June was an amazing month for all of the Back on My Feet DC teams, and quite a few of our members have hit impressive milestones.

Clean and Sober Streets

Intern Kristen C. and CSS Member Nick F. at the Father's Day 8k

The men and women at Clean and Sober Streets have been extremely busy this month, with quite a few notable accomplishments. They won the BoMF DC June Jog-A-Thon with 197.6 miles, due in large part to their attendance at the Saturday morning long runs—many members are now ready to kick off their half and full marathon training! Alongside this impressive team accomplishment, there have been quite a few individual achievements. Marque E.’s diligent job searching finally paid off, as he just began a new job with Freshii. Nick F. earned the BoMF DC Chapter Member of the Month Award for June due to his relentless hard work, fine leadership skills, and uncanny ability to make anyone smile, even at 5:45 am. Eric B. has also been putting forth amazing effort, racking up miles, and maintaining over 90% attendance. Keep it up! On June 24^th, the team went to a Motown concert at The Yards Park, where Jimi Smooth performed. Everyone enjoyed watching the band play and listening to the great live music alongside the river.

CSS also welcomed 4 new guys to the team this month: George J., Charles K., D’Angelo P., and Thornell M. We can’t wait to see what they can accomplish!

Emery House

At Emery House, Walter B. and Chris H. continue to put in long hours training for the 20in24 race, a Stroehmann-Back on My Feet Relay Challenge. This is a huge fundraiser for Back on My Feet, and all profits directly benefit the DC chapter. This weekend-long event includes a Lone-Ranger Ultra Marathon, a 24-hour relay race, a Midnight Madness Run, and an early morning Pajama Loop Run. If you would like to support Chris and Walter, and the entire Back on My Feet DC Chapter, we would love to see you at the race! If you are unable to make it to Philly to cheer or participate, the link for donations can be found here.

Chris and Walter have been training with the utmost dedication for this race. Over Memorial Day Weekend, the guys participated in a 10-hour run with volunteer Dave Ferris, and we know that their hard work will pay off weekend in Philadelphia. Good luck!

La Casa – 1-year anniversary!

Happy 1-Year Anniversary, La Casa!

Congratulations to team La Casa, which just reached its 1-year milestone! The team celebrated on Friday, July 3 with a morning run, some commemorative words by alumna and volunteers, and a special breakfast treat. It’s been an amazing, successful year for team La Casa, with quite a few success stories.

Kenny G. moved out and started his own power washing business, and continues to be extremely involved with his church, while still making it out for the morning runs whenever he can. After completing his first half-marathon earlier this year, Watson M. has been taking some time to recover from his foot injury, but he continues to run with complete dedication, and hopes to be able to run another half or full marathon once healed.

June brought three new members to the La Casa team: Dean B., Byron C., and Mychal H. They have been putting forth outstanding effort in the morning runs, and have already made tremendous improvements to their endurance. June was especially good to Dean, as he won the N Street Village Invitational 5k (his first 5k in recent memory!) and got a job with the World Bank in an IT position! Congrats Dean!

The La Casa team members supported N Street Village at their 5k Invitational on Saturday, June 25^th, at Rock Creek Park. The race was a huge success, in large part due to the hard work of volunteer Lauren G.—a huge thank  you for planning such an amazing day for Back on My Feet DC! Dean B., a new La Casa teammate, came in first overall in the race, with an outstanding time of 26:41.

On Sunday June 26^th, La Casa had a social event at Malcolm X Park, with a delicious picnic and great entertainment by an African Drum Circle. The Drum Circle has been meeting every Sunday afternoon in the park for the past 40 years, and proved to be an extremely unique and refreshing experience for BoMF DC.

Another notable accomplishment for La Casa was their 2nd place finish in the June Jog-A-Thon, with 120 miles logged. Great job, La Casa!

N Street Village

Finish Line at the N Street Village Invitational!

N Street Village held it’s first Invitational 5k Race on Saturday, June 25^th. Organized by the amazing and talented volunteer Lauren Gabler, this race was extremely successful, and proved to many of our newer runners just how much than can accomplish.

