LIFT

LIFT, formerly National Student Partnerships (NSP), envisions a day when all people in our country will have the opportunity to achieve economic independence and pursue their life goals.

Our mission is to alleviate poverty in our communities by engaging our nation’s college students in this effort.

LIFT recruits and trains a diverse corps of undergraduates who make a rigorous and sustained commitment to service while in school. Our student advocates work side-by-side with low-income community members, first helping them address immediate needs (e.g. employment, housing, health care, public benefits, and/or education), then providing comprehensive, long-term support designed to help families break the cycle of poverty.

Simultaneously, our student leaders gain the direct exposure, insight, and compassion necessary to be lifelong advocates for systemic change on poverty policy, regardless of the professional path they ultimately pursue.

Our local LIFT offices collaborate with a comprehensive network of social service agencies to guarantee a meaningful client experience and to prevent duplication of community efforts.

Since its inception in 1998, LIFT has grown to 5 core geographies-- Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. Over 5,000 student volunteers have helped more than 30,000 low-income individuals and their families chart a path out of poverty.

1. LIFT is college students volunteering in the fight to break the cycle of poverty in the United States.

2. Student volunteers work side-by-side w/ people in need, connecting them to the tools and resources that enable economic independence.

3. In turn, students discover how giving of themselves transforms lives, including their own, and builds stronger communities.