Scotty W. of Emery House sharing his story at the latest Orientation 2.0

Orientation 2.0 was held on the evening of Tuesday, June 21, at the Renaissance Hotel in Mount Vernon Square. The goal of this seminar was to facilitate an in-depth discussion on homelessness to help our volunteers better understand its deeper implications—including drug and alcohol abuse, psychological factors, and relentless setbacks. This event was highly educational due to three exceptional speakers; homeless advocate Eric Sheptock, BoMF member Scotty W., and Hilary Espinosa, Senior Case Manager for Miriam’s Kitchen.

Eric Sheptock, the self-proclaimed “homeless homeless advocate” spoke about his use of social media to advocate and provide a voice for the homeless. Although Eric has been homeless for over 15 years, his relentless use of social media has brought world-wide attention and a sense of urgency to the issues surrounding homelessness. His story exemplified how much can be accomplished with persistence and motivation.

Scotty W., a residential member of Emery House, shared his personal story at the event, in an extremely honest and genuine speech. After a tumultuous past, Scotty found Back on My Feet in April of 2010, and has maintained a 100% attendance rate ever since, racking up nearly 450 miles. Scotty discussed his personal struggle with the adjustment from incarceration back into society, stating;

“Doing the right thing is hard. I’m used to doing the wrong thing. But Back on My Feet has positive people that give me guidance”.

Hilary Espinosa, Senior Case Manager for Miriam’s Kitchen, spoke regarding the deeper implications of homelessness, and how Miriam’s Kitchen helps their guests overcome recurring barriers. Miriam’s Kitchen provides over 300 men and women daily with organic, homemade, and nutritious meals. Miriam’s Kitchen couples this meal service with case management services to any guest that wants it in order to wholly serve every man and woman. Miriam’s Kitchen, just like Back on My Feet, aims to build the self-sufficiency of those experiencing homelessness, and it was a pleasure to hear Hilary speak.

Orientation 2.0 was a very successful event for Back on My Feet Washington, DC. If you were unable to attend or would like to attend the next Orientation 2.0, please contact Gretchen Gates, Program Director, for more information, at gretchen@backonmyfeet.org

CSS Alumni David W. at the United Way Day of Action 2011. Photo courtesy of Brian Cox, United Way

At the crack of dawn on Tuesday, June 21, team members of Back on My Feet Washington, DC volunteered with the United Way to give back to local school children. Along with hundreds of other DC volunteers, they worked all morning assembling summer reading kits for low-income DC-area school children. This event, sponsored by Target, will bring books and reading supplies to 50,000 DC children in grades K-6 to encourage reading during the summer months. Way to go, BoMF DC!

On Sunday, June 19, the Back on My Feet Washington DC teams participated in an 8k race through Georgetown. The cloudy and cool weather made perfect conditions for a highly enjoyable and successful race, for both members and volunteers alike.

Washington DC Team Members after the Fathers Day 8k

Representing Blair House, there were strong performances by Shon K. and Chris G., along with volunteers Barbara Poppe, John Murray and volunteer coordinator Alyson Shade.

From La Casa, members Dwight S., Alfonso T., and Chris G. ran alongside volunteers Brittany M., and Craig G., and were cheered on by their teammates Byron C., Felix B., and Dean B.

There was a strong showing for Clean and Sober Streets, with members David C., Marvin O., Thornell M., Lewis S., Darius C., Marque E., Charles K., team leader Nick F., volunteer Taishya Adams, and team leader Shannon Smith, all finishing with great times.

Representing Emery House was Scotty W. and volunteer Chris Hatton.

The members and volunteers were all extremely supportive of each other, encouraging strong performances and 110% effort. Even after an 8k run, everyone was thrilled to find Georgetown Cupcakes at the finish line. What a great end to Fathers Day!

Back on My Feet, DC teamed up with La Casa, Deloitte and the Positive Coaching Alliance to host a Deloitte Impact Day on Friday, June 10. The day started on the right foot with BoMF team La Casa welcoming Deloitte team members to the circle and on a run. After breakfast sponsored by Deloitte, residents of La Casa joined Impact Day participants for a motivational coaching session hosted by Positive Coaching Alliance. Employees also facilitated a computer training session to help residents with resume building and writing skills. Deloitte and BoMF team members who wanted to get their hands dirty spent the remainder of the day sprucing up La Casa’s landscaping and fixing up the facility interior with fresh coats of paint and general labors of love.

