As part of our commitment to BOMA, IFS employees and BOMA Outreach Committee members, Rich Kasznel and Christina Schafer signed up to volunteer at Lift of Life Gym on Tuesday, June 6^th.  They were joined by fellow IFS employees, Joscelyn Riegert, Ben Moore, Kevin O’Meara and Brian Karcher who also volunteered their time.  Our volunteers prepared and served  healthy dinners to 25 children in the program.  After dinner, they stuck around and played basketball, volleyball, lifted weights. During this time, they got to know the kids a little more.   IFS also donated healthy snacks for the campers to have in the future.

“It was more fun, rewarding and humbling than any of us imagined. The kids were very thankful and wanted to know if we were coming back the next day!” – Christina Schafer

IFS is looking forward to continuing our relationship with Lift for Life Gym, while exploring other opportunities to serve our community.

In 1988, Lift for Life Gym opened its doors as a weightlifting facility for inner city youth.  28 years later, it’s transformed into a full service youth activity center where at-risk youth strengthen both their bodies and minds.  Located in one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in St. Louis’ inner city, Lift for Life Gym serves disadvantaged, at-risk youth, ages 8-18 years, six days a week, year round.  They offer impactful fitness programs such as Olympic-Style Youth Weightlifting, Zumba and team sports, as well as recreational activities such as summer camps, music and art.  They also make sure the youth members have necessary resources such as college preparation course, tutoring services, cooking classes and daily transportation between the gym and home.