June brought new member Carol S. to the N Street Village team, and we are very proud that she is thriving at her job as a concierge, and has even been asked to train the other employees. Keep it up, Carol! Shevanda and Sharon are also doing well, as they have both started a day program, and are still coming out to the morning runs whenever possible.

N Street Village came in 3^rd in our June Jog-A-Thon Challenge, having logged nearly 60 miles! Great job N Street!

Blair House

Representing Blair House at the Fathers Day 8k!

At Blair House, Shon K. has reached 50 miles, with over a 95% attendance rate. Having only been with the program since May, this is a huge accomplishment for Shon and we are extremely proud of him. He plans to run the Woodrow Wilson Half Marathon with Back on My Feet in October. Keep it up, Shon! Allen S., who has been with the program since December, has moved out of the facility, and is working on completing a job-training program. He is taking some time away from running to fully heal from a stress fracture, but still supports BoMF whole-heartedly, and is looking forward to the opportunities the future will bring. Volunteer Amanda Ehrbar has returned from a brief hiatus from the team and everyone is thrilled to have her back. Blair House has also set up a Ragnar Relay team, and can’t wait until September to participate.

Blair House Members of the Month:

• John Murray was elected non-res member of the month, for his consistent motivation and enthusiasm. Members note that he is a crucial, influential force on the team, and that it’s nearly impossible to stop running when they run with him. Chris G. calls John his “lucky charm”, and says that John is always motivating others to do their best. Thank you for everything, John!
• Fred M. was elected as res member of the month for Blair House. Although he just started this month, he has already made himself a place on the team. He has maintained 100% attendance rate, and is out there everyday with a huge, contagious smile on his face. Fred has said that running has helped him feel better about himself, and he is excited to begin his job search.  Congrats, Fred!

Saturday, June 18^th was a beautiful morning for a great run and a little community service. Back On My Feet DC met up with the DC Trash Runners at 9am in Union Station to clean up their communities’ streets. During the quick 5k, the group ran the length of H Street NE picking up trash while feeding off the positive team energy and sunshine.

BoMF Team Members, Volunteers, & the DC Trash Runners

In attendance was a large showing from teams Clean and Sober Streets, Emery House, and the DC Trash Runners including Thornell M., David C., George J., Shon K., Drew W., Tiffany, Kent, Rob Brown, Chris G., and Donna Childress.

The members and volunteers enjoyed giving back to their community while getting in their morning workout. All in all it was a fantastic start to the weekend.  We are looking forward to the next event with the DC Trash Runners.

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!

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!

“We’re a family now, not just a team, not just a group of people that run together.”

Sam S. grew up in Washington, DC.  Born in 1952 Sam excelled in school, and in running.  He graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1970 where he ran track, specifically the 100, the 440 and the 880 relay races.  He started running track when he was in junior high, but his running had actually started a little bit before that when it first helped him avoid fights with the neighborhood bullies.  Raised in a home that taught pacifism and peace, fighting was never a part of Sam’s nature then, nor is it now.  In school Sam took college prep classes, and after he graduated he began attending Washington Tech, now University of Washington, DC where he studied electronics engineering.  Things were on the right track for Sam, but eventually school bills became unsustainable and he was forced to stop taking classes and find a job to support himself.

He went to work for Hot Shoppes, a pioneer of American fast food that was started by J. Willard Marriott in Columbia Heights in 1927.  Eventually that restaurant would turn into the Marriott hotel chain that we all know today.  During this time Sam, being the industrious man that he is, started his own street vendor business selling hats.  He eventually increased the scope of that business and began selling jewelry also, doing quite well for himself with that business.  However, the 1980s was not a good time for Washington, DC, economically or otherwise.  As the economy became increasingly tight, so did Sam’s vendor business.  He eventually decided to move into the white collar work sector for more stable employment.  He started working at the American Council of Life Insurance where he worked as a clerk, moving his way up to supervisor over the course of seven years there.  This is the path that Sam followed for more than a decade.  Moving to a new job at Prentice Hall, where he worked in their legal and financial departments, he then moved over to Manpower, to do administrative assistant work as a contractor, and finally making his way to the US Postal Service Headquarters.  Sam’s career progressed quite well and life was going according to his plans.

