Mike Ferullo. Photo courtesy of WickedLocal.com.

Cheers to WickedLocal.com in Newton, Mass. for this article on National Association of Social Workers member Mike Ferullo.

Ferullo took up running to cope with stress while earning his master’s degree in social work from Boston College in the 1970s. Now he has started a running club with the hopeFound homeless services agency to help men recovering from drug and alcohol addiction find a new focus in life and improve fitness.

“Socially, it is a positive experience for these guys,” Ferullo said. “It helps them physically [by] getting them into shape, emotionally with cravings and mentally with their mood.”

Social workers often help clients overcome mental illness and addictions. To learn more, visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Mind and Spirit Web page by clicking here.