Ever since he was young, Eric Hollis has had a strong curiosity about and deep empathy for the homeless, a part of the population that he says is largely misunderstood and too often ignored.

“I’ve always felt that the homeless community has been forgotten about or misinterpreted,” Hollis said. “I remember being young and going to visit some cities with my family and always wanting to give money to the homeless, who were obviously struggling. Throughout my entire life, I’ve heard the generalized argument about how homeless people did this to themselves, and that they’re just addicted to drugs or alcohol and that was their choice. I’ve always felt like that was the wrong viewpoint and that if given the opportunity to hear their stories the perspective would likely be different.”

As he grew older, the empathy Hollis felt during those trips to places like Boston and New York City only strengthened. Continue reading Hollis Running to Support Massachusetts Homeless Community Hit Hard by Pandemic →

For several months, Timothy Furtado eyed the ultramarathon world with curiosity. He’d been a runner for several years, completing distances from 5K through the marathon on numerous occasions, but the idea of going farther intrigued him. Continue reading Pandemic Doesn’t Deny Furtado His 100K Dream →

March 20 wasn’t a typical Friday in Lynnfield, Mass. In fact, it may have been the strangest of Fridays in recent memory for residents of that town and many others throughout Massachusetts, for it was the Friday that closed out the first week of a partial statewide shutdown to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Schools had been shuttered on short notice, forcing parents and teachers to scramble to figure out childcare solutions. Many people transitioned to working from home while some were laid off. Restaurants closed. Barber shops and hair salons locked their doors. Parks and playgrounds were deemed off limits. These were strange times, indeed. Continue reading Mitchener Uses Running Superpower to Bring Laughter to Neighbors During Pandemic →

Christopher Agbay stood at the trailhead and stared into the woods ahead of him. The sun was still rising, gradually illuminating the trail he was about to take on. On good days, the Wapack Trail packs a serious punch. On days where conditions aren’t so great—days like this—it can be downright grueling. Thunderstorms had recently soaked the area for several hours. Now here he was, at 6:45 a.m., ready to embrace whatever the trails had in store for him. Continue reading Ultra Lessons Propel Agbay, Bakery to Find Opportunity, Optimism Amid Pandemic →