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Homeboy Industries Presents Art Show Fabian Debora and Jose Ramirez
Homeboy Industries History
Homeboy Industries traces its
roots to “Jobs For A Future” (JFF), a program created in 1988 by Father Gregory
Boyle while he was serving as pastor of Dolores Mission parish in Boyle Heights.
Begun as a jobs program in 1988, offering alternatives to gang violence in one
of the toughest neighborhoods in the city, the program soon grew beyond the
parish.
With the addition of a small bakery in a run-down warehouse
across the street from Dolores Mission, JFF had its own business, one where it
could hire the most challenging, difficult to place young people in a safe
environment. The hope was that they could learn both concrete and soft job
skills, to make them stronger, better prepared candidates for permanent
employment. A tortilla stand in Grand Central Market downtown solidified the
evolution of JFF into Homeboy Industries.
In only a few years, Homeboy
Industries has had an important impact on the Los Angeles gang problem, with
young people from over half of the region’s 1,100 known gangs seeking a way out
through Homeboy. Thousands of young people have walked through the doors of
Homeboy Industries looking for a second chance, and finding community. Gang
affiliations are left outside as these young people work together, side by side,
learning the mutual respect that comes from shared tasks and challenges.
Homeboy became an independent nonprofit in August of 2001, and has since
grown into a national model. This year, we will celebrate our 20th anniversary
as an organization in our new headquarters located in downtown Los Angeles, just
two blocks from Union Station. Homeboy serves as a beacon of hope and
opportunity for those seeking to leave gang life, for whom the barriers and
challenges are great, and for whom there is virtually no other avenue to enter
the mainstream.
In addition to providing job training and placement
assistance and other free programs, a distinctive feature of Homeboy Industries
continues to be its small businesses, where the most difficult to place
individuals are hired in transitional jobs, thus giving them a safe, supportive
environment in which to learn both concrete and soft job skills, while
simultaneously building their resume and work experience. Former rivals find
themselves working side by side, finding true community and friendship in place
of the limited community of gang life. Homeboy’s businesses now include the
Homeboy Bakery, newly re-opened in our new Headquarters downtown, Homeboy
Silkscreen, which prints logos on apparel and provides embroidery services;
Homeboy Maintenance, which provides landscaping and maintenance services;
Homeboy Merchandise, which sells t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, and mouse pads with
the Homeboy logo, now with a retail storefront in the new Headquarters, as well
as online ordering; Homegirl Café, newly expanded in the new building with 86
seats, plus a dedicated Catering kitchen provides a training ground dedicated to
female clients in all aspects of the restaurant and service industry. A pilot
program, Homeboy Press, will publish a literary magazine in late 2008.
Homegirl Cafe / Homeboy Industries
130 W. Bruno St.
Los
Angeles, CA 90012
CONTACT
Tel:(323) 526-1254
Fax:(323)
526-1257
Email:info@homeboy-industries.org
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