Finally, Sam moved on to start NK Consulting, working on creating small business plans, financial models, as well as connecting suppliers and buyers interested in wholesale purchasing as well as providing a series of other small business services.  Not one to let his dream of a college education fall by the wayside, Sam returned to school to finish his degree.  Beyond that, Sam also attained two master’s degrees in business and information technologies in 2002 from Strayer University.

Sam’s path to Emery House is very different than the normal story that many residents share.  Drugs and alcohol have not played a part in Sam’s life, nor is he fighting the uphill battle of overcoming a past criminal conviction when seeking employment.  Sam is facing what a lot of Americans are facing right now, a tough economy and an even tougher job market.  Yes, there are bits and pieces of good news that have been turning up on the nightly news about job recovery and growth, but it’s been, and still very much is, a difficult situation for many Americans today.

Several years ago Sam’s mother became ill.  He did what any loving son would do, he sold his house and moved in with his mother to care for her.  After a time there became family squabbles over money and the house, and because Sam was not working, caring for his mother prevented him from maintaining fulltime employment, he was eventually forced to leave the house.  All of this happened a little over 2 years ago, and at that time with nowhere to go he found himself staying at the La Casa facility in Columbia Heights.  The trailers he was staying at there were known for being an unpleasant stay for most, and shortly after Sam was able to make his way to Emery House, run by the DC Coalition for the Homeless.  Emery House is what is typically referred to as a work/bed facility.  The residents have to be employed to be staying there.  Sam was fortunate enough to find part time employment at the NCBA as a nutritional aide, which allowed him to make that transition.

After being at Emery House for a few weeks Sam distinctly remembers the day a very tall man made a very interesting presentation to the residents.  Join a morning running team, and by commitment and dedication to doing something different with your life, we will help you access job training and continuing education classes and will help you find a job.  Sam’s first thought was that they were crazy.  He hadn’t run in years, still smoked cigarettes and was 20 lbs overweight.  But the offer was to do something different, to try something that could benefit his life in a variety of ways.  Sam wanted to eat better and lose the extra weight, and the structure that the running program had seemed like it could help him achieve those goals.  However, there was an early speed bump along the way.  In the first Back on My Feet race last year, the GW Parkway Classic 5K 2011, Sam injured his ankle.  “My first thoughts were about quitting,” he said.  He thought that if he couldn’t run then he obviously couldn’t be a part of the team.  That however, was not the case.  Even with a swollen ankle, Sam was able to maintain well over 90+% attendance through his recovery and still to this day he has 95% attendance over a year later.  He wasn’t able to run, but he was out there each and every morning doing the best that he possibly could, and fully participating in the Back on My Feet community. The encouraging words from the volunteers are what kept him there during those injured weeks.  Through it all Sam has been selected as the Emery House team captain, he has run several more races, most recently running in the SunTrust National Half Marathon Relay with Emery House volunteer, Jamie L. and Blair House residential member, Nathaniel P.

Sam’s part time employment at NCBA hasn’t been enough for Sam to make the next step out to independent living.  He’s hoping that will change soon.  Sam recently acquired a job at Marriott Hotels, working in their banquet department.  Marriott has been an outstanding supporter of Back on My Feet.  They have hosted our breakfast launches and our Chapter birthday galas as well!  Sam’s hard work and efforts towards personal progress have been an inspiration to other members, and his work with Marriott is hopefully paving the way for other Back on My Feet members to find gainful employment and overcome the difficult economy.

The thing that I’ve found most remarkable about Sam is his approach to the difficult situations he has faced in life.  Never have I seen a hint of anger, frustration or sadness from Sam.  Not to say that those emotions aren’t felt, but Sam has found a place of calm in his life, in part through the karate and tai chi that he has practiced on and off throughout his life.  “It’s stabilized me through the different changes I’ve gone through in life.  You can control some things, you pass through others, and the bad things in life I’m going through right now I’m just passing through them and not letting them affect me.”  Sam’s current pastimes include chess and backgammon, both of which he is quite skilled at.

