Homelessness can affect anyone, even a family member or neighbor. One goal national nonprofit Back on My Feet has is changing how people perceive homelessness.

“We’ve seen people end up in their situation in a myriad of ways. ... It can be anything,” BOMF Austin Executive Director Melissa Nicewarner Daly said. “We really do work very hard to show our members are just average Joes like you and me.”

The Austin chapter launched in January 2013. Through its running program, BOMF aims to help members find employment, housing and self-sufficiency. Members commit to running with the team three days a week and also have the opportunity to run in an organized race, she said.

“For so many of them they have never had that feeling of crossing the finish line and having perfect strangers cheering for them, and it really can be life-changing,” she said.

Corporate sponsors, such as Pioneer Bank, lead workshops for BOMF’s Next Steps program to teach members skills such preparing for an interview or managing a budget, Nicewarner Daly sad.

Hotel operator White Lodging hosts several events benefiting BOMF, including the upcoming TopGolf Tournament, as well as hires BOMF members for jobs ranging from dishwashing to concierge service, she said.

Volunteers are also needed to run with the team or help at events. Orientations are the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at Luke’s Locker, 115 Sandra Muraida Way, Ste. 102.