Before leaving for my vacation last week, my supervisor had me make a promise. She asked (read mandated) that I actually take a vacation - with no work, no checking my cellphone voicemail, no calling clients or the office if the weather got bad. I was doing just fine until I looked at Boston.com a few minutes ago.
It is 19 degrees in Boston right now with 55 mile per hour winds and -10 degree windchill expected tonight. This is exactly the kind of weather that concerns housing advocates like me. The shelter system in Boston, as is the case with much of the country, is over-taxed and beyond nightly capacity. In addition, there are many folks who because of mental health issues or other concerns have a difficult time coming into a shelter even during this weather.
I am keeping my promise to not check voice mail and feel thankful that most of my folks are currently housed but I know there are plenty of men and women with no where to go tonight. If you see homeless folks out tonight, ask how they are holding up in the weather. If there are signs that something may be wrong, call 911 or in Boston, the Mayor's Hotline at 617-635-4500.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
The Official Start of Training
The Boston Marathon will starting gun will be on April 19th - 16 weeks from yesterday. In training terms, this means the official start of training. For me, there are different ways to remember how close the marathon is - counting down the weeks, watching the total mileage hit the 500-550 miles run mark, 100-120 hours of cross-training. My body also has certain reminders, many of them not the most pleasant - calories consumed weekly, blister count, number of frozen water bottles or frozen Clif shots consumed, and my personal favorite...the number of lost/blackened toe-nails!
I will be posting a weekly summary of the training for the upcoming week and ask for comments to keep me going and to hold my feet to the fire when I am tempted to skip a workout. It is reasonably warm here in North Carolina where I'll be for a few more days but when I return to Boston my job is to be out in cold, wind and snow 3-4 times per week. You job is to give $5, $10, $25, $100 or raise some from your friends through dinner parties or other fun means and to kick my ass a little bit when I am getting slack.
Now, for this week's training schedule:
Dec. 28 - Sunday, January 3, 2010:
12/28: 2 mile warm-up run; interval repeats (8 x .1 mile at 6:30/mile pace); 2 mile cool down
12/29: weight lifting; core strength; massage
12/30: 10 mile run at 9:30/mile pace
12/31: cross-train, stretch, core strength workout
1/1: 6 mile tempo run 8:10/mile pace
1/2: cross-training
1/3: rest
I can already tell you that I did the 12/28 interval repeats too fast - 5:25/mile pace instead of 6:30. It was fun to go that fast but I can't let that happen again!!
I will be posting a weekly summary of the training for the upcoming week and ask for comments to keep me going and to hold my feet to the fire when I am tempted to skip a workout. It is reasonably warm here in North Carolina where I'll be for a few more days but when I return to Boston my job is to be out in cold, wind and snow 3-4 times per week. You job is to give $5, $10, $25, $100 or raise some from your friends through dinner parties or other fun means and to kick my ass a little bit when I am getting slack.
Now, for this week's training schedule:
Dec. 28 - Sunday, January 3, 2010:
12/28: 2 mile warm-up run; interval repeats (8 x .1 mile at 6:30/mile pace); 2 mile cool down
12/29: weight lifting; core strength; massage
12/30: 10 mile run at 9:30/mile pace
12/31: cross-train, stretch, core strength workout
1/1: 6 mile tempo run 8:10/mile pace
1/2: cross-training
1/3: rest
I can already tell you that I did the 12/28 interval repeats too fast - 5:25/mile pace instead of 6:30. It was fun to go that fast but I can't let that happen again!!
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Watching the Snow Fall
I am sitting in my living room watching the snow fall while drinking coffee and feeling thankful I was smart enough to move my fast 5 mile tempo run to last night. I had a great run on a fairly hilly course. The focus of my running right now is to work on my form and strength. I recently started to see some positive change from the form adjustments I've made but my body still lacks the strength in some muscle groups to maintain it as much as I would like.
While we are talking weather, I've spent the better part of last night and this morning hoping that the homeless folks that I work with have gotten themselves inside and that families struggling to pay their bills have enough oil in their tanks. With the loss of emergency assistance and organizations who would normally help a family purchase oil struggling, I am more concerned than normal about the impact our cold, snowy day is having on Housing Supports clients at MBHP. My hope is that everyone is inside and warm.
Fundraising is cranking along. Thanks to generous friends and the joys of social media, I have raised $849 so far! My hope is to raise $1000 by December 31st but I will need your help to do it. If you haven't taken a moment to donate to Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership please do. Perhaps a donation to MBHP could be an excellent stocking stuffer for someone in your life or could be the perfect Happy New Year gift! What better way to celebrate a holiday or start the new year than to help a person or family get out of the cold.
While we are talking weather, I've spent the better part of last night and this morning hoping that the homeless folks that I work with have gotten themselves inside and that families struggling to pay their bills have enough oil in their tanks. With the loss of emergency assistance and organizations who would normally help a family purchase oil struggling, I am more concerned than normal about the impact our cold, snowy day is having on Housing Supports clients at MBHP. My hope is that everyone is inside and warm.
