Anne MahlumWhat began as a daily jog past a homeless shelter has blossomed into an organization that has helped a lot of people in downtown Philadelphia. Anne Mahlum realized how much she could help the people she ran by through teaching them the discipline and perseverance in running. She contacted some local businesses back in May of 2007, and held the first group run on July 3rd.

Billed as Philadelphia’s first homeless running club, Back on my Feet teaches discipline, leadership, and goal setting skills in an effort to help the homeless empower themselves to improve their lives.

The program begins with a 3 to 4 month period to help the individuals at each shelter to get into shape through a mandatory training program. After that time, each individual should have had ample opportunity to exhibit and experience hard work, teamwork, and perseverance, which are all skills that are necessary with the next phase of the program which involves job training and educational grants.

There are currently 6 shelters that are participating in the program. If you would like more information about Back on my Feet, are interested in supporting them, or would like to get involved with a similar program in your own community, you can read all about them at their website: http://backonmyfeet.org

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