I recently had a phone conversation with Anne and found her vision and intention, to affect those that have been marginalized by their various circumstances/situations, to be honorable and inspiring.
Qs: do you have specific programs that target the women who participate in the BOMF runs? Have you found that there are unique issues and/or needs for the homeless women in Philly?
Continued success to the BOMF team!
Kevin Carroll
Changemakers Featured Commentator
Sport for a Better World Competition
This is Wylie Belasik, Program Director for Back on My Feet. Thanks so much for your kind words!
In answer to your question, we have one team that operates out of a women's only facility and one team that operates from a co-ed facility. There are definitely unique needs for the women as opposed to the men. Very early on we found that while competition (improving race times and personal bests) was crucial for the men to stay focused and involved in Back on My Feet, the social connectedness was far more important for the women.
For instance, the men's teams will do races once a month with great success, however the women's team started a book club that meets for discussion once a month and has a similar bonding experience that the races seem to have for the men.
These different approaches are elements of Back on My Feet that we have had the pleasure of experiencing and learning from over the past year and a half.
Hello BOMF,
Glad to see your entry up on changemakers - Jeannette raves about your program and I am thinking that Kevin may have already pointed you toward Mel Young and his initiative, The Homeless World Cup: http://www.changemakers.net/node/3651 - we have partnered with Mel since the early days and I suspect you two have a lot of synergies/ opportunities for shared learning given the target population. There are leagues in the US that you might want to connect with as well, I am not sure if you have been in touch with them - here is their entry from the last changemakers competition:http://www.changemakers.net/node/2314
I feel like your initiative is super replicable in other cities - have you put together a toolkit of sorts that someone who might be interested could use as a guide for creating a BOMF franchise/ model in another city?
Keep up the great work, you are an inspiration to us all!
Thanks for your comment, we are so grateful to have Jeannette in our corner and we wouldn't have been able to build Back on My Feet to the point we have without her and Nike's support!
In just under a month, we'll be starting a Pilot Program in Baltimore, starting with two teams. We are extremely excited about the prospect of starting Back on My Feet programs in other cities. However, being a young organization, we are being very careful to make sure that our program remains sustainable and effective from both a personnel and financial standpoint. Baltimore will be a tremendous opportunity for Back on My Feet and we are eager to learn more and grow as we move forward.
Hi Anne,
One other question - you dont mention much about the female members of your program, can you talk a bit about how your program serves their needs and whether you have any insights as to what their unique needs might be, if any?
Thanks
Ziba
In our program we currently have over 110 active members, however only 16 are women. This is due to several factors, but the biggest is that we are very selective about the facilities that we partner with in order to make sure Back on My Feet will be successful there and a good fit. We simply have not found as many women's facilities as men's facilities in Philadelphia. Also, at women's facilities, in order to run at 5:30 in the morning Back on My Feet is responsible to provide child-care which can be logistically tricky with coordinating necessary paperwork and facility clearance for our folks to come in and babysit for the women with children.
Also, a difference in the women's program are the social needs. Our women value the social connectedness more than the competitive nature of Back on My Feet which is different from the men. A big motivator for the men is a success of achieving a personal best or new distance. However, for the women, being a part of a supportive team environment is absolutely paramount. This isn't to say that the women don't push themselves on the runs because they certainly do, but the team attitude is noticeably different from our other men's teams. Our women's team has had great success with replacing their monthly races with the meeting of their book club. The book club creates a safe environment for the women to share life experiences and stories with their Back on My Feet team-mates.
Please let me know if I can answer any other questions for you!
Hi Anne:
I agree with Ziba who stated above that your program is very replicable and is a prototype that should be brought to other cities in the US where there are big homeless assistance progams and family shelters and supportive housing.
Have you thought about applying for any Federal assistance from let's say the US Housing and Urban Development homeless assistance grant programs?
And do you have a specific program geared to young women,what about the younger children in homeless families- teens and mid-school aged?
