New Oregon nonprofit is building inclusive digital and in-person support for people often overlooked by traditional wellness spaces
By Reptar Whenis, Scope Weekly Contributor
GRESHAM, Ore. — Lift EachOther Empowerment, a new Oregon nonprofit founded by Zach VanStory and Nick Justice, is working to make wellness more accessible for people who have often been left out of traditional fitness and mental health spaces.
Formed March 23, 2026, the organization was created around a clear mission: to build wellness tools and programs that better reflect the needs of people with different bodies, minds, and life experiences.
Zack VanStory, cofounder and President
Nick Justice, Cofounder and Vice-President
Courtesy of Lift EachOther Empowerment
At the center of that effort is AdaptivLyfe, the nonprofit’s flagship wellness app. Developed under VanStory’s leadership, the platform combines adaptive fitness options, mindfulness support, and community connection in one accessible digital space.
“We wanted AdaptivLyfe to reflect the diversity of real life,” VanStory said. “Wellness shouldn’t be something people have to fit into. It should grow and adapt with them.”
The nonprofit is focused on serving people who are often pushed to the margins of mainstream wellness culture, including people with disabilities, adaptive athletes, neurodivergent people, people living with chronic pain, LGBTQ+ community members, and those facing financial or geographic barriers to care.
For VanStory, the mission is personal. He said too many people are expected to adapt themselves to wellness systems that were never built with them in mind.
That perspective now shapes the organization’s work, from the design of the app to the broader community it hopes to build around it. The organization said early users are already exploring the platform, saving routines, testing tools and offering feedback that is helping shape future updates.
Lift EachOther Empowerment’s current and planned services are designed to support people online and, eventually, in person. Those offerings include adaptive workout plans, sensory-friendly fitness options, guided mindfulness and grounding exercises, accessible wellness education, peer support spaces, virtual workshops and resource guides for caregivers and professionals.
The nonprofit also plans to expand into in-person programming, including classes, workshops, and community events built with accessibility in mind from the start. The founders said they want inclusion to be part of the foundation of every service rather than something added later.
In its early phase, the organization expects AdaptivLyfe and related online programming to reach several hundred people through app access, digital engagement, and community support. Over the next five years, the founders project the app could grow to a digital community of 5,000 to 10,000 users as partnerships, outreach and visibility expand.
In-person programming is expected to begin on a smaller scale. The nonprofit estimates it could serve a few dozen participants a year through workshops, classes, and community events, with room to grow as capacity, partnerships and funding increase.
Lift EachOther Empowerment remains in an early fundraising stage. The organization said community donations, online campaigns, and small events are helping cover startup costs, support app development, and move the nonprofit closer to launching dedicated in-person offerings.
Those efforts are also helping introduce the organization to future members, supporters and mission-aligned partners. Justice said the nonprofit is still in its early building phase, but its long-term direction is already clear.
“A commitment to making wellness accessible to a broader range of people guides the organization,” Justice said.
The founders said they believe empathy can drive innovation and that technology can help open new pathways to wellness for people who have too often been left out of the conversation. They see AdaptivLyfe as the beginning of a broader effort to create spaces, both digital and physical, where people feel supported, represented, and included.
“We hope to expand the organization’s reach over time, including developing in-person programming and increasing access to inclusive wellness resources,”
For people who have long felt excluded from traditional wellness culture, Lift EachOther Empowerment is aiming to offer something more accessible, more intentional, and more inclusive. As the nonprofit grows through AdaptivLyfe, future programming, and community partnerships, its mission remains the same: to build spaces where more people can see themselves in wellness.
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