The Cut-N-Edge barber shop located on Third Street hosted the launch of the Chop it Up-Building Men’s program with five youth and several adult mentors present. The program is the brainchild of John Kinder, executive director of The Zone at Northwest Arena.

“Our goal is to build future leaders and inspire young men to walk in their purpose,” Kinder said. “We plan on meeting monthly to start out, and if there’s a demand we’ll adjust from there.”

Statistically speaking, some at-risk or underprivileged youth have an uphill battle when it comes to breaking the cycles of poverty.

According to Crime Grade.org, Jamestown receives a crime grade of “D.” That means the rate of crime is higher than the average U.S. city. Jamestown ranks in the 22nd percentile for safety, meaning 78% of cities are safer and 22% of cities are more dangerous. Moreover, the rate of crime in Jamestown is 20.16 per 1,000 residents during a standard year. Also, the chance of being a victim of crime in Jamestown may be as high as one in 34 in the central neighborhoods, or as low as one in 78 in the southwest part of the city. A violent crime occurs every 11 hours 23 minutes on average in Jamestown.

Yatniel Santiago, a middle school student and a Chop it Up-Building Men program participant, received a free haircut at “Cut-N-Edge” barber shop located on Third Street, during the program’s inaugural launch meeting. Submitted photos

Additionally, the National Center for Educational Statistics reports that in the Empire State, 22% of the population reads and writes at or below elementary school levels, and in Chautauqua County, 17% of youth ages 18-24 lack a high school diploma.

For Kinder and his cohort of mentors, they aim to change these statistics using the barber shop as a catalyst to break cycles of poverty.

“Culturally, the barber shop is where you can go, listen, relax and talk about anything, and that’s what we’re trying to create here: A safe zone for kids to learn and express themselves,” Kinder said. “Just like the movie, Barbershop, it’s a whole experience; from our barbers to our mentors, we want to change the lives of kids locally, and even the playing field.”

For more information call Kinder at 716-456-5776.