Father Joe's Thanksgiving Day 5K Run/Walk
Help Father Joe serve more than 1.7 Million Meals this year!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
8:00 AM in Balboa Park

Village Residents Rev Up for Father Joe’s 5K
AimLoan.com
Building a spirit of community
Promoting Healthy Behavior

Village Residents Rev Up for Father Joe’s 5K
By Jackie Donaldson-Lopez

Father Joe’s Thanksgiving Day 5K is right around the corner, and St. Vincent de Paul Village residents are thrilled. Thirty Village and permanent housing residents, from teens to seniors, attend weekly training sessions led by staff and volunteers.

Residents compete to earn a spot on Father Joe’s team by attending as many Health and Wellness classes as possible before Thanksgiving. The 20 residents who have best demonstrated their commitment will join the 10,000 other walkers and runners in Balboa Park on race day.

Training includes walk/run interval training along the Embarcadero, strength training, running up the Convention Center steps, as well as an upcoming field trip to Balboa Park to become familiar with the 5K route. Participants will also receive a free gait analysis, as well as new running shoes from RoadRunner Sports.

Chris Felhberg, a St. Vincent de Paul Village alumnus and current permanent housing resident, has recently quit smoking. He uses the weekly walking groups and strength training classes to curb his nicotine cravings and manage his weight. “Coming to the classes gets me out of the apartment and doing something healthy for myself that I should have been doing all along,” he says.

All the trainers, three of whom are registered nurses, are highly committed to helping the clients get the most out of training for the event. One of the nurse volunteers is a former Marine and triathlete who leads the interval training so residents can work on their speed and endurance.

Nick Coniaris, triathlete and Health and Wellness program manager, has noticed a synergy among all the different facets of the Health and Wellness program. “I’m seeing residents connect on a lot of positive levels not only confined to the event,” he says. “Classes like yoga, smoking cessation and music group seem to all play a role in the approach that clients are taking.”

Started in 2009, the St. Vincent de Paul Village Health and Wellness program offers Village residents and graduates a wide variety of activities such as yoga, Tai Chi, art class, music group, weight management, smoking cessation, diabetes education and healthy eating.

Jackie Donaldson-Lopez is a health educator at St Vincent de Paul Village Family Health Center.

AimLoan.com
By Miriam H. DiBiase

AimLoan.com, title sponsor of Father Joe’s Thanksgiving Day 5K, is a year-round supporter of the programs at Father Joe’s Villages. “One of our company’s core values is ‘service,’” says AimLoan.com Founder and CEO Vince Kasperick. “As a company and as individuals, we have much to be thankful for and want to give back to our community.”

In addition to sponsoring the 5K, Vince and his employees give back by serving meals at the Village, contributing corporate funds to charitable causes, and participating in the event on Thanksgiving Day. Rain or shine, they look forward to following the 5K course, enjoying a free drink in the beer garden, sampling homemade pies made by Village Culinary Arts Program students, and dancing to the tunes of the Bill Magee Blues Band.

“Thanksgiving is time for reflecting,” Vince says. “What better way to start the day than walking or jogging with others who share your values and want to make our world a better place.”

In tough economic times, AimLoan.com is doing its part to make the world a better place by providing local jobs and helping the real estate market on a national level. Over the past 12 years, AimLoan.com has grown to employ 150 San Diegans, providing purchase and refinance mortgage loans to people across America. Though their businesses are different, Vince and his team members recognize the strong connection between their company and Father Joe’s Villages – it’s all about helping people.

“We support Father Joe’s Villages because the program addresses the root causes of homelessness – and it works!” Vince says. “Participating in the 5K helps you be a part of that success. And I guarantee you – your turkey dinner will never have tasted better!”

Building a spirit of community
By Miriam H. DiBiase

Sometimes even groups of people who regularly meet for a common purpose need exercises to bring them closer, make them more connected. In a corporate office, a church, or even a family, it’s helpful to find activities that allow everyone to get involved and make meaningful memories.

According to Deacon Mike Daniels of St. Brigid Parish in Pacific Beach, Calif., that’s exactly what Father Joe’s Thanksgiving Day 5K is for his fellow parishioners. “In a large parish we can actually become isolated from one another – we sit in our pews, we say good morning, we go home,” says Deacon Mike. “What happens at the 5K on Thanksgiving translates right back to relationships at work or at church or within your group. Anything fun like this builds a spirit of community.”

