A reader writes: "Since we seem to have so many negative things happening in our neighborhood, I thought I'd share something really wonderful that's taking place in the heart of where we live. Check out this link and note that one of the Back On My Feet Teams is working with Rest Interim Housing at 941 W. Lawrence. This is a wonderful program and I’m excited to be a part of their Chicago launch right here in my own neighborhood."The website says: "Back on My Feet is much more than just running. It is a comprehensive program that offers connections to job training, employment and housing, but these benefits are not free. Members earn the opportunity to move forward in the six month to nine month program by maintaining a 90 percent attendance rate at the morning runs three days a week."
We're for anything that helps people leave the shelters and achieve goals, skills and independent living. Congrats to all who join this program, either as participants or volunteers.
I read about this group in a past issue of Runners World and am thrilled to hear they've started a chapter in Chicago! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI guess some help is better then no help when it comes to help the Uptown homeless. alot of them seems to me don`t really want to take responsibility for their life. I would hope besides teaching them to leave shelters, achieve goals they also would be taught to lay off drinking and doing drugs like I see most of them doing around our streets. It is hard to get your life back together with a bottle in your hand or a needle in your arm.
ReplyDeleteMore people with a good purpose on the street is always a good thing. Hope they will all carry cell phones and call the cops when they see trouble.
ReplyDeleteAs long as REST continues to harbor violent sexual offenders, I won't be lacing up my running shoes any time soon. I wish this could be a feel-good story from me but it's not. Should we ask the woman who was attacked at the beach field house to lace up a pair of running shoes?
ReplyDeleteWow Julie, I was disappointed to read such negativity towards such a wonderful program. The group of guys that I ran with this morning were all wonderful and very excited to be part of this group. For me, the Back on My Feet program is about the individuals it helps and how, through running, they regain their self confidence and self-sufficiency. If there's an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people who want a better life, then I'll lace up my running shoes and run by their side each and every time.
ReplyDeleteThank Jah for people like 40YearOldStudent - nobody ever has the back of those that have been through "the system" - which is more of an illustration of the failure of our penal system and its overworked, stretched-too-thin resource supply of social workers and psych professionals. Do people like Julie and Wiseguy have absolutely zero understanding what people are up against when they get out of prison? I mean really - theirs is the type of crap I expect out of the Teabagger sect.
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