Roger Jasek, the Deloitte Partner in Charge said about the day, “While Impact Day is primarily a day of service, it is also a day designed to meet new people, have a good time around a worthy cause and to positively impact the lives of others that may not be as fortunate.  Reflecting back on Friday, I can say that all of these items were accomplished!”

Born and raised in southern Arkansas, Rhonda A. moved to DC to stay with a cousin to seek out better employment opportunities.  She taught in public and charter schools for almost a decade in Washington, DC as well as out in Prince George County.  After turning to substitute teaching,  Rhonda  found herself moving in to Luther Place Night Shelter, a part of the N Street Village community, in late 2009.  She lived in a basement apartment over in Southeast DC until it began to repeatedly flood when it rained.  With repairs nowhere on the horizon, she moved in with a friend for a while, but eventually it was time for her to move on and she made her way over to Luther Place Night Shelter.  She had known about N Street Village before that and had been going there for some of the daily activities.

Rhonda found a community at N Street Village that was a welcoming environment where all people were treated with respect and decency.  She admires John and Irna Steinbruck, the founders of N Street Village.  “They used to minister at Luther Place, and knowing them and their mission, their purpose, I get the feeling that this is something done in earnest, not for show or awards.”

Rhonda liked the movement and yoga classes held at the community, and when she heard that Back on My Feet was starting up a team she was a little hesitant at first but soon became a big believer in the support and community she found within the team.  With 8 months on the team and over 100 miles(!) Rhonda has run in 4 races and shows no signs of slowing down.  “I see that I’m able to do that now.  I’m able to move forward.  Remembering that first block when I didn’t think I could do it.  But I had people around who continually encouraged me, and it helps keep me going.”

One of the things she’s found in BoMF is the sense of pride and the feeling of having an extended family throughout the city.  The social events such as the BoMF Blue and Green Birthday Bash and the BoMF Night at the Nationals help reinforce the sense of family and accomplishment for her.  “When I looked out on the field [Nationals Stadium] the game doesn’t seem as intimidating as it used to.  I couldn’t say that if I wasn’t with Back on My Feet – for me that shows a new level of confidence and perspective,” said Rhonda.

She had nothing but high praise for the team over at Accenture that have helped with the Skills to Succeed Seminar, part of the Next Steps phase of the Back on My Feet program.  “Jorge and Mike are just wonderful, very uplifting and helpful and they carried you through the whole session – they extended themselves if we needed help further down the line – they really cared.”

Rhonda is setting her sights on continuing her education.  Whether returning to Trinity College to continue taking classes or applying to American University, she would like to work with kids again in education or special education.  Currently she’s interning with Reading Partners, here in Washington, DC. The motivation and confidence to take on these new challenges has been bolstered by running.  “I remember the last race when I was coming up the hill and all the people on the sidelines were cheering and supporting you, encouraging you to do what you didn’t think you could do.”  That belief in herself is something that is going to carry Rhonda for a long time.

“The way you work with people, the way you treat people and respect each other, that’s what I got from the whole experience with Back on My Feet.”

Back on My Feet is proud to share this testimonial from N Street Village volunteer Liz Belfield:

At 5:45 am, DC is just starting to wake up. Sleep still clings to the shadows as a diverse group of individuals runs through; the only noises are their sneakers hitting the pavement and the soft murmur of conversations carried through the still air. The uncharacteristic empty streets will soon be hustling with activity and after the workout the runners will join the chaos of the new day; entering two polar opposite worlds. But at 5:45 am, they run together, side by side.

The uniqueness of Back on My Feet is what first drew my interest; it wasn’t their purpose, but their methodologies that set them apart from other non-profit organizations that assist the homeless. I heard about this organization through my sister, who started volunteering during the summer of 2010. While my graduate student lifestyle did not make the 5:45 am meeting times attractive, I still loved the concept and opportunities BOMF offered. When one of my classes assigned a project to study a non-government organization in the DC area, I knew exactly which one I wanted to work with.

The primary purpose of this class project was to practice the anthropological methods we were learning in class, gather qualitative data for analysis, and perform the analysis, drawing connections to larger anthropological concepts. It was also designed to allow me to gain experience working not only as an anthropologist, but as an anthropologist interested in development organizations. My original aim while working with BoMF was to look at the dynamic relationship between the volunteers and the population BoMF assisted, focusing on the motivations and obligations of the volunteers. Because of the unique nature of this organization, I was interested to see who the volunteers were; if they were runners who want to volunteer or volunteers who want to run. Altruism is a cross cultural, worldwide phenomenon that has been analyzed in anthropological literature from multiple perspectives. I was interested to see if I could examine the altruistic tendencies of this organization.

