For the second year a New Heart Fellowship in Broken Arrow has opened its doors to the Tulsa Boys Home. Sixteen of the boys got to rebuild three custom cars from just pieces on the floor.
"Just a pile of parts," says volunteer, Jim Lenz.
This is the second time Lenz made his way to Tulsa from Illinois to help bring hope to these young men and teach them about something he loves.
"Just give them a chance. An opportunity to see some hope that there is a difference from where they come from," says Lenz.
That opportunity was for the sixteen boys to get away from the boys home and learn something about old cars. They got the chance to rebuild everything on each of the cars.
"This will open doors for some of these boys who have never been exposed to something like this," says Tulsa Boys Home Executive Director, Gregg Conway.
The boys home tries to expose their boys to as much as possible. This week it was old cars and basic mechanics. For the builders, the driving force behind the wheel, was to get these boys to do something with their hands.
"I don't think we want to let the video games and iPads and the iPhones take over, that trade and that thing that we love that is built into us, the power, the noise, just the love of the hobby we do," says Lenz.
The boys that were part of the hot rob summer camp came from all walks of life. So the volunteers know they need to make a difference but it turns out the boys are helping the volunteers just as much.
"You can't replace those moments. You can't find them anywhere else and so when a kid comes up and puts his arm around you hey, I love you and you have known him for a week. There is no substitute for that," says Lenz.
Conway says there are 64 boys that live in the Tulsa Boys Home. Some come from DHS custody and others have been placed there by family members because of substance abuse problems.
