December 12, 2024 • 8 mins
The Bridges to Home Holiday Donation Drive is on now through January 15th. Tori Pedruzzi, the 2024 Miss Augusta, and a Miss Kansas Hopeful in 2025, invites you to make this Christmas merry and bright for individuals at the Open Door Day Shelter. Bring your donations to St. Catherine of Siena Church or Kansas Perio, or feel free to Venmo @bridgestohome.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Wichiton Weekend, the weekly public affairs program from
iHeartRadio Wichita ninety ninety eight one O two one, The
Bull Channel ninety six three, and AULT one O seven three.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
This is a special Wichita Weekend segment because we're talking
with Tory Padrusi. And if that name is not familiar
to you in Wichita, it certainly should be, because Tory
is a candidate for Miss Kansas. Is that correct, Toy?
Is that the right word candidate?
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Yes, exactly, all right, Well.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
And you're a Wichita native, right indeed? Yes, okay? And
where do you go to college?
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Right now?
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Right now? I am at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Roll Tide, or as the TV commercial says, High Tide. Yes, yes, well,
all right, so you're you're currently enrolled at Alabama. And
what's your major?
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Psychology?
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Excellent, very good. With the goal of perhaps becoming a
psychologist or psychiatrist someday, I think I.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Want to focus on counseling and therapy, and I definitely
am looking more on the pediatric side. I've loved did
my entire life, and pediatric counseling is like a newer field,
and so getting to learn about it until my classes
has just been such a joy.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, excellent, that's great news and the best of luck
to you in your adventure on your career, Searcher. This
is going to be awesome. Well us let us know, Tori,
if you would please about Bridges to Home, Bridges to Home,
the holiday donation drive that you're spearheading.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yes, so as I can be from miss Kansas, I
am promoting my community service initiative, which as you mentioned
is Bridges to Home, And truly I am just here
to advocate for homelessness specifically in Kansas and then hopefully
on the national stage one day. And it was inspired,
and it just it came to me through a mintion
trip that I went on to Mexico State through my church,
(02:01):
and I just had this big revelation that Wow, I
really did not need to leave the country, let alone
my own city to experience and interact with the homeless
the way that I did, and through some very gracious resources,
I was able to really get involved with the homeless
community and some people who are really trying to get
us down to functional zero. And I figured that this
(02:24):
holiday season I would do my part by hosting the
donation drive.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
All right, what kind of things are you looking for?
Speaker 3 (02:32):
So we're really asking for used or new winter clothing
like hats and gloves, scarves, coats, blankets, you know, really
just clean out your coat closets, see what else you got,
as well as new hiding products like little travel tooth
paste and razors and bar soap, and then a lot
of lotion and shapstick, because we all know how dry
(02:52):
that weather can be out there, and.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Some of those folks, god bless them, are getting way
too much outdoor time in the winter.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yes, for sure. You look at some of the sizes
of these ten cities and it's just absolutely astounding to
think how somebody can live in that period, let alone
with these grueling temperatures that we get in the wintertime.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Well, and you know, Wichita's just opened up a I
believe you could call it a temporary homeless shelter there
at Park Elementary School, and that is certainly very helpful
and very wonderful. But there are still folks out there
that slip through the cracks. They just don't know about it.
You know, you name the reason. Everybody's got a different story.
But if like as you say, the people of Wichita.
(03:34):
The good generous people of Wichita could go through and
clean some old things not worn in a while out
of their closets and maybe some new items even and
bring them to the donation drive. Where is some of
the locations toy that we can bring our donations.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
So we have two drop off locations. If you're a
Westsider like myself, we have a donation box at Saint
Catherine of Siena Church off of Bridge and thirty seven.
And then if you're an East Sider more or less,
we have an office at Kansas Perio Dental Clinic right
there in the office. And then if you can't find
the time to reach eat a location, that's perfectly fine.
We also have a bridge to Home Venmo account. If
(04:12):
you just look up bridges to Home you can make
a financial gift and me and my team are going
to go out and purchase as many new things for
our friends at the shelter as we can.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Excellent bridges to home. That is the donation the holiday
donation drive being driven if you will by Miss Augusta
Victoria Padrusy Tory Padrusy, so good to talk with you today.
Are you ready for holidays in Kansas.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Oh for sure. Nothing makes me miss home more than
being so far away. And you know, the holidays are
about bringing together and doing what we can for one another.
So I'm ready to get on that plane and get
on back home.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
All right. Well, I hope you're able to stay in
Kansas for a little while for a nice Christmas break.
When you got to go back to Tuskegee. Where is Alabama?
Tuscaloose where you you got to go back to Tuscaloosa
January fifth.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
So it's a pretty quick trip, but I'm doing everything
that I can to extend it. But we resume classes
on the eighth and so I'll get back here and
get settled and then get ready for that second semester.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Well, Tori, I know you got a lot of family
and friends here in Wichita, and everybody's going to be
glad to see you. And will we see you out
and about in the city with some connection to the
donation drive, You're going to be doing any appearances or anything,
So yes.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
I actually will be appearing, maybe not in person, but
if you turn on your channels, I will be on
kWh on December twentieth, as well as KFN on Christmas
Eve and I will again just be talking about the
drive as well as my community service initiative a little
bit more, and then I'm usually all over with Chita,
so you may see me out and about.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
It really just depends, all right, Well, will you be
wearing your festive holiday going around town attire so we
can tell who you are?
