TOPEKA (KSNT) – Rachel Holthaus, better known as ‘The Hope Dealer,’ went through an event that changed her life, but instead of dwelling on the negatives, she turned it into something beautiful.
“I was kind of low feeling like I was out of the game because I’ve been disabled from a bad car wreck,” Holthaus said. “My car accident was 12 years ago, but actively the last four years I’ve been known as Rachel the Hope Dealer, and encouraging this group of top city hope dealers to work with me on things to lift our own happiness at the same time of loving somebody that’s hurting.”
The work Rachel does is all volunteerism, and she has reached many others in the Top City.
“Was encouraging to get out and get more people involved,” Holthaus stated. “There’s hundreds of Top City hope dealers out there that hang out with me and do things. We find opportunities for maybe a young family that are struggling that we can help. And most of everything with hope feeling is just us looking around in our own homes to see what we can share with somebody else.”
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Rachel has a different way of looking at things and uses that mentality to help others.
“Instead of focusing on what I can’t do anymore, focus on what I can still do, which is love people and use my master’s in health care leadership a different way,” Holthaus said.
Holthaus shared an example with 27 News of how hope dealing impacts others.
“I had a hope dealer that noticed that there were some boots on sale at Sam’s for like $18 and one post and $1200 dollars came in within the next a couple of hours. And I had people go and cleaning out the shelves.”
Holthaus has a message to send to the Topeka community.
“Love is the antidote to pain is my is my slogan,” Holthaus said. “It’s my heartbeat. Because it’s true in any sense of anything that we look at. If we can just look to the person, to the left or right of us. And every person is struggling with something these days. And so if we can just love on people, we have some great leadership in this town and people that are dear to me and somebody especially that says can give God the glory of others to credit and keep the joy for yourself. And that is something that many of us like to hold on to.”
Volunteerism has helped Holthaus in more ways than one, but she encourages everyone to get out and do it too.
Holthaus told 27 News, “I’m every day talking about how active volunteerism helps me as a person who sometimes struggles with hopelessness is where it can get to in the end. But this kind of thing, just being active and loving your neighbor helps the person individually, but it also helps those you’re looking to get resources to.”
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Holthaus is open for anyone to be a hope dealer.
“Anybody is welcome to take a shotgun ride in the Hope Mobile and I’ll show you how this works,” Holthaus told 27 News.
Holthaus told 27 News she is always looking for others to get involved in hope dealing and they can do so via Facebook.
Topeka’s Best, sponsored by Noller Auto Group, Ford and Hyundai, is about honoring those in our community who go above and beyond for others. You can nominate people for Topeka’s Best by clicking here.
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