By TIM ROWDEN
Editor
Volunteers from Bricklayers Local 1 and Gas Workers Local 11-6 recently donated their time and labor to give a much-needed facelift to the Life for Life Gym, 1415 Cass Ave. in St. Louis, spraying the exterior of the building to remove old paint, grinding the old mortar out and tuck-pointing to provide a weather-tight seal.
Volunteers are still needed to help with painting and other work at the gym.
Rob Pence, of Gas Workers Local 11-6, is
a volunteer at the gym and helped coordinate the project with Local 11-6, Bricklayers Local 1 and Spire (Laclede Gas) as a community service project.
Lift for Life provides free after school weight training, mentoring, tutoring and meals for youngsters ages 8-18.
“A lot of these kids don’t have things to do after school,” Local 11-6 Shop Steward Jake Stockmann said. “Instead of running around and getting in trouble, they come here.”
FULL SERVICE YOUTH ACTIVITY CENTER
Lift for Life started in 1988 as a weightlifting club but has grown into a full service after-school youth activity center providing weight training, mentoring, tutoring and meals for some 500 youngsters ages 8-18.
Lift for Life volunteers provide free, safe transportation to and from the gym, helping youngsters build muscles, participate in activities, develop knowledge and relationships and get a hot meal. Lift for Life provided youngsters with some 13,000 meals last year.
The gym’s weightlifting team participates in national and world class competitions. Three youngster traveled to Thailand last year earning 19 gold medals. Two gym members made the USA World Team and are going to Colombia later this month for the Pan Am Games.
The gym also provides a youth summer camp program, visiting various places throughout the Greater St. Louis area, and provides back-to-school supplies, clothing, food and scholarships.
But none of it could be done without volunteers.
“Volunteers are the heart of this organization,” Life for Life Executive Director Joe Miller said. “We couldn’t do what we do without them.”
YOU CAN HELP
If you can help with some of the work needed at the gym, or if you’d like to volunteer or donate to Lift for Life, call Miller at 314-588-1186 or visit liftforlifegym.org.
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