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yes, for sure, and then I may be more noticeable
by my Misaga to sash as well as I Miss.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Augusta Crown Outstanding Tory Padrusy. The holidays are so bright
when people like you step up and really help out.
And we're very, very happy and proud to bring people
the news about the Bridges to Home holiday donation drive
one more time. For those who just joined us, what
are you looking for and where do we bring it?
Speaker 3 (06:22):
We are looking for youth or new winter clothing such
as hats, scarves, coats, and blankets, as well as new
hiking products like travel, toothpaste, bar soap, lotion, razors, tapstick,
really anything you can find in that cabinet. And the
two drop applications are Saint Catherine of Siena Church on
the west side and Kansas Pario Dental Clinic on the
(06:42):
east side or you can make a financial gift to
the Bridges to Home Venmo account.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
All right, Tory, you've got it all down. I tell
you what. Oh how late in the year can we
make donations? Are you accepting donations after the Christmas holiday?
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Yes, we have decided to extend the drive to January fifteenth. However,
our Venmo is indeed always open, and since this drive
has already become so popular, I am definitely hosting a
drive in the spring, just to help get them through
those last couple winter days and transitioning into the warmer weather.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
All right, more power to you. You're doing some good
work there. I imagine you're an extremely busy person anyway,
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
A little bit, but you know, when you're really passionate
about something, it doesn't matter how much time you have,
You're gonna do what you can for it.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
That's right, You're going to make some time for it,
right amen? All right? Torri Padrusy Miss Augusta, and a
Miss Kansas hopeful. I got to turn off my cell
phone there and she is heading up as we say.
The Bridge is to Home Holiday donation Drive. Best of
luck to you with the drive. Best of luck to
you with the Miss Cans. When is the pageant toy, The.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Actual Miscans competition will be happening in the first week
of June. I believe it is June seventh.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Okay, So in that time you're going to be uh,
you know, like we say, working on the donations here
with regard to bridges to Home and then probably going
to have a lot of other things involved with the
quest for Miss Kansas, right my.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Yes, a quest or a journey there you could use
dathe a lot of addictives to describe it for sure.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Well, Hey, best of luck to you and thanks again
for being with us today on Wichita Weekend.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Thank you for listening to Wichita Weekend, a service of
Iyingheart Radio stations one O two won the Bowl Channel
nine sixty three, All one O seven three and ninety
seven nine B ninety eight. Listen every Sunday for Wichita Weekend.
Welcome to Wichiton Weekend, the weekly public affairs program from
iHeartRadio Wichita ninety ninety eight one O two one, The
Bull Channel ninety six three, and AULT one O seven three.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
This is a special Wichita Weekend segment because we're talking
with Tory Padrusi. And if that name is not familiar
to you in Wichita, it certainly should be, because Tory
is a candidate for Miss Kansas. Is that correct, Toy?
Is that the right word candidate?
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Yes, exactly, all right, Well.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
And you're a Wichita native, right indeed? Yes, okay? And
where do you go to college?
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Right now?
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Right now? I am at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Roll Tide, or as the TV commercial says, High Tide. Yes, yes, well,
all right, so you're you're currently enrolled at Alabama. And
what's your major?
Speaker 3 (00:57):
Psychology?
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Excellent, very good. With the goal of perhaps becoming a
psychologist or psychiatrist someday, I think I.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Want to focus on counseling and therapy, and I definitely
am looking more on the pediatric side. I've loved did
my entire life, and pediatric counseling is like a newer field,
and so getting to learn about it until my classes
has just been such a joy.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Well, excellent, that's great news and the best of luck
to you in your adventure on your career, Searcher. This
is going to be awesome. Well us let us know, Tori,
if you would please about Bridges to Home, Bridges to Home,
the holiday donation drive that you're spearheading.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yes, so as I can be from miss Kansas, I
am promoting my community service initiative, which as you mentioned
is Bridges to Home, And truly I am just here
to advocate for homelessness specifically in Kansas and then hopefully
on the national stage one day. And it was inspired,
and it just it came to me through a mintion
trip that I went on to Mexico State through my church,
(02:01):
and I just had this big revelation that Wow, I
really did not need to leave the country, let alone
my own city to experience and interact with the homeless
the way that I did, and through some very gracious resources,
I was able to really get involved with the homeless
community and some people who are really trying to get
us down to functional zero. And I figured that this
(02:24):
holiday season I would do my part by hosting the
donation drive.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
All right, what kind of things are you looking for?
