BOP was started by church members at Cave Spring United Methodist Church in 1999 as a weekly outreach ministry to offer comfort and encouragement to those within the congregation who lost their jobs. Soon after, news of Back on the Path was broadcast to the community through local news media and word-of-mouth.
Seeing how the program was evolving, the founders decided others in the community could benefit and Back on the Path (BOP) was born as an outreach mission to job seekers throughout Roanoke, Lynchburg, Smith Mountain Lake and New River Valley.
First, a caring-and-sharing forum was created, where hikers discussed their individual job searches with each other, including common problems and challenges, and shared advice. The format has progressed to include career-related educational programs focused on improving job-finding skills, presented by some of the region’s top experts.
Back on the Path charges no fees or dues.
Presently, meetings take place online every Tuesday evening from 7:00 - 8:15 pm EST.