“We’re all individuals as we go through life, but I’ve found a sense of team, of community that I can be a part of.  I can relate to others and can be a part of a team where I hadn’t ever found that before.”

With two races taking place in March the team at Blair House certainly covered some miles!  The team first participated in the St. Patrick’s Day 8K hosted by Capital Running Company.  The race took place in downtown Washington, DC starting on the historic Pennsylvania Ave and passing over Constitution Ave and Independence Ave, with a turnaround in front of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.  The weather was perfect for a race and the runners were in good spirits, with dancing and festivities starting before the race even took place!  Several new members have joined the team at Blair House, and made it out to see the race, and the energy of the event have them excited for the upcoming GW Parkway Classic race very soon.

Blair House also took part in the SunTrust National Marathon/Half and Relay that started over at RFK Stadium in Northeast Washington, DC.  Nathaniel P. ran the 13.1 mile relay race with Sam S. (Chapter Member of the Month) and Jamie L. of Emery House.  Will L. ran his second half marathon in the past 6 months(!) and Omar H. would have been taking on his first half marathon except an injury during the St. Patty’s Day 8K is keeping him off of his feet for a little while.  All runners deal with injuries, and the Back on My Feet runners are no different.  The good news is that Allen S. should be back out with the team after recovering from his stress fracture, and hopefully Omar H. won’t be too far behind him.

The Blair House team also participated in the Back on My Feet Birthday Bash, celebrating BoMF’s first year, and numerous accomplishments, here in DC.  Folks were dressed up and ready to go for the night’s dinner and dancing.  Pictures of the event can be found HERE!

Resident member Kevin C. moved into independent housing, while Manny, Kenny C. and Al S. all attended the mandatory Accenture Skills to Succeed Workshop. Manny also was able to use his grant money to pay off EDP dues.

March saw the transition out for Blair House’s team leader, Todd M., with Stephanie Van Arsdale taking over as team leader to help keep the team on track and running some miles! The BoMF Birthday Bash also saw Anastasia Christman be recognized as the outstanding volunteer of the year.  Her consistent efforts and attendance, along with her 15 mile commute and ever cheerful demeanor made Anastasia standout in a room full of amazing and dedicated volunteers who all deserve an award for making Back on My Feet so successful in Washington, DC during its first year.

Dave F. and Luke H. were selected as residential and non-residential members of the month for Emery house for the month of February!  Dave is training for the National Marathon coming up on March 24^th, as well has having attended the Accenture Skills to Succeed seminar and working on resume prep and job searching with Program Director Gretchen Gates.  He’s been very consistent on his long training runs and we’re all hoping for a great race for Dave!  Luke H., among being a fantastic runner with BoMF and an ambassador for the National Marathon (he’s running the half), he also recently completed the Empire State Building Run Up . Check out the trailer for a race that Luke is training for where he and several other competitors will race against a horse, For 50 Miles.

Sam Stinson also attended the Accenture Skills to Succeed seminar, as well as getting a job with Marriott in their banquet department.  Great job Sam!!!

Marathon training is going great for Scotty Williams and Walter Barerra.  Everyone is getting prepared for the race and for the Bash coming up, and we can’t wait to spend time with our BoMF family at both events!  Emery house also participated in the Love The Run You’re With 5K race hosted by Pacers Running Stores.  Pictures from that event can be seen HERE.

Back on My Feet DC is excited to announce a recent partnership with City Year and Au Bon Pain!  City Year is a service learning program through which young leaders donate a year of service to a specific organization.  Through tutoring and mentoring, corps members help children stay in school and on track, and transform schools and communities across the United States.

BOMF DC has worked with City Year in the past on specific service day events, but have recently rolled out the Au Bon Pain initiative.  Through this partnership, City Year volunteers coordinate pick-up and drop-off of Au Bon Pain breakfast item donations to the shelter facilities BOMF partners with.  The initiative kicked off Monday with Emery House and will continue each week with donations to 3 of the BOMF DC teams.  Thanks so much to City Year!