Description
In providing employment services, Homeboy targets and focuses on the segment of the community that finds it the most difficult
to secure employment on their own -- former gang members, parolees, and at-risk youth. Programs offer a much-needed intervention
to those who deserve a second chance at life. Homeboy Industries first venture was The Homeboy Bakery which trained many gang
members to become scratch bakers. Homeboy Industries has subsequently launched several additional income-producing ventures
which are still thriving.
This collection consists primarily of correspondence written by Homeboy clients and family members to Homeboy founder Father
Greg Boyle. There are also administrative records and Father Boyle's personal papers. The collection also includes an assortment
of audiovisual material.
Background
Father Gregory J. Boyle, S.J. is a Jesuit priest who is founder of Jobs For A Future / Homeboy Industries, an employment referral
center and economic development program. Begun in 1988, for at-risk and gang-involved youth, Jobs For A Future is, today,
a nationally recognized center that assists 1000 people a month in re-directing their lives. Through its unique and multi-service
approach, Jobs For A Future offers hope to those for whom hope is often foreign. Located in Boyle Heights, a community with
arguably the highest concentration of gang activity in Los Angeles, Jobs For A Future provides employment opportunities, counseling,
and many other services (including free tattoo removal). By seeking to address the root causes of gang violence, Jobs For
A Future creates opportunities so at-risk youth can plan their futures and not their funerals. "Nothing stops a bullet like
a job" is the guiding principle. In 1992, as a response to the civil unrest in Los Angeles, Father Boyle formed Homeboy Industries
to create businesses that provide training, work experience, and above all, the opportunity for rival gang members to work
side by side. The following economic development enterprises have been created since the first venture, Homeboy Bakery: Homeboy
Silkscreen, Homeboy / Homegirl Merchandise, Homeboy Graffiti Removal, Homeboy Maintenance, and Homeboy Landscaping.
Restrictions
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must assume full responsibility for any use of materials, including but not limited to infringement of copyright and publication
rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
The original authors may retain copyright to the materials.