By Cynthia Billhartz Gregorian

Evelyn Gillespie stands near several tables of young children and begins speaking in the cafeteria at Washington Montessori School in St. Louis.

"How many of you have been active since I last saw you?" asks Gillespie, 61, of St. Louis.

"I ran around the track," one girl said.

"I walked up the street with my mom," a boy calls out.

Gillespie wants to know how many ate fruits and vegetables. Gillespie is a volunteer for the OASIS Active Generations program. One day a week for six weeks, she and other volunteers will go into an after-school program to teach students about the benefits of good nutrition and exercise as a way to combat childhood obesity. Read the full article.

The St. Louis American profiled Mary Maufas and Larman Williams - two OASIS volunteers who lead classes in the community to help people increase their physical activity, and living healthier lives. 

"It’s all about lifting them up and making them realize that life can be better and they can make it better themselves,” says Maufas.