It all started 22 years ago when Father Greg Boyle became the pastor of Dolores Mission church in Boyle Heights, a rough area in Los Angeles, replete with gangs and gang activity. There were kids in the streets all the time, rather than in school, because they could not cross the gang lines to get to school or they had been kicked out. So the first thing he did was establish a school in a neutral location to combat this problem and get the kids educated. Pretty brilliant idea and it worked for many, but still others were not attending. He decided to partner with the mothers of these kids in an effort to find jobs that the guys could do to keep busy, safe, and earn money. But after visiting many companies, there were no takers. Father Greg would not give up so easily…so he brainstormed ideas and finally came to the realization that HE needed to create jobs for the guys! He believed that if he could get some random jobs going it would get these kids off the street and out of trouble. He discussed the idea with his congregation and soon after people in the parish started coming forward to help. One man who was experienced in construction work offered to train the boys in that area. Father Greg decided about that time that the church desperately needed a daycare for all of the single mothers to put their children in so that they could also work. The catch was, it had to be on a sliding scale, with a very low cost to mothers so they could actually afford it. This joint effort meant that many guys would be working in construction and soon the ladies could get various jobs once their kids were taken care of at the church. Things started to change. Things started to improve.

Desiring to spread this impact and reach more people, Father Greg knew there would have to be more jobs and opportunities. The difficulty was that these individuals coming out of gangs and heavy substance abuse were hard to place in jobs. Companies often did not want to hire them. In an effort to equip these homeboys with the necessary skills and experience, Homeboy Industries was born. Currently there are four main parts to the industry: Homeboy Bakery, Homegirl Cafe, Homeboy/Homegirl Merchandise, and Homeboy Silkscreen & Embroidery, all of which are training programs. Think of them as paid internships, but with a twist. The twist is that all of the participants in the program must attend classes. There are over 30 classes offered including AA, NA, GED, life planning, parenting, budgeting, anger management, healthy relationships, yoga, and even driver’s training. The attendees can choose which classes they take, but they are all offered for free by volunteers and/or trained counselors. The gang prevention side comes in with the Charter High School that they have on-site, which offers 14-18 year old students the opportunity to become educated while also working at a great job gaining experience and skills.

Homeboy Industries is a “therapeutic community where those ready to move beyond gangs voluntarily seek help.” Because of this holisitc healing and lifestyle rehab foundation, the clients receive case management alongside their training to design short and long-term personal plans. They are able to work with Employment Counselors who search out local jobs for those finishing up the program. There are offerings of legal services, Mental Health therapists, and tattoo removal. Removing tattoos is a huge step in healing for these ex-gang members because their tattoos connect them to their previous lifestyle and also hinder their ability to secure employment. This program exists through volunteer doctors and grants, and functions as an entry point for many clients who come in for removal, and then learn about the additional services offered.

One of Father Greg’s mottos is that you first have to listen, and then you can help people. Don’t try to help someone without listening because you don’t understand their individual circumstances. So listen he does. He has been listening to all sorts of people for many years, and providing help accordingly. And through doing this, he and his staff and volunteers have been able to establish the largest gang prevention and intervention program in the nation. This model is used all over the country as a successful way to break down gang affiliations and rivalries. Walls are torn down as these men and women work side by side learning to respect one another, rather than hate simply because of affiliations.

Father Greg continues to visit the Juvenile camps in L.A. County, 25 of them, and gives his card to each person he speaks with so that they can call him when they are released and ready to get their lives onto a better path. He also travels all over the country speaking at universities, conferences, and other organizations. He is currently promoting his first book, the best seller “Tattoos on the Heart.”

If you would like to learn more about Homeboy Industries or support their efforts to build into the lives of ex-gang members then click on the link below.
www.homeboy-industries.org