Impact Boxing Outreach seeks new home as program continues to grow
By Camille DeVaul · Thu Sep 10 2026
Nonprofit serves more than 80 local youth and families through free boxing and mentorship programs
NORTH COUNTY — Marcus Rostro has seen firsthand how a positive relationship can change the direction of a young person’s life. Today, he is using boxing to build those relationships through Impact Boxing Outreach, a free program serving youth and families throughout the North County.
But the Paso Robles nonprofit is now facing a challenge of its own: finding a new place to call home.
As its current lease comes to an end, Impact Boxing Outreach is searching for a 5,000- to 10,000-square-foot commercial space in Paso Robles. The organization is also in need of approximately $7,000 per month in operating pledges to continue providing its programming at no cost to participants.
The nonprofit currently serves more than 80 youth and families, drawing participants from Paso Robles, Atascadero, Templeton, Shandon and San Miguel.
For Rostro, the program began much smaller.
After spending about 13 years in prison, Rostro said his life changed dramatically after he returned home and later found a renewed sense of faith. As he became involved with his church, parents began asking if he could talk with their children.
At the same time, some young people expressed an interest in learning how to box.
Rostro began working with one student in his garage, teaching him basic boxing techniques. But he soon noticed something beyond the sport was happening.
While waiting for his father to pick him up, the young student began opening up to Rostro about struggles at school and at home.
"It just kind of clicked," Rostro said. "What a unique way to get into these students' lives."
Word spread, and the program grew from one student in a garage to a larger group practicing in a church parking lot near the old Paso Bowl on Spring Street. After just a few weeks, 26 students showed up. The group eventually moved into its current gym space, where Rostro built the boxing ring and other equipment himself.
The program has continued to grow, sometimes bringing in more than 50 students in a day.
While Rostro initially envisioned the program primarily for at-risk youth, Impact Boxing Outreach has developed into a place for young people from a wide range of backgrounds. Students from different circumstances train alongside one another, creating an environment Rostro describes as peaceful and welcoming.
Boxing serves as the starting point, but the program is about much more than throwing punches.
Students participate in circuit training before gathering for lessons focused on character and personal responsibility. Rostro discusses when it is appropriate to use boxing — such as defending oneself — and when it is not, including bullying or losing one’s temper.
Each month, the group focuses on a virtue, such as integrity. Students discuss what the virtue means, consider examples of it in everyday life, and learn about the benefits of putting those principles into practice.
The structured portion of the program is followed by free time, allowing students to use the gym’s heavy bags, speed bags, ring, and other equipment.
For some participants, the impact of the program extends well beyond the gym.
Rostro recalled one student who began attending at 16. The student was quiet but academically gifted, graduating early while his family was experiencing financial difficulties and living in a shelter. Impact Boxing Outreach helped provide support when the student needed it, including helping him obtain a phone.
After leaving the program for about a year and a half, he eventually returned.
“When he came back, he said, ‘Marcus, you don’t know how much you’ve impacted my life. You don’t know how much just being there and knowing that I had somebody to call meant to me,’” Rostro recalled. “It kind of hit me. I’m just showing up, and I’m doing my best to parent him and open relationships, but it’s the little things they take away. I was like, ‘Wow, I didn’t even know I was having that kind of impact.’”
Those moments have reinforced Rostro’s belief that simply being a consistent, positive presence can make a difference.
Now, he hopes a larger facility will allow Impact Boxing Outreach to expand its mission even further.
In addition to boxing, Rostro envisions offering vocational training, tutoring, and assistance for students whose parents may not speak English. He hopes to introduce young people to practical skills such as welding and other trades and connect them with employment opportunities in the community.
Rostro knows firsthand how valuable those opportunities can be. After getting out of prison, he said he initially struggled to find work and was hired by a welding company as a janitor. He began practicing welding on his own and eventually earned his contractor’s license and started his own business.
He hopes to provide similar opportunities to young people who may need a pathway into the workforce.
The immediate priority, however, is securing a new facility.
Impact Boxing Outreach is asking local businesses, churches, organizations, and individuals to help through monthly sponsorships, with suggested contributions of $25, $50, or $100. One-time donations are also welcome. The organization is also seeking property leads and introductions to landlords who may be willing to work with the nonprofit.
The organization is a 501(c)(3), and donations are tax-deductible. Without additional financial support and a new location, Rostro said the program may have to move its activities to a park.
For a program built on consistency, community and relationships, finding a permanent home could determine what comes next.
“We don’t take anything away from [funds] that come in,” Rostro said. “Everything goes back to the students.”
Impact Boxing Outreach
impactboxingoutreach@gmail.com
Facebook: facebook.com/impactboxingoutreach/ IG: instagram.com/impactboxingoutreach