Paul Winestock Jr. was born July 5, 1965, to Delores Mayfield and Paul Winestock Sr. (Step) in a quiet N.E. neighborhood in the Woodridge area of D.C. He attended Taft Jr. High School and Spingarn High as a basketball star before transferring and graduating from McKinley High School in 1984. While in school, Paul worked in the maintenance department of Howard University Hospital. Growing up in the 1980s, when the drug epidemic was rapidly growing, Paul decided to join the movement of making fast money with flashy clothes, cars, and women. During Paul’s time in the streets, he had a son, Lil Paul, in 1987. All this came with a price: in 1990, Paul was arrested and sentenced to double life in prison. He used his time in prison to reflect on his life while leaving behind his family and 3-year-old son. Unfortunately, while in prison, he was faced with a tragedy. Paul’s father, Paul Winestock Sr., was murdered by a young man to whom he was a surrogate father.
Paul, determined to regain his freedom, completed a paralegal course. The course helped him understand the law and fight to reduce his sentence to 30 years. Paul never gave up and continued to fight his case after serving 23 years of imprisonment. He vowed that if/once released, he would give back to his community, uplifting our youth and assisting them with the proper resources to prevent incarceration. When the crack cocaine amendment was passed in 2012, he was allowed immediate release.
Knowing it would be hard to gain employment upon his release, Paul took several certification classes. One of his main classes was industrial housekeeping, which allowed him to open his own janitorial cleaning business, Winestock L.L.C. Cleaning Company, in 2014. He also established a non-profit organization, Saving Our Next Generation (S.O.N.G.), a mentor program developed to help youth and adults cultivate their dreams and prepare for their futures.
Since Paul has come home, he’s devoted much of his time to his mother, helping others, and giving back to the community. His non-profit, Saving Our Next Generation, has sponsored 25 events, including a Youth summit, inspirational speaking, feeding the homeless, a Breast cancer awareness brunch, and a special event for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation.
Mr. Winestock also owns His & Hers restaurant and Fun It Up, located on Rhode Island Ave. These establishments are designed to be pillars within the community for all ages. Still, more importantly, they assist returning citizens who enter the labor force with intentionality, giving them the tools and resources needed to be successful. Paul is not only a successful business owner but understands the value and challenges that come with second chance hiring.