Homeboy Industries

I am currently in Santa Fe, NM visiting my best friend from Wyoming and my Auntie Deb. I'm enjoying the outdoors too much to sit inside and write, so I will write about this amazing place later. In the meantime, a reflection on a great time in LA!

I visited the most inspiring place on my journey so far when I met Angela's mom, Patricia, at Homeboy Industries in south-central, Los Angeles. I first learned about Homeboy Industries when a documentary about it was shown at Seattle University, but it has come a long way since the documentary was made and being there confirmed that it is doing amazing things to change the lives of former gang members. "Father G" (Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J.), a Jesuit priest filled with social consciousness and compassion, heads up the organization that helps gang members get jobs, mental health counseling, tattoo removal, and a plethora of services that keeps them off the streets and helps integrate them into society. While Homeboy itself employs (what seemed like) tons of people through community clean-up crews, a bakery that delivers to local businesses, a screen printing and retail business, those enrolled in the program are actually paid minimum wage to look for a job. Those who do work for Homeboy are paid a livable wage, not just minimum wage for their forty hour work week.

The building Homeboy inhabits is bright, cheery, clean, and very welcoming. Almost everyone I passed during my thorough tour greeted me or introduced themselves, even though it was obvious that I wasn't the first curious college student to pass through. A table full of high school students sat next to me while I ate lunch, they had just finished their tour too.

Patricia started working with Homeboy Industries four years ago when her own cafe outgrew its small space. After having worked with Jesuits for years, Patricia was approached by Father G to create the Homegirl Cafe which would give female gang members jobs and the needed skills to provide for their families and change their lives. The women work four days a week and on the fifth day, they are paid to attend classes at Homeboy or take advantage of the many services available. The best part of Patricia's job is seeing women realize that they have the ability to master kitchen and serving skills and excel at them, while mastering and excelling in life. As Patricia and I chatted after my hearty tofu chorizo torta (YUM! all organic Mexican food!), she also kept up with everyone who passed by. Young people stopped to give her hugs while she gave them direct but warm advice. "Ya no la estás usando?" she asked one young woman, "Your not using anymore?" When she replied that she hadn't used heroine for months, Patricia gave a priceless smile of encouragement. The community that has formed over twenty years of organizing is evident in moments like that between two individuals who work together and support each other.

I couldn't help beaming as I walked out and headed toward Olvera Street (historic downtown). Knowing that such a powerful and meaningful organization can make progress against violence and toward community gives me hope for the future. Slogans like "Nothing stops a bullet like a job" and "Jobs not jails" make so much sense and should be everywhere in our society, but knowing that Homeboy Industries uses them makes their popularity seem conceivable. Do check out their website to learn more about all the great programs they have to offer and their roller coaster history that has ultimately brought them so much success. Follow this link to the Homeboy industries homepage: http://www.homeboy-industries.org/ Plus, you can see pictures there because I didn't take any.

The rest of my time in LA was spent hanging out with Lauren and Connor (my two good friends from Portland), chilling on the beach, and working on democracybythepeople.blogspot.com. Tomorrow I'm flying to Santa Fe with a brand new backpack in tow, thanks to the REI gift certificate from Spruce Street School.