ANOTHER RUN AT IT
Nonprofit’s jogs lead homeless to jobs
SOME Down-on-their-luck New Yorkers will soon be getting a running start toward new jobs.
Back on My Feet, a nonprofit support group for homeless people that aims to build self-esteem and discipline through running, is launching its newest chapter in New York City today.
About 50 participants from five city shelters will pull on donated athletic wear and sneakers, getting up three days a week for 5:30 a.m. long-distance jogs.
Those who manage to rack up a 90% attendance rate in the first 30 days of the program, which runs four to six months, can earn credits toward career training, such as computer and interviewing skills, job placement and other services.
The idea of such early starts hasn’t put off Jeff Stewart, 45, a resident of the Bowery Mission who has struggled since leaving low-paying factory work in Virginia and signed up to be in the New York chapter’s inaugural group.
“When you get a job, you’re going to have to do that anyway, so I think I’m going to enjoy getting fresh air every morning,” he said.
Anne Mahlum launched Back On My Feet five years ago in Philadelphia after jogging past a group of homeless shelter residents who reminded her of her dad. His addiction issues marred her teenage years, she said.
The runs boost confidence and offer an encouraging environment, Mahlum said.
“If people feel better about themselves,” she said, “they’re going to be more self-sufficient.”
But they also need work to support themselves, so the group is piloting a program with hotel operator Marriott, which has committed to interviewing 150 of the program’s participants from its nine chapters across the country this year.
In the last three months of 2011, Marriott hired about 16 Back on My Feet graduates in positions ranging from housekeeper to engineer, Mahlum said.
The organization has also helped place members in jobs at companies such as Enterprise and Bimbo Bakeries, she said.
The program has had about 400 participants so far, with about half moving on to independent living and jobs.
It’s no walk in the park. Many participants, like Coney Islandraised Charlie Lavarez, 49, are recovering abusers of alcohol and drugs.
But the former Merchant Marine is looking forward to getting out on the street in a positive way and is hopeful the program will help get him a fresh start — and possibly a restaurant job.
“This is an opportunity to get a skill and an education, because I’m looking to go back to work,” he said. “It’s a second chance in life for me.”
Mahlum said employers appreciate the commitment it takes to faithfully do such early morning runs. “If someone’s disciplined enough to get up and get there on time, those are the same things you look at in an employee.”