But as the project developed, larger themes became prevalent. Motivations are a difficult thing to examine; they are multifaceted and cannot be examined without contextual relations to larger issues. My project aimed to take an applied anthropological perspective analyzing the motivations, experiences, structures, and space in relation to the volunteers and the non-profit group they work with.

I performed my observations at one of the meeting locations on cold February mornings. As an anthropologist in training, we are taught to recognize our influence and presence when interacting with cultural groups. I knew from the first day, staying distant would be impossible with this group. Everyone was friendly, welcoming, and positive, making effort to involve everyone, myself included. As a long time runner, I found it difficult to put the anthropologist in me first. As my feet hit the sidewalk, it took conscious effort not to revert into my running mentality. I noticed how much it felt like a running group rather than an NGO. I could have been there with my other running teams, breathing in the cold February air, feeling my muscles get comfortable under my tights.

One of my most memorable moments was on the first run I participated in. As we turned the last corner on that first run, the resident I was running with looked at the straightaway separating us from the finish, took a deep breath, turned to me and said, “Well? Let’s go.” They picked up the pace and I couldn’t help but smile and I tagged along. We could see the runners who finished before us and heard them clap as we got close. As we caught our breathes after we crossed the finish line, our eyes met and before I could congratulate them, they told me that was the first time they had run the whole home stretch. I smiled, feeling proud of this stranger and happy I was part of this moment with them. As the other volunteers and participants trickled in, we all clapped and congratulated every single runner. I might have divided the group between volunteers and participants before, but we finished as runners, all of us.

Standing side by side, I saw the respect and friendships in the faces of participants and volunteers alike. We came from all walks of life, but here in this circle, we were joined as runners. After the run, I talked to volunteers, explaining who I was and what I was doing. “Well? What did you think?” one volunteer asked me, shrugging her shoulders. I only had a brief ethical fight in my head before responding honestly, “I thought it was great. This is an incredible organization.” She smiled, looking down at a paper in her hand, and started to turn away. “You can’t quite put your finger on it,” she said, turning her body towards me, but still looking at the paper in her hand. She looked up, squinting into my eyes as the first light entered the sky. “But it’s special.” She smiled again, wished me a good day and asked if I will be here next time. I nodded, affirming I will be returning. She jogged away from me, her feet hitting the pavement in a steady interval. It is easy to define who we are by our differences. But as we all run side by side, paired off under the barely lit sky, I realized we are all indistinguishable as runners.

Liz Belfield is a graduate student in Anthropology in DC, concentrating in International Development. She studied BoMF this past semester, using participant observation and interview methodologies. The views and opinions expressed here are her own.

Dave W. with Program Coordinator Robert Brown at the game

On May 31st, members and volunteers from all five of the BoMF DC teams gathered for a fun night at the Nationals Game. For some it was their first trip to a professional baseball game, and for others their first trip to the Nationals Stadium. Although it was a hot and muggy evening, everyone enjoyed watching the game, spending time with their teammates, and witnessing the Nationals beat the Phillies 10-2!

Dave W., Eric B., David C., Nick F., Marque E., Terrence E., Darius C., and volunteer Taishya represented the Clean and Sober Streets team. From the Blair House team, we had Chris G. and Alan S., with volunteers John Murray, Corey Murray, and core volunteer Allison Shade. Supporting the La Casa team, we had Bill P., Carlos M., James R., with volunteers Jonah Goodman, Carina Saunders, Devon O’Neil, and core volunteer Sally Clutche. Last but not least, from the N Street Village team, Caroline S. and team leader Lauren Gabler made it out to the game.

It was an amazing and inspiring night overall to see all the teammates and volunteers enjoying the game together.

The Back on My Feet teams enjoyed the second annual Open Mic Night on Thursday, May 12^th. The event was held in the lower level of Ebenezer’s Coffeehouse, at 2^nd and F St., NE.  Ebenezer’s had the stage and BoMF brought the talent. With over a dozen acts, including fantastic team performances by La Casa, CSS, Blair House and NSV.  There was singing, dancing and a memorable cover of Justin Bieber’s song “Baby” that involved helium balloons.  Emery was well-represented by res-member Scotty W. and non-res member Dion H., who ended up winning 2^nd place for his poetry.  Ellis A. grabbed 3^rd place for his hilarious comedy, while 1^st went to the whole CSS team, led by Dave W., for their spoken-word call-and-response performance.  BoMF staff also got involved with Lady Gaga’s song “Born This Way”. It was a fun, laugh-filled evening that allowed us to highlight the amazing people that belong to the BoMF family!  The videos of all of the performances can be seen here, on the Washington, DC Back on My Feet YouTube Channel.

