What do sports cars and runners have in common? Speed! This month the Saint John’s family took a break from running to visit the Philadelphia Auto Show. We had the opportunity to view hundreds of cars and trucks, including some of the world’s fastest. Among the group’s favorites were the exotic and concept cars.
March 3rd brought about not only 12 months, but recognition of countless memories at ARW. Instead of the monthly write up, this is a small snippet of what ARW has been about over the last twelve months.
Team ARW running the Valentine's 5k
Another great month at Team Sheila Dennis! It was still cold out but not as much snow so we kept warm by running! We kicked off February with our new training program in preparation for the Caesar Rodney race at the end of March. This month the ladies showed tremendous progress and increased their mileage significantly, look out – we’ve got some fast runners! We also celebrated some big milestones this month. Marie exceeded the 50 mile mark with Grandma and Peaches not far behind, they will reach 50 miles any day now. Alberta hit 30 miles and Dawn and Sheila are close and at the rate they are running will there in a few days! It’s wonderful to see all of the great progress the ladies are making, not to mention the great energy and spirit of the team!
This month we welcomed two new res members to team; Michelle and Althea both of whom rocked it out on their first run! We are so excited to have new teammates and look forward to running side by side with them!
Res of the month – Dawn!
Dawn joined the team right after the holidays and jumped right into running! In the past month she has increased her mileage significantly and now won’t go less then 2.5 miles each day. She pushed herself from day one and has the right attitude to accomplish anything. She is a sweet and down to earth women who is taking this opportunity to get back on her feet, seriously. Like all of us, her son is very proud of her!
Non-res of the month – Stephanie!
Stephanie joined the team at the beginning of this year, but we feel like she’s been with us forever! From her first run she has given 100% in supporting and encouraging the women. She has more energy at 5:30am than most people have all day! And she’s working to recruit her fiancée to run with us too! Her positive attitude and true compassion for her teammates is incredible – she brightens up the circle with her wonderful spirit!
The resident membership at Father Bill’s Place, or “Team Quincy,” has grown in leaps and bounds over the past month. The team currently has 20 residents on any given Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The earliest start time in Boston — currently at 5:15 a.m. — still doesn’t stop our members from showing up each day ready to run with smiles on their faces.
When Father Bill’s residents first joined Back on My Feet, all except for a few were walking the morning route. But boy have things have changed! Each day our members are getting closer to their running goals through interchangeably walking and running. Teammates are stronger and faster, continually pushing themselves in a positive direction both mentally and physically.
And last week, the team gathered to celebrate the impressive 100-mile milestone for team member Roberta Perry! Congratulations Roberta! We are so proud of you!
Last week, Team Quincy celebrated Roberta's 100-mile achievement
The Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA) is a non-profit organization devoted to expanding, motivating, supporting and celebrating the running community of Chicagoland. Since launching in Chicago, BoMF has been lucky to partner with CARA on a variety of initiatives.
CARA will be training FundRacers for the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon. CARA will also be providing BOMF members with free registrations into the CARA Lakefront 10-Miler on April 16, as well as a discount for non-residential members who want to run alongside their teammates. (E-mail Josh at josh@backonmyfeet.org for details.)
“Back on My Feet is a welcome addition to Chicago’s tremendous running community,” said Wendy Jaehn, executive director of CARA. “As the Midwest’s largest running organization, we are proud to partner with such an exciting, innovative charity and look forward to supporting its mission that centers on our sport and its role in helping homeless populations build a brighter future.”
The Back on My Feet teams came together sporting their best green gear on Sunday, March 13th for the St. Patrick’s Day 8K sponsored by the Capital Running Company. The weather was perfect for a pre-race party that included far more dancing than I’ve ever seen at a race! The crowd was in good spirits, and so were all the BoMF runners. After an energetic warm-up in Freedom Plaza, the teams lined up on historic Pennsylvania Ave for the start of the race. The 8K course took the runners through various streets in downtown Washington, DC that are usually too congested with traffic to ever dream about running (safely) down. For many of the BoMF runners this was their first race at this distance, which created a few nervous runners before the starting gun.
Runners from four different team participated: Blair House, Clean and Sober Streets, Emery House and La Casa. This was a great tune up race for the upcoming National Marathon/Half and Relay for many of our members. With an anticipated crowd of over 15,000 thousand runners at the larger race later this month it’s important for beginning runners to get as much time at races as possible to feel comfortable with the challenge that lies ahead of them.
Back on My Feet helped provide volunteer throughout the course. Pictures of the race can be found HERE! As always we’re thrilled that we could be a part of this amazing race put on by the Capital Running Company.
February has been an exciting month to be a part of team La Casa. With 4 new members joining the team this month, and 3 who joined in January, the team has a ton of new and eager runners out there in the mornings! The team has also had a large influx of new volunteers who have stepped up to the plate and are taking on core roles as well as signing up to run in the SunTrust National Relay with a La Casa team on her first day (go Shani!). Karina N. and Bronwen R. are doing a great job as co-team leaders, and former team leader Monika S. will be taking on the National Marathon, along with over half a dozen La Casa volunteers! Because so many runners at La Casa are new they are working on getting a couple of relay teams together while Watson M., the most senior member (62 years old! – pictured below and on the right with Melvin B.) of Back on My Feet DC will be running the half marathon and former La Casa resident, and budding ultramarathoner, Walter B. taking on the full marathon course!
