History
Updated: January 25, 2012
THE BEGINNING
Anne Mahlum, Founder and CEO, would pass by a homeless shelter every morning on her daily run and began to develop a rapport with the men outside on the corner. What started out as waves and smiles from a distance became more intimate as they developed a comfort level with one another. And one morning a simple idea stopped her in her tracks.
With a call to the shelter and the astounding support from the community and the media, Philadelphia's first Homeless Running Program was well, up and running. The first run took place on Tuesday, July 3rd at 6 a.m.,and now the organization continues to grow and has a rich program to supplement its community of runners, members and volunteers.
Running is such a beautiful metaphor for life,” said Anne Mahlum, Founder and CEO of Back on My Feet. “Life is about choosing different roads and our program teaches the importance of choosing roads filled with opportunity, hope and happiness.”
MISSION, VISION AND PHILOSOPHY
Back on My Feet is a nonprofit organization that promotes the self-sufficiency of people experiencing homelessness by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem. The organization’s mission is not to create runners within the homeless population, but to create self-sufficiency in the lives of those experiencing homelessness by using running as a vehicle. The program’s success is measured by how many Members achieve independence through employment and housing.
Back on My Feet envisions a community where all members have the support and motivation required to move towards self-sufficiency. Every major city has a homeless problem and while providing food and shelter are very important basic needs, something is missing. Back on My Feet does not provide food nor does it provide shelter, but instead provides a community that embraces equality, respect, discipline, teamwork and leadership. There are no labels, no stigmas and no stereotypes. At Back on My Feet, all members – regardless of race, education or socioeconomic status – join together to move their own lives forward as well as the lives of their teammates. Members earn the opportunity to create a new road for themselves by advancing to the “Next Steps” phase of the program where they gain access to educational, job training and employment opportunities, as well as financial aid. In short, BoMF focuses on changing the direction of people’s lives by changing the way they see themselves.
The organization has had incredible results with 75 percent of Members consistently maintaining 90 percent attendance at morning runs. Fifty percent of Members successfully move from dependency to an independent lifestyle. Learn more about our program results.
STRATEGY
Back on My Feet teaches critical work and life skills, such as discipline, leadership, and goal-setting that help lead our members toward a road filled with hope, happiness, opportunity and prosperity. The organization’s comprehensive program includes connections to BoMF’s job training and workforce development partners and offers assistance with education and housing expenses. The member benefits of Back on My Feet are not free – they are earned through the currency of attitude, commitment, teamwork, respect and perseverance.
HOW DOES RUNNING HELP THE HOMELESS SITUATION?
To solve any problem you have to get at its core. We have all been on rocky roads in life and some people have unfortunately found themselves on a road without a home. BoMF does not provide food for the homeless nor does it provide shelter. While those are very important basic needs that all human beings deserve, we provide a program that teaches people to believe in themselves because it doesn't matter if you have 20 homes or 0 homes; if you don't have confidence in yourself it's very difficult to move forward.
We use running as a vehicle to show individuals they are capable of accomplishing anything...but it's not going to happen overnight - it takes hard work, dedication and perseverance. BoMF focuses heavily on teamwork - when we run, we run as a family and we support, encourage and motivate each other every step of the way. No one ever runs by themselves because life is a lot harder when you go through it alone.
“Compared with sedentary individuals, active persons are more likely to be better adjusted, to perform better on tests of cognitive functioning, to exhibit reduced cardiovascular responses to stress, and to report fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression....Exercise training reduces depression in healthy older men and in persons with cardiac disease or major depression. Exercise also improves self-confidence and self-esteem” Source: American Heart Association, Inc.
