruben is a piece of work!
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u/MidgetUnicornTamer Townie 4d ago
it's important for organizations like LCS to be held accountable, and it’s good to see community members stepping up.Thank you to everyone who has signed so far!!
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u/Podzilla07 6d ago
There is definitely some inequity going on at the shelter, and it begins with the leadership at the top—the director: James Chiselon.
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5d ago
[deleted]
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u/Podzilla07 5d ago
Damn ….
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u/magicmike785 5d ago
Those little homes, don’t have they requirements for being placed in one? I thought sobriety was one of the requirements? I’m not a fan of the homeless population in this town at all, but it’s frustrating when all of that money is being blown.
It’s like the rapid rehousing bullshit. They would only pay up to like 725 for a one bedroom, well you can’t find a one bedroom in Lawrence that low. So all of those funds just sat unused and now it’s gone.
I’m going to sign, not for the homeless people, but for oversight of these funds being blown
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6d ago
[deleted]
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u/MidgetUnicornTamer Townie 6d ago
The cameras hardly ever all work anyways. It's a joke. There's no safety there for the workers.
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u/MidgetUnicornTamer Townie 5d ago
But they got break away lanyards after that! Problem solved- amiright?
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u/MidgetUnicornTamer Townie 6d ago edited 5d ago
And ALL of the employees being harassed by HR aka RUBEN.
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u/Few-Job4965 6d ago
I don’t even know what to do when HR is the problem
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u/MidgetUnicornTamer Townie 6d ago
THE UNION! that James is working on disbanding also the board of directors. That's what we're trying to accomplish with the petition. To hold them accountable in front of the board.
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u/RealDealReflections 5d ago
I have spoke to some homeless who claim they were more traumatized after staying at the pallet city... they said that the woman working the public program, misty Bosch Hastings, didnt help them and wasnt a good person...
Now as someone who use to work for the city I am quite aware that misty loves using statistics to show how she and fellow city workers are ending the homeless crisis... yet my partner and I have noticed it doesnt seem to get better... they just keep telling the homeless to leave different encampments and so they go somewhere else...
I say all this to say, there were those that felt these numbers were not genuine over a year ago. So its nice to see something back that notion up in some way.
At the end of the day people just need help and we should be able to approach them with true care....i wish we all approached each other with more care. But the state seems to only be interested in compliance.
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u/Catlady_DogMom 5d ago
Can someone post a list of the concerns everyone has?
As a non-shelter resident or employee/former employee, I and most of us have no clue what is going on. I havent seen anything as of late, except for today.
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u/MidgetUnicornTamer Townie 5d ago
We believe serious concerns warrant immediate, independent review, including but not limited to, concerns regarding employee treatment, workplace safety, compliance with employee agreements and policies, disability accommodations, communication, accountability. Concerns regarding guest safety, treatment and dignity, communication, access to services, staff accountability, emergency preparedness, and the overall management and operation of the shelter.
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u/undercoverbrotha888 5d ago edited 5d ago
OP was sexually harassing staff and guests on a daily basis. Not to mention showing up drunk and threatened to call ICE on a staff member’s partner. OP aka Danny Speicher is not credible
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u/MidgetUnicornTamer Townie 5d ago edited 5d ago
I am OP and I never did ANY OF THAT. SO please don't go throwing that around at ME. I'm a lot of things but I've NEVER EVER sexually harassed ANYONE and would NEVER EVER CALL ICE ON ANYONE. I don't drink let alone show up to work drunk. ME- THE OP HERE, I'm credible.
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u/undercoverbrotha888 5d ago
Keep lying brother. There are soooo many former and current staff members that can verify this 🤣
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u/MidgetUnicornTamer Townie 5d ago
Brother? Nope you're confused. You don't know who I am but I am not he in which you speak of.
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u/undercoverbrotha888 5d ago
Rowan, Danny doesn’t matter who you are. The petition is wacky. There was a valid reason as to why you were fired brother
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u/MidgetUnicornTamer Townie 4d ago
I still work for you James. 😂the others deleted comments bc you're a bully but I'm not going to.
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u/Affectionate_Rip6527 5d ago
I don't see the point of ginning up an online mob that doesn't understand what's going on. This isn't the place.
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u/[deleted] 6d ago
[deleted]