PAUL WINESTOCK JR. WAS BORN ON JULY 5, 1965, TO DELORES MAYFIELD AND PAUL WINESTOCK SR. IN THE QUIET WOODRIDGE NEIGHBORHOOD OF NORTHEAST WASHINGTON, D.C. HE ATTENDED TAFT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL AND LATER SPINGARN HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE HE EXCELLED AS A BASKETBALL PLAYER BEFORE TRANSFERRING TO AND GRADUATING FROM MCKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL IN 1984.
DURING HIS SCHOOL YEARS, PAUL WORKED IN THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT AT HOWARD UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL. HOWEVER, GROWING UP IN THE 1980S—A TIME WHEN THE DRUG EPIDEMIC WAS SPREADING RAPIDLY—HE BECAME INVOLVED IN STREET LIFE, DRAWN TO ITS FAST MONEY, FLASHY CLOTHES, LUXURY CARS, AND SOCIAL STATUS. IN 1987, HE BECAME A FATHER TO HIS SON, PAUL JR. (KNOWN AS "LIL PAUL").
HOWEVER, THE ALLURE OF THAT LIFESTYLE CAME WITH CONSEQUENCES. IN 1990, PAUL WAS ARRESTED AND SENTENCED TO DOUBLE LIFE IN PRISON. CONFRONTED WITH THE REALITY OF LEAVING BEHIND HIS FAMILY, INCLUDING HIS THREE-YEAR-OLD SON, PAUL CHOSE TO USE HIS TIME IN PRISON FOR PERSONAL GROWTH. HE ENROLLED IN NUMEROUS CERTIFICATION COURSES, STUDIED THE LEGAL SYSTEM, AND DEDICATED HIMSELF TO UNDERSTANDING HIS CASE.
TRAGEDY STRUCK WHILE HE WAS INCARCERATED—HIS FATHER, PAUL WINESTOCK SR., WAS BRUTALLY KILLED BY A YOUNG MAN WHOM HE HAD MENTORED AS A SURROGATE FATHER. DESPITE THIS DEVASTATING LOSS, PAUL REMAINED DETERMINED TO REGAIN HIS FREEDOM. HE COMPLETED A PARALEGAL COURSE, WHICH ENABLED HIM TO SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATE FOR A SENTENCE REDUCTION TO 30 YEARS. STILL, HE DID NOT GIVE UP.
AFTER SERVING 23 YEARS, A TURNING POINT CAME IN 2012 WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE CRACK COCAINE AMENDMENT, WHICH LED TO HIS IMMEDIATE RELEASE. ON NOVEMBER 19, 2013, PAUL WAS GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE. KNOWING THAT REINTEGRATING INTO SOCIETY WOULD BE CHALLENGING, HE TOOK AN INDUSTRIAL HOUSEKEEPING COURSE TO GAIN SKILLS FOR SELF-EMPLOYMENT. IN 2014, HE FOUNDED WINESTOCK LLC CLEANING COMPANY, A JANITORIAL SERVICES BUSINESS.
BEYOND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, PAUL WAS COMMITTED TO GIVING BACK TO HIS COMMUNITY. HE ESTABLISHED SAVING OUR NEXT GENERATION (S.O.N.G.), A NONPROFIT MENTORSHIP PROGRAM DEDICATED TO GUIDING YOUTH AND ADULTS TOWARD POSITIVE LIFE CHOICES. THROUGH HIS WORK, PAUL CONTINUES TO INSPIRE OTHERS, PROVING THAT TRANSFORMATION IS POSSIBLE REGARDLESS OF ONE’S PAST.
At Saving Our Next Generations, our mission is to improve the lives of those in need by providing essential services and support to our communities. We believe that everyone deserves access to basic necessities such as food, shelter, and healthcare.
We offer a variety of programs and services to meet the needs of our community, including emergency financial assistance, job training, and healthcare services. Our goal is to empower individuals and families to become self-sufficient and thrive.