Lift for Life Gym empowers kids to reach their full potential by providing fitness, mentoring, life skills, and nutrition to give them the strength to overcome their circumstances. We offer a safe, engaging after-school environment in North St. Louis City for kids to strengthen their bodies, enrich their minds, develop healthy social relationships, and learn to make positive life choices.
Our programs are provided at no cost to kids 8-18, including transportation home every evening. We believe that every child should be safe, nourished, and have access to the resources they need to reach their full potential. Lift for Life Gym meets needs both seen and unseen—because success requires more than opportunity; it requires support.
Lift for Life Gym achieves this by providing kids:
▪ Structure and consistency in an otherwise unpredictable environment.
▪ Mentorship and role models who understand their lived experiences.
▪ Accountability and life skills that prepare them for the future.
▪ A sense of belonging and relationships akin to an extended family.
▪ Enrichment experiences to explore new interests and potential career paths.
Our goals are to:
- Provide a safe and consistent community for youth in an area plagued by high crime rates, violence, and limited resources.
- Offer ongoing, high-quality sports, fitness, and mentoring opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible.
- Foster a lifelong commitment to maintaining fitness, good health, while meeting immediate nutritional needs.
- Inspire confidence and a sense of self-worth in our members, positively influencing their choices throughout their lives.
Located at Cass Avenue and 14th Street in north St. Louis, the Gym addresses the pressing need for an after-school program in a community grappling with poverty, food insecurity, and gun violence.