PHILADELPHIA – The Swarthmore College men's and women's track & field teams recently completed a community service project assisting the Philadelphia chapter of Back on My Feet, a national nonprofit organization that uses running to empower those experiencing homelessness to secure employment and independent living.

Led by Liz Tawa and Shaina Lu, the teams collected and donated approximately 60 pairs of worn shoes to the organization between March and May.

"I am really happy that we were able to pull off the shoe drive as a team," Tawa said. "Over the course of the year, we accumulated huge numbers of shoes which are no longer in a condition suitable for training, but it would be incredibly wasteful to throw them away. By donating to Back on My Feet, we were able to both support a philanthropic organization that understands the value of running and engage an issue of social concern, the mobilization of the homeless in Philadelphia."

Swarthmore athletic teams will be taking part in community service projects throughout the academic year. For more information, click here.