Speaker 3 (02:32):
So we're really asking for used or new winter clothing
like hats and gloves, scarves, coats, blankets, you know, really
just clean out your coat closets, see what else you got,
as well as new hiding products like little travel tooth
paste and razors and bar soap, and then a lot
of lotion and shapstick, because we all know how dry
(02:52):
that weather can be out there, and.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Some of those folks, god bless them, are getting way
too much outdoor time in the winter.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yes, for sure. You look at some of the sizes
of these ten cities and it's just absolutely astounding to
think how somebody can live in that period, let alone
with these grueling temperatures that we get in the wintertime.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Well, and you know, Wichita's just opened up a I
believe you could call it a temporary homeless shelter there
at Park Elementary School, and that is certainly very helpful
and very wonderful. But there are still folks out there
that slip through the cracks. They just don't know about it.
You know, you name the reason. Everybody's got a different story.
But if like as you say, the people of Wichita.
(03:34):
The good generous people of Wichita could go through and
clean some old things not worn in a while out
of their closets and maybe some new items even and
bring them to the donation drive. Where is some of
the locations toy that we can bring our donations.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
So we have two drop off locations. If you're a
Westsider like myself, we have a donation box at Saint
Catherine of Siena Church off of Bridge and thirty seven.
And then if you're an East Sider more or less,
we have an office at Kansas Perio Dental Clinic right
there in the office. And then if you can't find
the time to reach eat a location, that's perfectly fine.
We also have a bridge to Home Venmo account. If
(04:12):
you just look up bridges to Home you can make
a financial gift and me and my team are going
to go out and purchase as many new things for
our friends at the shelter as we can.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Excellent bridges to home. That is the donation the holiday
donation drive being driven if you will by Miss Augusta
Victoria Padrusy Tory Padrusy, so good to talk with you today.
Are you ready for holidays in Kansas.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Oh for sure. Nothing makes me miss home more than
being so far away. And you know, the holidays are
about bringing together and doing what we can for one another.
So I'm ready to get on that plane and get
on back home.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
All right. Well, I hope you're able to stay in
Kansas for a little while for a nice Christmas break.
When you got to go back to Tuskegee. Where is Alabama?
Tuscaloose where you you got to go back to Tuscaloosa
January fifth.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
So it's a pretty quick trip, but I'm doing everything
that I can to extend it. But we resume classes
on the eighth and so I'll get back here and
get settled and then get ready for that second semester.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Well, Tori, I know you got a lot of family
and friends here in Wichita, and everybody's going to be
glad to see you. And will we see you out
and about in the city with some connection to the
donation drive, You're going to be doing any appearances or anything,
So yes.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
I actually will be appearing, maybe not in person, but
if you turn on your channels, I will be on
kWh on December twentieth, as well as KFN on Christmas
Eve and I will again just be talking about the
drive as well as my community service initiative a little
bit more, and then I'm usually all over with Chita,
so you may see me out and about.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
It really just depends, all right, Well, will you be
wearing your festive holiday going around town attire so we
can tell who you are?
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yes, for sure, and then I may be more noticeable
by my Misaga to sash as well as I Miss.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
Augusta Crown Outstanding Tory Padrusy. The holidays are so bright
when people like you step up and really help out.
And we're very, very happy and proud to bring people
the news about the Bridges to Home holiday donation drive
one more time. For those who just joined us, what
are you looking for and where do we bring it?
Speaker 3 (06:22):
We are looking for youth or new winter clothing such
as hats, scarves, coats, and blankets, as well as new
hiking products like travel, toothpaste, bar soap, lotion, razors, tapstick,
really anything you can find in that cabinet. And the
two drop applications are Saint Catherine of Siena Church on
the west side and Kansas Pario Dental Clinic on the
(06:42):
east side or you can make a financial gift to
the Bridges to Home Venmo account.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
All right, Tory, you've got it all down. I tell
you what. Oh how late in the year can we
make donations? Are you accepting donations after the Christmas holiday?
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Yes, we have decided to extend the drive to January fifteenth. However,
our Venmo is indeed always open, and since this drive
has already become so popular, I am definitely hosting a
drive in the spring, just to help get them through
those last couple winter days and transitioning into the warmer weather.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
All right, more power to you. You're doing some good
work there. I imagine you're an extremely busy person anyway,
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (07:23):
A little bit, but you know, when you're really passionate
about something, it doesn't matter how much time you have,
You're gonna do what you can for it.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
That's right, You're going to make some time for it,
right amen? All right? Torri Padrusy Miss Augusta, and a
Miss Kansas hopeful. I got to turn off my cell
phone there and she is heading up as we say.
The Bridge is to Home Holiday donation Drive. Best of
luck to you with the drive. Best of luck to
you with the Miss Cans. When is the pageant toy, The.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
Actual Miscans competition will be happening in the first week
of June. I believe it is June seventh.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
Okay, So in that time you're going to be uh,
you know, like we say, working on the donations here
with regard to bridges to Home and then probably going
to have a lot of other things involved with the
quest for Miss Kansas, right my.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Yes, a quest or a journey there you could use
dathe a lot of addictives to describe it for sure.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Well, Hey, best of luck to you and thanks again
for being with us today on Wichita Weekend.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Thank you for listening to Wichita Weekend, a service of
Iyingheart Radio stations one O two won the Bowl Channel
nine sixty three, All one O seven three and ninety
seven nine B ninety eight. Listen every Sunday for Wichita Weekend.
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