John Kinder and his wife Lydia Kinder pose for a picture. Kinder, a father of two is a creator and founder of Chop-it-Up, a group dedicated to helping, guiding and leading young boys through their formative teenage years using the “Black Barbershop” as a format. Submitted photo

For one local man on a mission, it’s about just changing one person’s life that drives him.

John Kinder is the executive director of The Zone at Northwest Arena and the founder of Chop-it-Up — a group dedicated to helping young boys through their formative teenage years using the “Black Barbershop” as a backdrop.

“I grew up in a stable family with a mother and father, and I’ve seen the alternative to some who don’t. It’s not always pretty,” Kinder said. “I created Chop-it-Up to help those less fortunate and in need of support, guidance and just a friend to listen to them. To build future leaders and inspire young men to walk in their purpose.”

Additionally, Kinder, seems to be on the right track with his “Chop-it-Up” program. Although he hasn’t advertised the program, it has started taking on a life of its own. In northern Chautauqua County, a second “Chop-it-Up” has been established.

“I was contacted, out of the blue, by a guy named Frankie Beras, up in Dunkirk, who’d seen or read about our Chop-it-Up program and wanted to duplicate it up there,” he said. “Of course I said yes, and now a Chop-it-Up program is running out of The Fix Grooming Lounge, doing the same haircuts, mentorship and fellowship program like we’re doing in Jamestown. He liked the concept and asked if he could use the name and molded his program after ours.”

However, regardless of the program’s continual upward momentum, Kinder stays grounded and focused on the mission at hand.

“We don’t really have any big plans like becoming a (nonprofit) entity or doing any big fundraising, I just want to keep it simple and help kids in our local area,” he said.

Kinder’s humble and servant-oriented heart has endured him to some local leaders while earning their laurels of respect and support.

“He’s got a huge heart, and I look forward to doing collaborative efforts in the future,” said Kayla Crosby, the owner of the Jamestown Jackals professional men’s basketball team. “We were in college together at JCC and I can’t wait to see what he does next.”

Moreover, the kids he works with had additional heaps of praise to bestow upon their leader and mentor.

“John is cool. He really listens to us, and we can talk about whatever we want,” said Legend Butts, a second grader at Bush Elementary School. “Plus, he can ball (basketball), and he’s good at video games too.”