Back on My Feet To Launch NYC Chapter to Help Homeless

Back on My Feet (BoMF), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to creating independence and self-sufficiency within the homeless and other underserved populations by first engaging them in running, will launch its New York City chapter on April 10.

That morning, Back on My Feet residential members (individuals experiencing homelessness) will begin their journey with BoMF by participating in a one-mile inaugural run through Central Park and ending in the heart of New York City's Times Square. Non-Residential members (volunteers), supporters, corporate sponsors, Back on My Feet staff, and national as well as NYC Advisory Board Members will join all 50 members who will form the first Back on My Feet NYC teams as they run their first mile together.

Following the run, Back on My Feet will hold its traditional "business attire with sneakers" Launch Breakfast, presented by Accenture and NYC Marriott and Renaissance Hotels of NYC, at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square.

New York City will be the ninth city to gain a Back on My Feet chapter, joining Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Indianapolis, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta.

The first 50 Members of Back on My Feet New York City will be outfitted for sneakers and official Back on My Feet running gear at Jack Rabbit Sports, Back on My Feet NYC's official running store partner.

Founded by Anne Mahlum in 2007, Back on My Feet (BoMF) is a national nonprofit organization that is dedicated to creating independence and self-sufficiency within the homeless and other underserved populations by first engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength and self-esteem. The organization does not provide food nor shelter, but instead provides a community that embraces equality, respect, discipline, teamwork and leadership.

Back on My Feet’s approach focuses on the very profound and innate desire for all of us—regardless of age, race, socio-economic status—to feel recognized, appreciated, valued and important. Through dedication and hard work, 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. 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.

Back on My Feet is extremely collaborative with homeless service agencies as well as running and corporate communities. Learn more at backonmyfeet.org.

Heifer International Project Will Revitalize Armenia’s Farms

Heifer International Armenia is distributing agricultural equipment to small farmers, giving them the means to stay on their land and improve their livelihoods. It’s the first part of the Community Agricultural Resource Management and Competitiveness (CARMAC) project, a partnership with the World Bank and Armenia’s Ministry of Agriculture.

CARMAC’s objective is to reverse environmental damage caused by unsustainable grazing, increase the economic viability of small farms through infrastructure improvements, and increase productivity to gain access to more markets. The $22.7 million project aims to assist 78,000 people.  CARMAC has a $10.1 million agricultural component, with Heifer providing $3.7 million. Heifer International Armenia has already distributed three tractors and five balers to several farming cooperatives, enabling the farmers to make the best use of their land and provide better fodder for livestock.

Heifer International Armenia has worked with more than 8,000 Armenian families in the past 11 years, building up family farms through gifts of cattle, buffalos, pigs, chickens, rabbits, sheep, bees, worms, tree seedlings and organic produce. The projects first create food security for the participating families, and then surplus product is sold to earn money for education, medical care and other necessities.

Gagik Khachatryan, director of the Agriculture Project Implementation Unit at the Armenian Ministry of Agriculture, presented the baling equipment. Khachatryan said that without Heifer’s contribution, it would have been impossible to ensure rural community engagement and successfully realize the CARMAC project.

By the end of the project, about 200 pieces of agricultural equipment are expected to be placed within 55 rural communities in Armenia. The modern equipment, along with more careful use of pastures, will boost overall productivity and efficiency of small livestock farms. This will help position local producers to fill Armenia’s growing domestic dairy need and to become more competitive regionally.

As the project work begins, its significance for rural communities is increasingly evident. During previous decades, rural unemployment in Armenia has forced many people (mostly men) to leave the country to find jobs abroad. CARMAC is designed to bring back hope to farming communities, providing rural families with a chance to stay together and build their future in their homeland.

Heifer’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. Since 1944, Heifer International has provided livestock and environmentally sound agricultural training to improve the lives of those who struggle daily for reliable sources of food and income. Heifer is currently working in 40 countries, including the United States, to help families and communities become more self-reliant. For more information, visit www.heifer.org 1-800-696-1918.