For the past few years, residents of our Venice Beach facility began the tradition of “5K Fridays,” where they and staff have the opportunity to walk the 3.1 mile distance to the Santa Monica Boardwalk wall and back.
Shawna Morris, Phoenix House California’s President and Chief Executive Officer, is an avid runner and joins residents for 5K Fridays on a regular basis.
“I am honored and humbled by the effort displayed every Friday morning as we have between 12-22 men ready to walk and/or run at 6:15 am,” says Shawna. “I am also delighted that staff members like Paul Jones and Andrea Tuccio have joined us.”
She adds, “To put our feet on the ground, one step at a time, to breathe the fresh morning air and to enjoy the beauty around us while exercising our physical bodies is a blessing that is hard to describe in words. We start and end every run with a Prayer of Serenity.”
Through these bookend prayers, clients are able to tap into what they need that day, whether an all-out sprint, a light jog or a slow walk to ease them into the weekend and further support them in their recovery.