Res member of the month: Melvin B. (pictured above and on the left) has brought a smile and an energy to the team, and he’s set a great example with his running ability and supportive attitude.
Non-res member of the month: Peter W. has been a stalwart volunteer through the past few couple of chilly months (I’m being generous with the temperature here). He’s brought a series of dynamic stretches to the morning workouts that have helped the new runners get into the swing of things!
La Casa also participated in the Love the Run You’re With 5K race held by Pacers Running Stores. As always with Pacers races it was a great course and a good crowd!
Since joining Back on My Feet in January 2010, Olani, a member of the Our Brother’s Place team, has run nearly 550 miles and has maintained a 99 percent attendance. Olani has been running for many years. Olani joined Back on My Feet as a way to stay in shape and as a way to find companionship when he ran. He’s been running for a year with the program and has stuck around because he believes it’s a good activity, a great way to stay in shape, and provides a unique connection to jobs and other opportunities.
Olani moved out of the Our Brother’s Place in November of last year. He now has his own place to call home and works as a substitute teacher with the School District of Philadelphia. Olani graduated from Cheyney University with a degree in Biology.
Olani loves teaching: he loves helping others solve problems. He believes it is a very rewarding experience to show someone how something works. Olani says that not knowing the answer or not knowing how to solve a problem can be frustrating, but that he finds joy in guiding students to the answers.
Olani is incredibly persistent and is a goal setter: his personal and running goals and accomplishments reflect this. Olani’s goal is to stick to a 10 minute per mile running pace, and so far he’s done just that. Olani’s latest running accomplishments were showcased in the challenging Pickle Run in January. Olani has big plans for the future. He plans on taking his MCAT test to go to Temple University in hopes of becoming a podiatrist. He believes the medical field will provide him with a unique opportunity to help other people.
Olani says that the best advice he can give to newcomers to BoMF is to not to expect miracles in two weeks. “Be consistent and things will happen.” Olani also advises BoMF runners to keep running, even after they leave the facility. Olani believes that running can be translated into many life lessons: it teaches us to pace ourselves, be consistent, and eat well. He believes that Back on My Feet teaches these lessons and offers people a chance to help better their own lives.
Pete, the team leader at Our Brother’s Place had this to say about Olani:
“Olani is an integral member of Team OBP. He shows incredible determination in continuing to come out mornings since he has moved out of the shelter and has started a new job with the School District of Philadelphia. And a good thing he keeps coming out, since his enduring, positive attitude and amusing antics buoy the entire team. Whether it’s a funny story, a crazy yoga move, or a demonstration of African dance, Olani is always ready with something…unexpected. He is a favorite of volunteers, new and old, for good reason. We were all thrilled to share in his 500 mile accomplishment earlier this year and couldn’t be more proud of him. Team OBP is a happier, stronger team thanks to Olani; we wouldn’t be the same without him.”
Team BSTAT ended January with a get-together hosted by non-residential member Kati N. It was great to see so many team members in regular clothes for a change! There was more than enough awesome food to go around, which is quite an accomplishment. It can be hard to feed so many runners at once. All the residential members were presented with superlative awards that ranged from “Most Likely to Cheer for a Losing Football Team (Redskins)” for Walt J. to “Most Consistent and Most Miles” to the running machine himself, Kenny M. A couple of big changes were also announced regarding core members. Dana O. took over as social coordinator, Susan C. became the new training coach, and Anni I., the only team leader BSTAT has ever known, stepped down. She has certainly left massive shoes to fill! Read more…
James moved to Indianapolis in April, 2009. Battling drugs and alcohol for the better part of his twenties, James wanted to move to Indianapolis to change his life. He did not realize this move would be the start of a whole new life. James was in an unhealthy relationship for ten years. A couple of months after the move he was arrested and started his year long stint in prison because of his addiction problems. James had never been in prison before and he never had a felony up until this point in his life. He was unsure of himself and where he would go when he got out.
A couple of months before his release, one of the guys he tutored in prison told him about a place called PROGRESS HOUSE. Progress House is a recovery based living facility. It then crossed his mind that he never addressed his addiction problem. When he was released from prison in July 2010, this started a new chapter in his life. Because of the bed space being limited at Progress House upon his release from prison, he had to stay in the mission for several days not knowing what, when or how he would be able to survive. Being willing to go to any length, he showed up daily to try to be admitted to Progress House. Finally, he was admitted to the facility.
“It’s been a long, long road since July 2010; however I would not trade my today for anything in the world. With a few twenty-four hours of sobriety under my belt, I am much stronger, more confident and teachable today. Currently, I am the weekend House Supervisor at Progress House and a member of a phenomenal organization called Back on My Feet! This movement FOUND ME. I feel as though it’s empowering me to commit, to give of oneself, and provide necessary tools for daily living. BoMF is much bigger than any one of its members. I feel that together WE make this very powerful!”
