Anne Mahlum & Back on My Feet

This story dates back to 2007 when Anne Mahlum founded Back on My Feet in Philadelphia, but I saw it highlighted recently on a network news program. A runner since she was 16, Anne developed a rapport with some of the people at a homeless shelter she ran past every morning. After a while, she thought,

Why am I just running past them and leaving them there? Maybe running could make these guys feel as good as it makes me feel."

She lined up some donations for running shoes and founded Philly's first homeless running club. Since then it has expanded to eight other cities and includes a Next Steps program to help those who maintain 90% attendance running receive education, job training and financial assistance to help them find jobs and permanent housing. More than 600 program participants have found jobs and more than 400 have found housing since 2008.

This is an illustration of how something you enjoy can grow into something that can change lives. In addition, this brief bio of Anne explains that her running began as a reaction to problems at home. The story can also be used to illustrate how problems can have positive outcomes.

Polish neo-Nazis discover they are Jewish

Imagine their surprise! This CNN article describes a young Polish couple who got into the neo-Nazi movement as teenagers and found out, after they were married, that they were both Jewish. Their parents had kept their heritage a secret in the aftermath of WW II. The couple's response was to embrace their Jewish heritage and they are now members of an orthodox synagogue.

Interesting story here, but what's the application? Any ideas?

12-Step Programs

David Brooks' June 28 column in the NY Times he reviews another essay he found (he does that a lot) about AA and addiction. It will give you a little history of the beginning of the AA movement and an overview of the longer original essay, which he posts a link to: The Secret of AA: After 75 Years We Don't Know How It Works.

Both writers point out that AA doesn't work for the majority of people who start it but they do provide some interesting comments and insights on the methods and strengths of AA. Here are a few quotes from Brooks.

In a culture that generally celebrates empowerment and self-esteem, A.A. begins with disempowerment. The goal is to get people to gain control over their lives, but it all begins with an act of surrender and an admission of weakness.

In a culture that thinks of itself as individualistic, A.A. relies on fellowship. The general idea is that people aren’t really captains of their own ship. Successful members become deeply intertwined with one another.

In a world in which gurus try to carefully design and impose their ideas, Wilson surrendered control. He wrote down the famous steps and foundations, but A.A. allows each local group to form, adapt and innovate. There is less quality control. Some groups and leaders are great; some are terrible. But it also means that A.A. is decentralized, innovative and dynamic.