Fundraising is cranking along. Thanks to generous friends and the joys of social media, I have raised $849 so far! My hope is to raise $1000 by December 31st but I will need your help to do it. If you haven't taken a moment to donate to Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership please do. Perhaps a donation to MBHP could be an excellent stocking stuffer for someone in your life or could be the perfect Happy New Year gift! What better way to celebrate a holiday or start the new year than to help a person or family get out of the cold.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The 100 for Homes Campaign
I posed the question this morning on twitter "I wonder what it would take to get 100 $5 donations for MBHP in the next 24 hours." Several friends retweeted it and a few minutes later my phone rang. A client had heard that I was running the Boston Marathon to raise money for - I reminded him that he needs to save for moving into his new home but it drove home a point. A homeless man on a very limited income is offering to give - why can't those who have a safe place to live, more regular income give $5. Help with the 100 for Homes Campaign - get on twitter, get out the word and give your $5 today.
www.firstgiving.com/jesseedsellvetter
www.firstgiving.com/jesseedsellvetter
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
A Letter From a Runner
Dear friends and MBHP supporters,
As many of you know, my work as a case manager for Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership has gotten more challenging both personally and professionally in the current economic climate. In the past year, we have seen state budget cuts eliminate our emergency assistance funds for individuals and families struggling to pay rent and the state housing vouchers used to provide housing to low-income folks have been under threat. At the same time, the number of families accessing the overflowing state shelter system has risen dramatically. As of September of this year 1,001 families are living in motel rooms compared to 77 in September of 2007. We are also seeing individuals and families experiencing poverty and homelessness for the first time after a job loss, illness or foreclosure.
There has been hope, however. Our 2009 annual report highlights some of the many successes that our agency has had in the past year. We have made due with less but could do so much more. I am writing to let you know that I have committed to do more as 2009 ends and 2010 begins. In addition to my work as a case manager with some of the most vulnerable in the 30 cities and towns MBHP serves, I have chosen to run the 2010 Boston Marathon to raise $10,000 for the Housing Supports Program at MBHP. For so many of those that I meet with every day, a rental subsidy, if available, simply isn't enough. Case management, utility assistance and other services are critical to making sure that our clients have successful tenancies.
In 2008, Carolyn and I made a $1000 per year, 3 year commitment to MBHP. Join us in making a significant commitment to keeping individuals and families housed throughout the Greater Boston area in the coming year. Read about our successes and know that by giving you are making it possible. I believe everyone deserves a place to call home - and together we can make that a reality. Take a moment to read more about my run and make a donation. This April I hope to set personal records in the marathon and in fundraising but I can't do it without you. Finally, if you know of others who might be interested in supporting MBHP, share your donation and perhaps ask them to match it. If your company has a community or charitable giving initiative, please ask them to give.
Together we can create a circle of giving that will reach the $10,000 goal and beyond.
Many thanks,
Jesse
As many of you know, my work as a case manager for Metropolitan Boston Housing Partnership has gotten more challenging both personally and professionally in the current economic climate. In the past year, we have seen state budget cuts eliminate our emergency assistance funds for individuals and families struggling to pay rent and the state housing vouchers used to provide housing to low-income folks have been under threat. At the same time, the number of families accessing the overflowing state shelter system has risen dramatically. As of September of this year 1,001 families are living in motel rooms compared to 77 in September of 2007. We are also seeing individuals and families experiencing poverty and homelessness for the first time after a job loss, illness or foreclosure.
There has been hope, however. Our 2009 annual report highlights some of the many successes that our agency has had in the past year. We have made due with less but could do so much more. I am writing to let you know that I have committed to do more as 2009 ends and 2010 begins. In addition to my work as a case manager with some of the most vulnerable in the 30 cities and towns MBHP serves, I have chosen to run the 2010 Boston Marathon to raise $10,000 for the Housing Supports Program at MBHP. For so many of those that I meet with every day, a rental subsidy, if available, simply isn't enough. Case management, utility assistance and other services are critical to making sure that our clients have successful tenancies.
In 2008, Carolyn and I made a $1000 per year, 3 year commitment to MBHP. Join us in making a significant commitment to keeping individuals and families housed throughout the Greater Boston area in the coming year. Read about our successes and know that by giving you are making it possible. I believe everyone deserves a place to call home - and together we can make that a reality. Take a moment to read more about my run and make a donation. This April I hope to set personal records in the marathon and in fundraising but I can't do it without you. Finally, if you know of others who might be interested in supporting MBHP, share your donation and perhaps ask them to match it. If your company has a community or charitable giving initiative, please ask them to give.
Together we can create a circle of giving that will reach the $10,000 goal and beyond.
Many thanks,
Jesse
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