Chopper club builds up inner-city
youth
Article courtesy of ChristianWeek (www.christianweek.org)
Written by Renee Joette Friesen, ChristianWeek Correspondent
WINNIPEG, MB – A bicycle-rebuilding program
in Winnipeg's inner city and North End is giving youth a chance
to ride into brighter future. A group of volunteers at Inner City
Youth Alive (ICYA) is helping boys and girls between the ages
of 10 and 16 rebuild bicycles as part of a mentorship ministry.
Through the program, the youth work to modify
donated bicycles, turning them into eight-foot-long choppers with
extended forks and rear ends. In the process of building the bikes,
kids learn basic mechanical techniques, such as welding, cutting
and grinding, which helps them develop useful skills for the future.
It changes their perspective on who they are
and it changes their perspective about the future.
Teaching basic skills is particularly beneficial
for many of the boys who come from single-parent families with
a long history of relying on social assistance, says ICYA executive
director Kent Dueck. "Work skills are important to break
that cycle of poverty."
An equally important aspect of the program is
working with the volunteers. "Many of our kids have not
had a dad at all," says Dueck. "They need a male role
model."
Dozens of kids have come through the program
since it started two years ago, and more than 25 bikes have been
rebuilt. Mentors spend about three months working individually
with a youth to finish a bike.
"This has provided an opportunity for
young people in the North End. It helps them build confidence
that they can do mechanical things. It changes their perspective
on who they are and it changes their perspective about the future,"
says Ivan Blakney, program director. He adds that some youth come
out of the program with plans to further develop their skills
and apply them to a career.
While most of the bikes are donated, Inner City
Youth Alive does purchase other materials including wires, metal
tubing, wheels and bicycle cranks. A wide variety of creative
designs results from recycled materials. In the past year, one
of the youth received first prize for creativity at the World
of Wheels.
The chopper club has really taken off in the
past year. More than five youth are currently participating in
the program. Sometimes previous participants come back to build
a second bike or to assist newcomers with their projects.
"Bikes are the magnet that draw the kids
in, but the purpose is to help them develop practical skills and
get the youth working one-on-one with a role model. We want to
connect them in a male-to-male mentoring role. But it's
also to help them discover who God is," Dueck says. Each
week, after working on the bikes, the group engages in an informal
conversation about God over snacks.
"It's a communal thing. Some of
the kids don't have that at home," Dueck explains.
"It's been a very successful program in terms of the
kids' attraction to the program."
_____
Inner City Youth Alive is always looking for volunteers
to assist with the program by serving as role models. For more
information, click to contact
ICYA.
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