We are very excited about the prospect of starting Back on My Feet programs in cities around the country, however we stay away from the term "replicate" because we feel that it has the potential to quell the unique flair that each of our six Philadelphia teams have. Each team follows the same core principles of Back on My Feet (inclusion, inspiration and fostering a supportive team environment), however the attitude and ownership that our members take of their teams creates beautiful variations on a common theme. Next month we will be launching a Pilot Program in Baltimore with two teams!
Currently, we have not applied for Federal assistance because of the current economic situation and we very much value our own independence and being able to operate Back on My Feet in the way that we have seen to be successful. We have been very careful to spread our funding asks over a network of individuals, corporations, foundations and our own events in order to remain healthy should one of those areas suffer.
We currently have one all women's team, one that is co-ed and are in the process of talks with what would be our first youth program (12-18 year olds). We are very keen on starting this program because it offers the chance to start healthy activity habits at a much earlier age and hopefully work with the current facility to provide these youths with important life skills to move forward and achieve their goals.
Hi Anne:
I agree with Ziba who stated above that your program is very replicable and is a prototype that should be brought to other cities in the US where there are big homeless assistance progams and family shelters and supportive housing.
Have you thought about applying for any Federal assistance from let's say the US Housing and Urban Development homeless assistance grant programs?
And do you have a specific program geared to young women,what about the younger children in homeless families- teens and mid-school aged?
It's great to see the convos that quickly generated about your work - very cool!
It's evident from the flurry of responses/queries to your entry, that there's no lack of opportunities for your initiative. The key thing that I heard Anne say in our convo was BOMF's focus is on doing the Philly program extremely well and to better understand the impact that BOMF is having on the participants via an ongoing university study that will provide measurable outcomes of your efforts. I think having that information will allow you to share the best practices of BOMF with other interested locales around the US and beyond.
Also, Ziba is absolutely right that you should connect with Mel Young with the Homeless World Cup - www.homelessworldcup.org - to glean from their 6 year's worth of work using soccer as a catalyst for the global homeless community.
All great stuff! Keep your initiative moving...it's making a difference!
Kevin Carroll
Changemakers Featured Commentator
Sport for a Better World Competition
Women Win is the first ever international women’s fund that supports sport and physical activities as instruments for social change and women’s empowerment.
Women Win believes that sport is the way for women and girls to learn leadership skills, develop character, self-esteem and a sense of belonging, while at the same time discover the fun, support and power of being together.
Women Win is excited to be a part of the GameChangers Competition.
Women Win will use the competition to find a fellow between the ages of 15 and 65 years old that positively change the lives of women and girls in their community through sports.
Women Win has fellows and ambassadors who are brilliant, innovative and effective women who contribute significantly to the advancement of societies and address social problems through sports as a strategy. http://www.womenwin.org/fellows.html
Hi Anne - Im so happy to see that your work made it to the top 13!! You deserve to be recognized for the great work you and your team are doing!! All my best -
Your project caught my eye and i have just read over your entry and i admire the work and progress you have made so far. Just wanted to congratulate you.
I Think giving these men and women a better way of life which they can only achieve through your help is fantastic.
Good luck with the project and hope it continues to expand.
Congratulations on being selected a Gamechangers finalist! You have an easily replicated model and it’s great to see that Baltimore has already adopted this program. That’s quite an impressive budget. Can you tell us more about how this gets allocated?
Also, have you thought about collaborating with colleges or approaching sports organizations such as the WNBA to increase your visibility?
Comentarios
Great to see an entry from my hometown!
I recently had a phone conversation with Anne and found her vision and intention, to affect those that have been marginalized by their various circumstances/situations, to be honorable and inspiring.
Qs: do you have specific programs that target the women who participate in the BOMF runs? Have you found that there are unique issues and/or needs for the homeless women in Philly?
Continued success to the BOMF team!
