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InnerCity Weightlifting's mission is to amplify the voice and agency of people who have been most impacted by systemic racism and mass incarceration.

We partner with program participants through case management and careers in and beyond personal training. Individuals are elevated as experts in fitness and the social issues they've lived. ICW is a culture and community in which power dynamics are flipped, social capital is bridged, and new leaders emerge in the fight to combat long-standing inequities

ICW’s 4-stage Impact Model changes lives and empowers participants:

Earn Trust: Stage I is focused on building strong relationships between participants and staff. Growth at ICW is contingent on trust, and so ICW staff members practice an unwavering commitment to students through deliberate and resilient outreach.

Build Hope: Stage II is focused on building participants’ hope for an alternative path. At ICW, students identify new goals and begin taking advantage of the many services, including working toward their personal training certification.

Bridge Social Capital: During Stage III, participants form relationships with clients from opposite socioeconomic backgrounds - bridging social capital, and creating a dynamic support network.

Economic Mobility: In Stage IV, participants from household incomes of less than $10k/year start making a sustainable wage through careers in fitness and beyond.

Support all stages & Join Elexson's Club: Elexson Hercules, a founding member of ICW, was lost in 2012 to the violence he had so desperately tried to get away from. We honor his efforts through Elexson's Club: a group of our community members that supports the mission and work of ICW at the $1,000+ level.

Donating to ICW is more than compassionate, it's a wise investment. For every dollar donated to the program, we generate a 10.6x return in societal benefits by reducing rates of incarceration and promoting employment.