Mile in My Shoes

“I’m not really big into supporting causes because I am skeptical of most. But when I look at what Mile in My Shoes has provided me - with the ‘stuff’, yeah, but also with the ongoing support - I have zero problem asking for help from my people, because they can see how much this program has done for me.” -  Team Roseville Alumni + Distance Team Member Matt

Will you join Matt in giving back to our Members in transition this Give to the Max Day? Your gift puts us in position to build on our big accomplishments during 2023. To share just a few, MiMS has:  

- Engaged more new Members than ever before (over 200!) 

- Trained and supported Mentors and Members of two brand-new teams, Team Union Gospel Mission and Team Nokomis 

- Welcomed a more diverse crowd to our Downtown Run Around 5K, giving away over 300 entries 

- Learned from the experts - our Members and Alumni - about challenges facing our newest Member group, military veterans,  through our “Voices of” series 

When you give to MiMS, you give us a head start on our big goals for the coming year: Welcome even more new Members to the circle, help more of those Members become Alumni, give away more race entries to communities underrepresented in the running space, and build additional programming for our Members in the health areas they've asked for including nutrition, smoking-cessation and mental health.

We are thrilled to announce that for Give to the Max Day 2023 we have put together a team of supporters who have committed to matching up to $20,000 of your donations! Please help us reach our goal of $45K for Mile in My Shoes teams. As a thank you, between now and November 16 when you donate $50, you will receive a MiMS-branded buff as a thank-you gift, and we'll also give a buff to one of our current Resident Members. When you donate $100, you'll score our newest MiMS item, a technical trucker run hat. And at the $250 level, you'll receive our MiMS-branded polarized shades - perfect for running or everyday! 

About Mile in My Shoes
Our Mission: Running together to transform ourselves, one another, and our community. 

Greetings from Mile in My Shoes (MiMS)! MiMS brings people from diverse backgrounds together through the power of running. Our teams of Resident Members (people staying in shelters, reentry centers and recovery programs) and volunteer Run Mentors have run thousands of miles side by side, completing races from one mile to a marathon(!) in pursuit of our vision: using the power of running to bring together people from diverse backgrounds to build connections, boost wellness, spark social change, and center people traditionally excluded from running spaces.

How does MiMS work? We partner with residents in shelters and re-entry centers to build a running community that also includes a broad base of volunteers from throughout the Twin Cities. Runners meet three times a week for a group run, pairing up one Run Mentor to one Resident Member with the goal of increasing physical and mental fitness and forming uncommon bonds. 

Since launching in 2014, MiMS has helped: 

• 900+ people experiencing homelessness, exiting the prison system, and recent refugees lace up a pair of new running shoes and run their first mile 

• 500+ Members run a 5K race, more than 50 run a half-marathon, and 22 run a full marathon

• Over 250 Members reach alumni status, completing between 20 and 200 runs each

• Dozens of members connect to housing and employment opportunities

• Give 14,000 hugs last year alone!