Project LIFT and Martin County Police Athletic League Partner to Fight for Mental Health
In a warehouse space in Stuart, youth step into a ring each week and learn the fundamentals of boxing. Across town in Palm City, in another warehouse, teens are learning welding, auto repair and HVAC. While the boxing skills and the hands-on vocational training are important, what the youth in both of these programs are really learning is anger management, positive coping skills, work ethic, and the power of mentorship.
And now, these two powerhouse non-profit organizations are collaborating to bring the best of each other’s programming to more local youth. The partnership will allow youth at Project LIFT to participate in Boxing programming and a Leadership curriculum facilitated by Martin County Police Athletic League (PAL) staff, while PAL members will have access to Project LIFT’s innovative combination of mental health counseling and skilled trades training on industry standard equipment.
Both programs share a passion for helping at-risk youth, and a hands-on approach that recognizes that getting kids moving and working with their hands is often the conduit to helping them overcome challenges like depression, anxiety, bullying, or lack of a positive role model.
“During this time of incredible uncertainty, one thing remains strong, the collaborative impact of Martin County non-profits. PAL is no exception, with high quality interventions through Boxing and a very strong volunteer base, it just made sense to develop a partnership using our innovative approaches to mental health, and partnering to offer PAL teens access to Project LIFT's 11 different vocational skills training programs!” said Project LIFT CEO Bob Zaccheo.
For more information about the Martin County Police Athletic League, visit martincountypal.org, and for more information about Project LIFT, visit projectliftmc.com.
