Volunteering with NYRR Helped Nancy Long Battle Her Depression

Nancy Long moved from Chicago to New York City in 2001 for school. By the time she had earned her degree in criminal justice, she had fallen in love with the city so much that she decided to stay and start her career.

Unfortunately, like many others at the time, Nancy's life was thrown off by the financial crisis in 2008. Unable to find a job in her field, she took jobs in retail to pay the bills. By 2012, Nancy was struggling with depression and was looking for a way to change her life.

Volunteering at the 2012 Empire State Building Run-Up [today, New York Road Runners no longer organizes the event] was the perfect answer. “Being a New York transplant and never having visited the Empire State Building, this event was a good excuse," says Nancy. "It also helped me meet other people and make some more friends.”

After this first experience, Nancy realized that volunteering with NYRR regularly would give her the chance to explore the city she had chosen to be her home and meet more potential friends.