At-risk youth find hope at Westside Wheels

By Aaron Garland and Brandon Schlager

BengalNews Reporters

            When Rev. John Mack sees Carl Hooks, it reminds him of his own past.

            Before he started working for Westside Wheels two years ago, there wasn’t much left for Hooks. His older brother was in prison, his father nonexistent and he was in and out of treatment every other week, it seemed, whenever his anger flared up beyond his control.
            He couldn’t rely on the streets for support. He’d end up like his brother. That’s when Hooks, 23, found his escape. He turned to a local business where dozens of other West Side teenagers and young adults have gone to gain work experience in search of a better life.

            Westside Wheels, located inside the New to You thrift store building at 289 Grant St., is one of three businesses operated by On the Job Ministries, a division of Westside Ministries, which provides on-the-job training for at-risk youth like Hooks.
            Since its establishment in 2005, Westside Wheels’ mission to salvage, repair and resell bicycles at affordable costs was being carried out inside the dark, cramped basement of the thrift store.

            After years of growth, the bike shop is preparing to branch out even further with a new location directly across the street at 286 Grant St.

Rev. John Mack

            Mack, or “Pastor John,” as he is referred to by employees, has been a part of Westside Wheels since it opened and now serves as its manager. He, too, overcame a life of crime and violence before a similar organization took him in off the streets when he was younger.
            It changed his life. Now, he’s returning the favor, mentoring young workers like Hooks.
            “I was at the point in my life where I only saw two ways out: jail or death. And so I made a change and this is the change that I made,” Mack said. “It was the first check in my life I ever had. To be able to take the piece of paper with my name on it and go to the bank, it was an awesome feeling, a feeling I’ll never forget. And because I never forgot that feeling, I want a lot of other young men and young women have that same feeling.”

Rev. Mack on Westside Wheels impact on Hooks: 

            On the Job Ministries employs as many as 25 to 30 young adults at any given time across its three businesses, most between the ages of 18 and 25.
            Westside Wheels operates solely on bikes donated by area churches, schools and businesses. All proceeds from the shop are forwarded to Westside Ministries, which redistributes the money into the West Side throughout its many programs.
            A program through the Erie County Social Services department called Placing Individuals in Vital Opportunity Training, or PIVOT, reimburses Westside Wheels for the wages of its employees, allowing paychecks of up to 30 hours per week at minimum wage.

            The shop’s expansion, made possible through large donations by PUSH-Buffalo and other private donors, will allow for more space to repair and display the bikes. It also means more opportunities for youth to escape the streets and work inside a nurturing atmosphere.
            “There are a lot of different circumstances that the young people that come in here to work are dealing with,” said Rebecca Ballard, interim program director for On the Job Ministries. “We offer them a chance to see themselves as a whole person and recognize maybe stuff going on at home is pretty difficult. We want to show them that we care about them, and we want to work with them and help them to have a successful experience here and to look toward setting goals for what’s next.”
            For Hooks, working for Westside Wheels has likely been the difference between a normal life and a life behind bars -- or worse. Mack said it’s the transformation of kids like Hooks that makes the program worthwhile.
            “Carl is the type of person who needs to be steered in the right direction. If he mixed with the wrong people, he would probably be somebody we would be watching on the news at night. But because the doors are open here, it helps him," Mack said.
            “We get a lot of people here like Carl who are really hurting hard and they need someone to just spend some time with them, put their arms around them, pull them in, show them the ropes, show them what they need to go in the work force and change their lives. And it works. This program works.”