Saint Joseph’s students hit the ground running in January with a new weekly service site at Our Brother’s Place (OBP) shelter in Philadelphia. Before the sun is up, and only a few hours after many college students have gone to bed, a University van heads into the city in time for a 5:30 a.m. run. Men from OBP, alongside volunteers, participate in the Back on My Feet (BOMF) program, which helps promote the self-sufficiency of the homeless by building confidence and positive encouragement through running. BOMF has several locations in the Philadelphia area where shelter residents and volunteers gather three mornings a week to run.

Though a smaller service site, the SJU volunteers are dedicated. Anywhere from three to eight students will join the OBP team on a given day. But with three graduating seniors on the team, the SJU volunteers hope their fellow students will keep the site going strong next year. Rachel Beckley, volunteer from BOMF and leader of the OBP team, noted how important the SJU presence has been. “The students from St. Joe’s bring a tremendous amount to OBP,” she said. “They are some of our most consistent and dedicated volunteers.”

The runs range in distance and route. There are usually shorter options for the residents who have just started out, and longer routes for the men training for races. The runs take the group to many different parts of the city including City Hall, the Philadelphia Art Museum, Kelly Drive, and Penn’s Landing. Every once in a while they even tackle the uphill climb of the Ben Franklin Bridge.

SJU students have joined BOMF at local races including the Run for Jake in Cheltenham, Pa, and the Walk for Hunger in Philadelphia. A group also ran with the OBP team at the Broad Street Run, some of whom raised money for BOMF.

But it isn’t just about running. Students participate in weekend social events with the residents, such as bowling, pizza parties and movie nights. In March there was even a nature walk which ended with a barbecue and cake for two residents’ birthdays. “The goal is to build relationships,” says Alie Muolo ’10, OBP site coordinator for SJU volunteers. “We support each other, and everyone — residents and volunteers alike — benefit from that.”

Founded in Philadelphia two years ago, BOMF has expanded to Baltimore and Washington, D.C. and will launch in Boston this May. For more information, visit www.backonmyfeet.org.