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It's more than a workout. This group's 5:15 a.m. runs are changing lives.

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Saucony

When a person experiences homelessness, it can quickly affect their self-worth.

Losing a safe place to reside is only the beginning, as many individuals experiencing homelessness report feeling isolated and lonely. And their self-confidence can take a devastating blow.


GIFs via Back on My Feet.

In 2007, Anne Mahlum founded Back on My Feet, an organization dedicated to empowering the homeless through running and community-building.

26-year-old Mahlum was a runner in Philadelphia whose daily route took her past a local rescue mission.

According to the group's site, Mahlum knew firsthand the positive impact running could make on a person after taking up the sport as a teen. She contacted the shelter and offered to start a running club for the men living there.

Back on My Feet founder Anne Mahlum.

On July 3 of that year, Mahlum and the men at the rescue ran their first mile together, and Back on My Feet was born.

Through running and teamwork, members of Back on My Feet undergo a true emotional transformation.

Each team consists of people experiencing homelessness and community volunteers. Proper shoes and workout clothes are provided through donations. Team members run or walk three days a week before dawn, tracking their attendance and distance after each run. Accommodations are available for members with physical challenges.


But for many members, it's about much more than miles.

"We're a primary service in which the wellness of the individual is our long-term pursuit," Victor Acosta, executive director of the Boston chapter of Back on My Feet, told Upworthy. "So while the primary objective is the 5:15 a.m. runs and walks, we also provide wellness programming such as nutrition and yoga, and self-advocacy programming to help the individual."

The result? A monumental shift in attitude, confidence, and self-worth.

Through the Next Steps phase of the program, Back on My Feet assists members in their transition to independence.

Once members run with the team for 30 days and achieve 90% attendance, they're eligible for the Next Steps phase of the program. Next Steps offers members job training, skills workshops, and access to employment opportunities.

Back on My Feet "helps me physically, mentally, and spiritually," said member Lee, in a testimonial for Back on My Feet Chicago. "And the financial courses have even helped me budget my money. Basically, Back on My Feet has just helped me grow."

Since launching in Philadelphia, Back on My Feet has expanded to 11 chapters in major cities across the country.

Back on My Feet is quite literally on the move, with teams in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Austin, New York City, Indianapolis, and more, with countless opportunities to grow. The organization now serves hundreds of new members each year.

Eight years and nearly half a million miles later, Back on My Feet is stronger than ever.

Since 2009, Back on My Feet has served over 5,000 people experiencing homelessness. 46% have gone on to secure employment and/or permanent housing.

And that's what it's all about.

Because regardless of personal circumstance, everyone deserves the opportunity to build a community of their own, work hard, and remind themselves just what they're capable of.

Back on My Feet members share their stories in this moving video.

A pitbull stares at the window, looking for the mailman.


Dogs are naturally driven by a sense of purpose and a need for belonging, which are all part of their instinctual pack behavior. When a dog has a job to do, it taps into its needs for structure, purpose, and the feeling of contributing to its pack, which in a domestic setting translates to its human family.

But let’s be honest: In a traditional domestic setting, dogs have fewer chores they can do as they would on a farm or as part of a rescue unit. A doggy mom in Vancouver Island, Canada had fun with her dog’s purposeful uselessness by sharing the 5 “chores” her pitbull-Lab mix does around the house.

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Joy

5-star Scottish resort offers whimsical afternoon tea experience with 'naughty sheep'

Cameron House's Woolly Wellness retreat includes tea in the garden with adorably rude guests.

Cameron House/Naughty Sheep

Cameron House's Woolly Wellness retreat includes a unique sheep encounter.

Remember when "goat yoga" was all the rage? And then "cow cuddling" and "turkey cuddling" made everyone's bucket lists?

Now we can add "nuzzling with naughty sheep" to the mix, but with a fancy Scottish twist.

Less than an hour from Glasgow, Scotland, the Cameron House resort sits on the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond, looking as if it were plucked straight out of a fairy tale. Sprawling green grounds, gorgeous lake views and a four-story castled mansion greet guests as their "home away from home" (only better), and a perusal of the reviews show guests raving about the 5-star resort's elegance, beauty and exceptional service.

I mean, just look at this place:

drone view of cameron house grounds and lakeCameron House sit on Lake Lochmond in Scotland.Cameron House


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A student accidentally created a rechargeable battery that could last 400 years

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There's no better example of that than a 2016 discovery at the University of California, Irvine, by doctoral student Mya Le Thai. After playing around in the lab, she made a discovery that could lead to a rechargeable battery that could last up to 400 years. That means longer-lasting laptops and smartphones and fewer lithium ion batteries piling up in landfills.

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@caitlin.the.realtor/TikTok, used with permission

Wait, so 90's fashion is in, but 90's hair is out?

Every era has its own version of what’s attractive. And very rarely does that aesthetic hold power with the following generation. In fact, it often becomes the opposite of cool.

Just think of Elvis. He might have been a universal sex symbol for a time, but it also wasn’t long before his pompadour became passé. Same goes for Paul Newman’s rugged manliness, David Cassidy’s babyface, Tom Selleck’s mustache. Indeed, for everything a season.

Which brings us to the 90s. The age of beach blonde surfer boys (real surfing skills not required, but a plus). Of flannel, lots of flannel, and super chiseled bodies. Let’s not forget this was the dawning of the term “metrosexual,” and also the time period that brought us that Calvin Klein ad with Mark Wahlburg.

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A Eurasian crow.

A family from Denmark has created a touching video montage documenting their unique friendship with a wild Eurasian crow. This crow, affectionately named Russell, has become an honorary member of their household, forming special bonds with each family member, including the pets.

However, the crow's relationship with their son, 2-year-old Otto, is truly extraordinary. “They could spend hours just playing,” Otto’s mother, Laerke Luna, says in a video shared by The Dodo. "When Otto is outside, he will never leave Otto’s side.”

Russell, the free-spirited crow, ventures away from the family's home from time to time, but never for too long. He always comes back and announces his return by tapping on the door, swooping in to lounge on the sofa, or awaiting Otto's return from school atop their roof.

“When we are inside, he will sit inside the window because he wants Otto to go outside with him,” Laerke said.

The family’s relationship with Russell didn’t come out of nowhere. When Russell was a young bird, he had health problems so the family took him and nursed the bird back to health. Eventually, they witnessed his first attempts to fly.

Recently, Russell became friends with another family member, their second child, Hedwig. Although he does get a little annoyed with the bird’s frequent attempts to nab his pacifier.

Even though it’s rare for humans to strike up such a close bond with a crow, according to research, it’s not that surprising. Audubon says that crows are “some of the smartest animals in the world” with an intelligence “on par with chimpanzees.” They are also very social and family-oriented, so no wonder Russell loves Otto and his family.

Crow Named Russell Waits For His Favorite Kid To Get Home From School | The Dodo


Learning

Why you shouldn't throw your dishwasher pod into the bottom of your dishwasher

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Photos by cottonbro studio and PhotoMIX Ltd. via Canva

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There always seem to be something going on with the pods and powders you're supposed to use in the dishwasher to clean your dishes. Either the pods don't dissolve completely or the powder gets all goopy and hard, never really fully dispensing into the dishwasher.

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