Boston Rescue Mission (Team Mission)
Updated: June 15, 2011
Come join the Back on My Feet team at the Boston Rescue Mission. [Map here]
Facility Information
The Boston Rescue Mission is one of the oldest Boston continuous service providers, having been founded in 1899. The mission of BRM is to help individuals in their care regain a measure of self sustainability by providing a caring community that provides for personal development, instills accountability, and makes the tools for self-sustenance accessible.
The Rescue Mission focuses on five aspects of its mission: ending homelessness, international outreach, meal programs, preventing homelessness, and spiritual development. Recently alumni of the BRM ran the 2010 Boston Marathon, demonstrating not only the success of the BRM’s community but that the partnership with Back on My Feet aligns perfectly with the BRM’s desire to provide their members both positive experiences that instill dignity along with the tools to create their own path.
Victor Acosta, Back on My Feet Executive Director said, “Back on My Feet is excited to partner with the Boston Rescue Mission. We look forward to creating a family of runners who aspire to move forward and with the legacy of the Rescue Mission behind us, we know we will.”
Team Information
Meeting Location: Park Street Church, 1 Park Street, Boston, MA [Map here]
When do we run?: We start at 5:45 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and finish by 7 a.m. Saturday runs start at 7 a.m. from the same location (start at 3 miles) after one month.
How long are runs?: Runs will start at one mile and build as members gain greater fitness
Want to Join?
Sign up for an orientation.
Featured Boston Chapter Member of the Month: Steve Karagiozis
Steve Karagiozis has been an invaluable member of Back on My Feet Boston since BoMF launched in Boston over one year ago. A native of Lowell, Steve is no stranger to the streets of Boston. With parents who were addicts, Steve found himself headed down that same path of addiction from a very young age. By the time Steve was a young teen, he was hooked on the lifestyle of drugs and drinking. Eventually, he made his way to Boston, where things weren't looking much better.
"I was partying hard," Steve says. "And because of that, I spent years running from my problems."
Steve was working consistently, but could not support himself and his addictions to drugs and alcohol. So Steve became homeless. For decades, he battled the cycles of addiction and the many problems that come with it. Until 14 months ago when Steve put down the bottle for what he hopes was the last time.
Steve joined Back on My Feet shortly after and has maintained almost perfect attendance for over a year. When he first started with BoMF, Steve wasn't so sure this would be for him. But he kept showing up. In the heat and the rain, then the cold and the snow and the dark and the ice. Before he knew it, Steve had a new addiction: running.
While he used to try to "white knuckle" his way through recovery, Steve found a new outlet. He says running has helped in tremendously in his daily life. Today, he thinks more clearly, makes better decisions, and has more self-esteem than he did a year ago.
We're incredibly proud of the man Steve is today. He has reconnected with his daughter and has discovered the joys of being a great father. He is a leader not only for his team, Boston Rescue Mission, but for everyone in Back on My Feet Boston. He has challenged us all and pushed us to be better. Not to mention, with 99% attendance over the past year, he's logged almost 600 miles and dozens of races, including two half-marathons. Now, Steve is training for his first triathlon!
Steve celebrated his birthday with Back on My Feet by being honored as a speaker at the John Hancock BoMF First Birthday Breakfast, where he shared his story of hope and inspiration with a packed room of more than 400 Back on My Feet supporters and members.
"I'm so grateful for the volunteers for Back on My Feet because they're the people who have really pushed me to get better," Steve says. "And now that I've gone as far as I have, there's no limit."
We're willing to bet that when you ask Steve about being Member of the Month, he'll tell you, "it's about damn time!" And we couldn't agree with him more. Congratulations, Steve!
