VOLUNTEER AT LIFT FOR LIFE
Lift for Life Gym is a great place to volunteer in St. Louis—and you don’t have to be all about personal fitness to help! There are several ways you can contribute to our cause and benefit the children and young adults we serve.
EMPOWERING YOUTH IN NORTH ST. LOUIS CITY
Since 1988, Lift for Life Gym’s mission has been to offer kids in north city a safe after-school environment in which to strengthen their bodies, enrich their minds, develop healthy social relationships, and learn to make positive life choices.
Lift for Life Gym engages kids through weightlifting, powerlifting, strength & conditioning, basketball and various activities and games. Social Emotional wellbeing is also a primary focus. Comprehensive mentoring sessions and workshop topics help our teens build life skills and prepare for their futures, via career and college readiness programming. Lift for Life Gym supports over 450 youth aged 8 – 18 years old, year round.
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 city, the Gym addresses the pressing need for an after-school program in a community grappling with poverty, gun violence, and health-related challenges. Lift for Life Gym provides comprehensive programs and services to support the youth in this area with free round-trip transportation, in a safe environment at no cost:
Movement: We offer daily sports and fitness programming, including weightlifting, powerlifting, Basketball training program and strength and conditioning serving over 50 members each day. The Gym’s weightlifting team has received numerous local, national, and international awards.
Mentoring: Teen members participate in small group discussions with mentors who help them explore their goals and develop actionable plans.
Meals: We feed the kids over 250 nutritious meals, prepared onsite, each week.
Lift for Life Gym is no ordinary program – it’s a family. The Gym has made a major impact on my life. I love Lift for Life Gym not only because they loved me and saved me but because they saved my brothers from a life the streets were offering. Lift for Life Gym offered me and my siblings so many opportunities to better ourselves. They helped my mom raise all six of us. They fed us when we were hungry, sheltered us when it was cold outside, and loved us unconditionally. Lift for Life Gym is an amazing place. So many members have come through those doors looking for love, support, and a home away from home – and that is exactly what they get.
– Jerrica, Lift for Life Gym alum
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteering is a great way for the community to get involved with Lift for Life Gym. There are a variety of opportunities available throughout the year and you can find those listed below. To inquire or apply to be a Lift for Life Gym Volunteer or Mentor, please call Ms. Milly at 314-588-1186 or click here.
Coaches & Group Fitness Instructors
If you’d like to facilitate a group fitness program and you are available to volunteer on a consistent basis (once a week, once every other week or once a month). Volunteers are needed Monday-Friday 4-6 pm during the school year and 12-4pm during the summer.
Mentor Match
Mentors meet with the kids in small groups, share their perspectives, and help build confidence and skills to overcome the obstacles they face in life.
Job Readiness Program
Provide opportunities to host a tour at your business or provide guest speakers that can visit the Gym and talk about career opportunities as well as the process of applying and interviewing for a job.
In Kind Collections & Projects
- Gym Service Day: Organize a Service Day at Lift For Life Gym to help clean, organize, garden or other needed projects.
- Youth Holiday Drive: Organize a collection drive or individually donate items needed for our Youth Holiday Party. A list of items needed will be provided.
Meal Prep
Your group of 4-6 people can help our staff serve the meal to the kids each day, times vary in the summer.
Fundraising Events and Committees
- Peer to Peer Fundraising
- Raising the Bar for Lift for Life Gym Gala Committee (October 17th, 2026)
- Third Party Fundraisers (As needed)
young Professionals Board
The Lift for Life Gym Young Professionals Group uses their individual and unique talents of our generation to support the Gym and all the important work it does to strengthen the St. Louis community. The Young Professionals group is looking to expand! We’d love for you to join and have fun —all while making a difference in the community. If you’re interested in learning more, please contact us here.
