Back On My Feet, a non-profit bringing hope on the run.

Back on My Feet, a national organization operating in Austin and 12 other major cities across the US, combats homelessness through the power of running, community support and essential employment and housing resources.

Back on My Feet seeks to revolutionize the way society approaches homelessness. Their unique model demonstrates that if you first restore confidence, strength and self-esteem, individuals are better equipped to tackle the road ahead. For all in need, they aim to provide: practical training and employment resources for achieving independence; an environment that promotes accountability; and a community that offers compassion and hope. For all with the capacity to serve – volunteers, donors, community and corporate partners – they seek to engage you in the profound experience of empowering individuals to achieve what once seemed impossible through the seemingly simple act of putting one foot in front of the other.

Shawn’s Success Story

A veteran of the US Army, Shawn suffered a back injury while serving, and during treatment, became addicted to the painkillers. It wasn’t long before he was also addicted to heroin.

In a three-year span, Shawn lived in six different states. As he explains it, “[I was] under the delusion that a fresh start in a new place was all I needed to kick this thing. … I was strung out, homeless, broke, hungry, and lonely. … No family, no friends, no life.”

Shawn was lost. He wanted to see his family, he wanted to get clean, and he wanted to have a life. “For years, I lived plagued with guilt, embarrassed and ashamed, lost in the grips of my addiction,” he says.

Shawn then entered a rehab facility, which is where he heard about Back on My Feet. When he started, Shawn says that he was out of shape, still a smoker, and couldn’t even run a couple miles. Today, however, Shawn is a changed man. He completed the Austin Marathon this year and ran a 100k ultra marathon over the Bandera, Texas hill country. He has reconnected with his family, something very important to him, and their relationship is thriving.

Joining Back on My Feet was such a transformative experience for Shawn that he has now qualified for the elite 2019 Western States 100k ultra marathon. Shawn is now also getting his personal trainer certification through financial aid from Back on My Feet.

Check out more Back on My Feet Success Stories

Learn More About Back on My Feet

Back on My Feet runners and volunteers preparing for the Bigfoot Trail Race at Slaughter Creek Preserve.

 

Grace Dowd along with other Trail Roots members join Back on My Feet runners for a morning run.

 

Grace and Same at Back on My Feet’s 2019 Step & Repeat Gala.