Wheels of Courage inspiring action in youth

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This article was published 07/02/2020 (2387 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Wheels of Courage, a year-long mentorship program designed to empower youth, is wrapping up at the WRENCH.

Government funding granted last March enabled the Winnipeg Repair Education and Cycling Hub (1057 Logan Ave.) to hire three mentors for the pilot program.

“The program itself involves challenging 20 young people between the ages of 15 and 29 to get activated in their communities and learn new skills and create projects based on their interests and their desire to create change in their community,” Sarah Thiessen, volunteer co-ordinator and lead mentor, said.

“Kind of the main thrust of the program is talking to mentees about what kind of issues they see in their community, what kind of change they’d like to see made, and then helping them learn the skills and think of a project to address those issues, and then help them gain the confidence and skills to make those projects happen.”

With the funding, the WRENCH hired femme, Indigenous, and newcomer mentors for mentees who identify similarly, Thiessen added.

“A huge exciting part of this grant is that it allows us to hire people who are from these communities and are able to really focus on helping welcome and empower people from those groups, because those demographics can experience more barriers for various reasons.”

Cyrus Chua, 15, worked with mentor Jennifer Sparling, 35, to repair bikes for Winnipeg Harvest for its Breakfast 2 Go program.

“They were bikes that were donated to them that needed some level of repair or replacement parts, and then the bikes in turn are going to be given to other youth who are succeeding in this Breakfast 2 Go program as incentive,” Sparling said.

“If I get to fix something that others are going to get to use through the Breakfast 2 Go program, I’m helping their community,” Chua, a Maples MET School student, said.

“It does feel like I’m pretty much home here because I love what I’m doing.”

The WRENCH is a charity that reclaims and repairs bikes, and uses them to provide free programming which educates youth, empowers volunteers, and provides people with free access to bicycles.

If the WRENCH is approved for funding once again, Thiessen said they plan to run Wheels of Courage for another year.

“We’re still waiting on confirmation from that, but it’s seemingly hopeful and likely that we can get the same grant again for another year, which means we would start again with a new group of mentees,” she said.

In culmination of the program, the WRENCH is hosting a bicycle art show at the Edge Artists Village & Art Gallery (611 Main St.) on Fri., March 13.