The weather is heating up and the BoMF runners are more than happy about that fact.

The month of April saw Back on My Feet Washington, DC return to the scene of their first race, the GW Parkway Classic held by Pacers Running Stores down in Alexandria, Virginia.  The overcast morning kept everyone from getting sunburned while out on the 5K course that starts down on the George Washington Parkway and then quickly winds its way through old town Alexandria to finish up near Oronoco Bay Park, with a beautiful finish line festival covering the entire park.

Runners from all 5 of our teams participated in this race and it was the very first race for many of our members.  It was great for the BoMF volunteers who were at the first race here in DC to see how much progress has been made and how many new faces are involved in the program and making great progress forward each day.

Members moving forward.

Blair House:
Antoine P. was selected as the team captain
Bobby T. was chosen as the Residential Member of the Month
Kevin C. has moved out to his own apartment and now lives much closer to his job down in Virginia.
Omar H. got his cast off his leg, and is back out and putting up two mile morning runs on a regular basis already.
Will L. – has moved out to his own apartment and his young son will be joining him!

Clean and Sober Streets:
Nick F. was selected as the Residential Member of the Month as well as being chosen as the team captain
Ed J. moved out to his own apartment
Regina W. moved out to her own apartment
James L. has started back to work at his old job at the Washington DC Convention Center

Emery House:
Jerome F. was selected as the Residential Member of the Month at Emery House.
Walter B. moved to Mulumba House and has started training for the 20in24Ultramarathon!
Chris H. received his yoga certification and has also started training with Walter (and all star volunteer ultra runner, Dave F.) for the 20in24 Ultramarathon.

La Casa:
Watson Mills was selected as the Washington, DC Chapter Member of the Month
Kenneth M. started up a car detailing and pressure washing business and things are already going fantastic for him
Clarence and Bill J. both moved on to another transitional house just a few blocks away from La Casa but are making the runs every morning and doing great!

N Street Village:
N Street had a guest blogger, Lauren G. write there blog this month and it can be found HERE!

NSV Team Captain:  Rhonda

NSV is proud to announce Rhonda as their new Team Captain!  Rhonda has been with the NSV team for over six months and, with her positive voice and eagerness to excel, she will certainly lead her team to success.  Rhonda has maintained over 95% attendance, and has participated in several races including Girls on the Run 5k, the Love the Run You’re With 5k, and the George Washington Parkway 5k. She is a regular at NSV social activities, and is working towards professional development and establishment of long term career goals. She looks forward to supporting her team members and encouraging them to be the best they can be.  Congrats, Rhonda!

Member of the Month:  Helen

Congratulations to Helen, our May Member of the Month! Helen joined the team earlier this year and immediately took on a leadership role, providing encouragement and support to her teammates.  A former high school sprinter, Helen revived her love of running, and is always up for a challenge.  She completed her first-ever 5k at the George Washington Parkway Classic in April, and looks forward to signing up for more races over the summer. In addition to pursuing running opportunities, Helen has made great strides in the Next Steps program, taking advantage of several career development workshops this month alone. NSV is lucky to have Helen as their May Member of the Month!

NSV Team Update

The ladies of N Street Village have been keeping busy the past few months!  In April, five ladies – Carol, Mary Virginia, Shevanda, Helen, and Rhonda – participated in the George Washington Parkway 5k.  While it was a first race for several of the ladies, consistent early morning workouts made the hilly course seem like a breeze.  They especially enjoyed the crowd support (something that doesn’t exist at 5:45 a.m.!) as well as the camaraderie shared among all of the BOMF DC teams.  Just minutes after crossing the finish line, the NSV runners were already inquiring about future race opportunities!

In April, the ladies of NSV traded their running shoes for bowling shoes for a little friendly competition at the Family Life Community Center in Northeast DC.  Many of the ladies showed off some serious bowling skills, while others (such as the NSV team leader) were happy to improve their personal records.  After the session was over, the team feasted on delicious snacks and laughed about the craziness that ensued moments prior.

In Next Steps, Helen completed the Accenture Skills to Succeed course, and Rhonda and Helen completed financial management workshops through Wachovia. Shirley was hired on full time at a DC area nursing home, and attributes her success in the job search to a few small tips she learned in Accenture Skills to Succeed.