Kevin Carroll
Changemakers Featured Commentator
Sport for a Better World Competition
Hello Kevin-
This is Wylie Belasik, Program Director for Back on My Feet. Thanks so much for your kind words!
In answer to your question, we have one team that operates out of a women's only facility and one team that operates from a co-ed facility. There are definitely unique needs for the women as opposed to the men. Very early on we found that while competition (improving race times and personal bests) was crucial for the men to stay focused and involved in Back on My Feet, the social connectedness was far more important for the women.
For instance, the men's teams will do races once a month with great success, however the women's team started a book club that meets for discussion once a month and has a similar bonding experience that the races seem to have for the men.
These different approaches are elements of Back on My Feet that we have had the pleasure of experiencing and learning from over the past year and a half.
Thanks again Kevin!
Hello BOMF,
Glad to see your entry up on changemakers - Jeannette raves about your program and I am thinking that Kevin may have already pointed you toward Mel Young and his initiative, The Homeless World Cup: http://www.changemakers.net/node/3651 - we have partnered with Mel since the early days and I suspect you two have a lot of synergies/ opportunities for shared learning given the target population. There are leagues in the US that you might want to connect with as well, I am not sure if you have been in touch with them - here is their entry from the last changemakers competition:http://www.changemakers.net/node/2314
I feel like your initiative is super replicable in other cities - have you put together a toolkit of sorts that someone who might be interested could use as a guide for creating a BOMF franchise/ model in another city?
Keep up the great work, you are an inspiration to us all!
Best,
Ziba
Hello Ziba!
Thanks for your comment, we are so grateful to have Jeannette in our corner and we wouldn't have been able to build Back on My Feet to the point we have without her and Nike's support!
In just under a month, we'll be starting a Pilot Program in Baltimore, starting with two teams. We are extremely excited about the prospect of starting Back on My Feet programs in other cities. However, being a young organization, we are being very careful to make sure that our program remains sustainable and effective from both a personnel and financial standpoint. Baltimore will be a tremendous opportunity for Back on My Feet and we are eager to learn more and grow as we move forward.
Thanks again for your comments!
Hi Anne,
One other question - you dont mention much about the female members of your program, can you talk a bit about how your program serves their needs and whether you have any insights as to what their unique needs might be, if any?
Thanks
Ziba
In our program we currently have over 110 active members, however only 16 are women. This is due to several factors, but the biggest is that we are very selective about the facilities that we partner with in order to make sure Back on My Feet will be successful there and a good fit. We simply have not found as many women's facilities as men's facilities in Philadelphia. Also, at women's facilities, in order to run at 5:30 in the morning Back on My Feet is responsible to provide child-care which can be logistically tricky with coordinating necessary paperwork and facility clearance for our folks to come in and babysit for the women with children.
Also, a difference in the women's program are the social needs. Our women value the social connectedness more than the competitive nature of Back on My Feet which is different from the men. A big motivator for the men is a success of achieving a personal best or new distance. However, for the women, being a part of a supportive team environment is absolutely paramount. This isn't to say that the women don't push themselves on the runs because they certainly do, but the team attitude is noticeably different from our other men's teams. Our women's team has had great success with replacing their monthly races with the meeting of their book club. The book club creates a safe environment for the women to share life experiences and stories with their Back on My Feet team-mates.
Please let me know if I can answer any other questions for you!
Hi Anne:
I agree with Ziba who stated above that your program is very replicable and is a prototype that should be brought to other cities in the US where there are big homeless assistance progams and family shelters and supportive housing.
Have you thought about applying for any Federal assistance from let's say the US Housing and Urban Development homeless assistance grant programs?
And do you have a specific program geared to young women,what about the younger children in homeless families- teens and mid-school aged?
Hello Liz!