That spirit of community is one of the most-cited reasons people participate in Father Joe’s Thanksgiving Day 5K in Balboa Park. To be part of a group of 10,000 people all pointed in the same direction to meet the same goal of helping Father Joe’s Villages prepare 1.7 million meals a year – this is powerful and inspiring.

As Deacon Mike says, “This is a visible way to show support for Father Joe’s Villages. You’re part of a big group. There’s a natural desire on Thanksgiving to ‘give back.’ And it feels kind of sacrificial to get up so early on a holiday, so it all combines to make you feel like you’ve done something special and significant.”

There are tangible benefits as well, even apart from the funds raised to feed the hungry. “Our group always has distinctive t-shirts. It gives a visual connectedness, especially on event day,” says Deacon Mike. “Then I see our team t-shirts all over town throughout the year, which is like a walking billboard for our parish. It’s a great investment.”

Does your parish, office, group or family need to draw closer together? Put together a team and come to Father Joe’s Thanksgiving Day 5K in Balboa Park! Make team t-shirts, dress up like turkeys, or have a contest to see who can raise the most pledges. Announce your team in your church bulletin or on your office bulletin board. Put your kids in charge of costumes and tell Aunt Martha she’s been relieved of dessert duty this year, since you can buy fresh-baked pies at the event on Thanksgiving morning.

“This event is good for individuals, it’s good for parishes, it’s good for society, and it’s good for Father Joe’s Villages,” he says. “What more could you want?”

For more information on registering individually or as a team, visit www.thanksgivingrun.org.

Promoting healthy behavior: Thanksgiving 5K sponsor La Jolla Weight Management
By Miriam H. DiBiase

La Jolla Weight Management, a sponsor of Father Joe’s Thanksgiving Day 5K, is in the business of promoting healthy lifestyle choices. What a great partner for an event where more than 10,000 early-rising runners and walkers raise funds to help Father Joe’s Villages prepare 1.7 million meals each year for neighbors in need!

But they don’t just sponsor the event. Last year six employees from La Jolla Weight Management joined the crowd at the 5K, and this year they plan to go as a group of eight. “Participating in the 5K – surrounded by so many people with the same drive to support the cause, wanting to feed the hungry – really feels great,” says Beverly Doria, bariatric program coordinator at La Jolla Weight Management. “It makes me think about how privileged we are to have jobs and food and the chance to give back.”

Starting from left: La Jolla Weight Management Team: Kirsty Simpson, RN Study Coordinator; Dr. Lisa Steres, Clinical Psychologist; Beverly Doria, Bariatric Program Coordinator; Bianka Gonzalez, Medical Assistant; Connie Cendali, Medical Receptionist; Aparna Ramadurai, Registered Dietitian; Vangie Magpusao, Office Manager; Dr. Sunil Bhoyrul, Surgeon and Founder of Meals4Hunger; Dr. Pamila Brar, Internal Medicine.

Giving back is part of the culture at La Jolla Weight Management. They regularly participate in fundraisers and food drives in the community, and surgeon Dr. Sunil Bhoyrul has set up his own foundation, Meals4Hunger. The mission of Meals4Hunger is to eradicate hunger locally in order to impact the surrounding community and ultimately make a difference globally. It integrates seamlessly with the work of La Jolla Weight Management and the benevolent attitude of the practice’s staff.

“Raising funds to combat hunger on Thanksgiving is the perfect perspective on our culture of abundance,” notes Dr. Bhoyrul. “We’re involved in the 5K because it promotes healthy behavior and because it’s the perfect beginning to a day of excess. Hopefully we can all sit down to our abundant Thanksgiving celebrations knowing that we helped put a meal on someone else’s table too.”

Businesses small and large can sponsor and participate in Father Joe’s Thanksgiving Day 5K. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, which include logo placement on the event T-shirt and complimentary 5K entries, please contact Ryan Pocock at 619.446.2119 or ryan.pocock@neighbor.org.

For more information on registering individually or as a team, visit www.thanksgivingrun.org.