HEALTH & FITNESS

Running helps homeless get back on their feet

Maureen C. Gilmer
maureen.gilmer@indystar.com

At least three days a week, Whitney Hamilton gets up before dawn, laces up his running shoes and joins a group of friends for a jog around Downtown Indianapolis.

The friends are members and volunteers of Back On My Feet, a nonprofit that uses running to help the homeless move forward with their lives.

The road to a better life starts at 5:45 a.m., when teams meet at Wheeler Mission and the Hoosier Veterans Assistance Foundation to train for races around town, including the One America 500 Festival Mini Marathon, which is May 2.

Hamilton, 59, came to Back On My Feet about eight months ago, jobless and homeless. He was not a runner.

"I didn't know if I could make it, but I started by walking; I knew it would be good exercise."

With a little help from his friends, he started running and hasn't looked back. He wears his accomplishments around his neck: medals for a 5K last year and an 8K last weekend, a 50-mile medallion for accumulated miles with Back On My Feet. The farthest he's run at one time is 10 miles, but on Saturday, he'll run the Mini — 13.1 miles.

"Not bad for an old guy," he said Thursday at Back On My Feet's birthday bash fundraiser at the JW Marriott. "I'm gonna make it. It's about finishing, and I just keep pushing myself."

With help from Back On My Feet and other agencies, Hamilton moved into his own home April 1. An Army veteran, he receives disability payments from the military and a small pension from General Motors.

"I'm a different person today than I was when I started here," he said. "I can't stop running. It helps other people to see someone who's made it, and I want to be that person."

Back On My Feet members, volunteers and supporters gathered last week to celebrate milestones in the organization's four years in Indianapolis. To date, 427 resident members have been served, and 155 are considered alumni. In addition, 127 have found permanent housing, 120 have found jobs, 85 were enrolled in an educational or training program and 254 completed a race.

"The community has been with us, cheering our members on, and for that we are profoundly grateful," said Chrissy Vasquez, executive director.

The organization partners with other agencies to meet its clients' needs, including emergency shelters, halfway houses and the John H. Boner Community Center, which provides financial literacy classes and job-skills training.

Those who join the program complete a contract and goals sheet and are assigned to a running team. Attendance, mileage and attitude are tracked on every run. After 30 days, members who have maintained a 90 percent attendance rate at the morning runs move on to the next phase, which includes meeting with program staff to map out a plan for an independent future.

Despite the successes, "the hard truth of homelessness and addiction means it doesn't always include a happily ever after," Vasquez said. "Life comes hard, and there are members who life has carried back to a dark place, but I always know there's hope.

"The greatest resource we provide our members is a sense of belonging, a family that's always here."

Joe Nelson can testify to that. He came to Back On My Feet in 2012, homeless and hopeless. But running was something he knew. He was a high school athlete in Milwaukee, before addiction and other bad habits turned his life upside down.

Nelson was honored Thursday as the group's resident of the year. He stumbled a few times on his road back to self-sufficiency, but now he has an apartment Downtown, a job as a nursing assistant and the peace of mind that comes with that success.

He also has the honor of being the only group alumni member to pass the 1,000-mile mark in the program. Last year, he completed the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon and the Carmel Marathon.

For him and others in the program, running provides structure, discipline and accountability. Plus, it's a lot of fun, he said.

"It gives me clarity, and I've grown more spiritual. I want to be of service. I can support the new people in the program; prior to that, people were supporting me. And they continue to do that."

Vasquez says she has seen a 180-degree change in direction for both Nelson and Hamilton, specifically their interest in "paying it forward and their appreciation for life."

"Sometimes people move out into their own place and start going back to old ways," she said. "Some members come through for a second and third chance. They know they have a safe place to come. But even if they don't ever come back, I know the lessons they learned will stick with them. They'll remember that time when they trained for that race and had the feeling that 'I'm worth it.' "

James Hill remembers that feeling. He got out of prison a year ago and landed at Wheeler Mission.

"I made some bad choices in my life, but by the grace of God I ended up here."

He completed his first 5K race in October and said he wanted to quit many times, but his volunteer partner didn't give up on him.

"I never thought my life would change, but these people showed me that I can change. They showed me so much love. They're like family. They are my family."

Words like that help Vasquez remain optimistic.

"We all have something in our lives that we can do a little better job of letting go of so we can move forward. That's what helps us all relate to each other," she said.

"We are really trying to change the perception of homelessness. We're all equal, fighting our own battles in different ways."

Call Star reporter Maureen Gilmer at (317) 444-6879. Follow her on Twitter: @MaureenCGilmer.

Want to get involved?
• Volunteers can run/walk with teams 5:45 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
• A yoga class designed for runners is held every Sunday at CITYOGA; a $10 donation benefits Back On My Feet.
• Gently used shoes can go the extra mile for someone in need. Donate to the ShoeBox Recycling Campaign.
• Hand out water at water stations during training and races throughout the year.
To learn more about these opportunities, contact Liz Navarre at liz.navarre@backonmyfeet.org or visit the website indianapolis.backonmyfeet.org.