We are very excited about the prospect of starting Back on My Feet programs in cities around the country, however we stay away from the term "replicate" because we feel that it has the potential to quell the unique flair that each of our six Philadelphia teams have. Each team follows the same core principles of Back on My Feet (inclusion, inspiration and fostering a supportive team environment), however the attitude and ownership that our members take of their teams creates beautiful variations on a common theme. Next month we will be launching a Pilot Program in Baltimore with two teams!
Currently, we have not applied for Federal assistance because of the current economic situation and we very much value our own independence and being able to operate Back on My Feet in the way that we have seen to be successful. We have been very careful to spread our funding asks over a network of individuals, corporations, foundations and our own events in order to remain healthy should one of those areas suffer.
We currently have one all women's team, one that is co-ed and are in the process of talks with what would be our first youth program (12-18 year olds). We are very keen on starting this program because it offers the chance to start healthy activity habits at a much earlier age and hopefully work with the current facility to provide these youths with important life skills to move forward and achieve their goals.
Hi Anne:
I agree with Ziba who stated above that your program is very replicable and is a prototype that should be brought to other cities in the US where there are big homeless assistance progams and family shelters and supportive housing.
Have you thought about applying for any Federal assistance from let's say the US Housing and Urban Development homeless assistance grant programs?
And do you have a specific program geared to young women,what about the younger children in homeless families- teens and mid-school aged?
Hello Wylie + the BOMF team!
It's great to see the convos that quickly generated about your work - very cool!
It's evident from the flurry of responses/queries to your entry, that there's no lack of opportunities for your initiative. The key thing that I heard Anne say in our convo was BOMF's focus is on doing the Philly program extremely well and to better understand the impact that BOMF is having on the participants via an ongoing university study that will provide measurable outcomes of your efforts. I think having that information will allow you to share the best practices of BOMF with other interested locales around the US and beyond.
Also, Ziba is absolutely right that you should connect with Mel Young with the Homeless World Cup - www.homelessworldcup.org - to glean from their 6 year's worth of work using soccer as a catalyst for the global homeless community.
All great stuff! Keep your initiative moving...it's making a difference!
Kevin Carroll
Changemakers Featured Commentator
Sport for a Better World Competition
Hi Anne,
I would like to invite you to join the Women Win group at http://sportforchange.changemakers.net/en-us/group/womenwin. Just click in join this group.
Women Win is the first ever international women’s fund that supports sport and physical activities as instruments for social change and women’s empowerment.
Women Win believes that sport is the way for women and girls to learn leadership skills, develop character, self-esteem and a sense of belonging, while at the same time discover the fun, support and power of being together.
Women Win is excited to be a part of the GameChangers Competition.
Women Win will use the competition to find a fellow between the ages of 15 and 65 years old that positively change the lives of women and girls in their community through sports.
Women Win has fellows and ambassadors who are brilliant, innovative and effective women who contribute significantly to the advancement of societies and address social problems through sports as a strategy. http://www.womenwin.org/fellows.html
We would love to hear your opinion on the topics debated here http://sportforchange.changemakers.net/forum/262.
All the best luck!
Hi Anne - Im so happy to see that your work made it to the top 13!! You deserve to be recognized for the great work you and your team are doing!! All my best -
Kathy
Nike
Hi BOMF
Your project caught my eye and i have just read over your entry and i admire the work and progress you have made so far. Just wanted to congratulate you.
I Think giving these men and women a better way of life which they can only achieve through your help is fantastic.
Good luck with the project and hope it continues to expand.
Emma Moutrie
Nike Select
Loughborough University
Hi Wylie,
Congratulations on being selected a Gamechangers finalist! You have an easily replicated model and it’s great to see that Baltimore has already adopted this program. That’s quite an impressive budget. Can you tell us more about how this gets allocated?
Also, have you thought about collaborating with colleges or approaching sports organizations such as the WNBA to increase your visibility?
Thanks and good luck,
The Gamechangers Judges’ Panel
Enviar un comentario nuevo