We first introduced you to Greg Staffa earlier this month. As you might recall, after 10 years in the airline industry, Greg was injured on the job. Due to labor union complications and the lingering aftermath of 9/11 on the airline industry, he felt himself falling through the cracks. Soon, Greg lost that job. He fell frighteningly far behind on his mortgage, and before he knew it, he lost his home. You can learn more about Greg’s path to homelessness in our first post.
With his home gone, Greg has been sleeping in his car for the past year. But somehow, he still feels that he is a lucky one. He still has his health and a car is certainly warmer than the cold Minneapolis streets. Inspired to somehow make a difference, he sold what possessions he had left in storage and with the support of United Way, hit the road on a remarkable road trip that covers all 48 states in the continental United States.
By the finals days of 2010, Greg will have visited each state capital, handing out t-shirts and socks to the homeless individuals he meets along the way and learning about what it means to be homeless in different places throughout the U.S. I have been following Greg on Twitter since we first introduced him, and was fortunate enough to meet him in person as he passed through Boston.
You can watch my interview with Greg by clicking here.
For more information and to follow along with the final legs of Greg’s journey, follow him on Twitter.
From a quiet October spent putting in the miles, Team Ridge has stepped up its pace this November and shows no signs of slowing down.
The month was highlighted by the addition of three new faces to our morning circle. Randolph, Calvin, and Tarfari have all become part of the Back on My Feet family and continue to bring a positive energy with them to each run as they start to rack up the miles. Read more…
On Tuesday, December 14th, teammates from BOMF Baltimore took a trip to the city’s “Miracle on 34th Street” holiday light display. Each year, the 700 block of 34th Street in the Hampden neighborhood decorates the entire street with Santas, candy canes, angels, and millions of lights. BOMF teammates braved the below freezing temps to take in the sights.
Happy Holidays!
Miracle on 34th Street
BOMF Boston would like to recognize Marriott Boston Area Hotels as their company of the month for November. Since the Boston launch in May, which was generously hosted by the Boston Marriott Copley Place, the company has been a backbone of BOMF’s success. Read more…
Back on My Feet Boston had the great honor of being celebrated at the Shops at Prudential Center’s 31 Nights of Light. Every evening in December, Boston Properties recognizes the hard work of different non-profits throughout Boston by lighting up the top of Boston’s iconic Prudential Center in the organization’s choice of colored lights. Of course, we chose our BOMF green and blue.
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Back on My Feet Washington DC held its first inaugural holiday dinner and award ceremony on December 15th 2010. The wonderful folks at lululemon athletic in Georgetown were kind enough to lend us their second story yoga studio for the BOMF Holiday Hawaiian Luau dinner and award ceremony. With decorations set and the video screen and music playing, the yoga studio was quickly turned into a summer themed Hawaiian picnic that was a well needed reprieve from the cold weather that had hit the area the week before. Read more…
Solstice Santas
BOMF Baltimore participated in the Falls Road Running Store‘s Celtic Solstice 5 Mile race, a popular local event held in Druid Hill Park on Saturday, December 18th. More than 2,000 runners – and more than 80 BOMFers – ran the race.
BOMF registered for this race last year but many teammates were unable to attend after a snowstorm hit the region – only a few hundred runners made it to last year’s event. This year, temperatures were in the 20s and while remnants of Thursday’s snowfall dusted the parking lot, most of the course was clear. Highlights included the bagpipe processional at the start, the Irish Wolfhounds, costumed runners (including BOMF Santas), and the post-race treats such as hot soup, cookies, and spiced wine.
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On Thursday, December 16th, Back on My Feet Chicago gathered at the Warren Barr Pavilion on 66 W. Oak St and spread holiday cheer to its elderly residents. Members sang and entertained with a variety of classics like “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman,” and “Jingle Bell Rock.” The BOMF carolers handed out Santa hats and song books to the residents so they could join in the festivities. While everyone agreed that there would need to be more practice before next year – particularly with a couple of the high notes – the residents and Back on My Feet members alike all had a great time!
For November’s team update and Member of the Month, each Baltimore team decided to share their team video, created for the Baltimore Running Festival. These videos were filmed over the summer and during the training for the Running Festival. ARW’s team video is shared below:
ARW – Baltimore BOMF
I bet you didn’t think anyone at Back on My Feet was a pro with a racquet in their hands, did you? That’s probably best because we most certainly are not. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t going to try! Are you a tennis lover disguised as an early morning runner? Have you always had a knack for squash? Are you a whiz at the ping pong table? Are you bad at all of these things but can’t resist the thrill of competition? Then Back on My Feet has the event you’ve been looking for!
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