On April 2, 2010, Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, addressed the Arcadia Rotary Club.

For 23 years Fr. Boyle had served as pastor of Dolores Mission parish in Boyle Heights.  in 1988 Fr. Boyle founded a jobs program, offering alternatives to gang violence in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the city, a program which soon expanded beyond the parish.  In that same year he buried the first young recruit to be killed by gang violence.  Since that time he had occasion to preside over the burial of 168 more such youths.

Noticing Rotary’s emblem, Fr. Boyle observed that his program included tattoo removal for those homies seeking to embark on a new path.

When Fr. Boyle could not find enough employers for those seeking a way out of the gang lifestyle, he founded “Homeboy Bakery.”  Since that time other businesses have followed which became collectively known as “Homeboy Industries.”  Now there are five subdivisions, including not only (1) “Homeboy Bakery,” but also (2) “Homeboy Silkscreen” (embroidery and labeling apparel), (3) “Homeboy Mainenance” (landscaping and maintenance), (4) “Homeboy Merchandise” (including t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, and mouse pads), and (5) “Homegirl Café” (a restaurant with catering services). Today Homeboy Industries is the largest gang employer in the world, employing 437 gang members a year, 12000 a year go through his programs from some 1,180 different gangs.

Fr. Boyle recalled a day when the actress Diane Keaton entered Homegirl Cafe for lunch. Ms. Keaton asked her waitress to recommend menu items.  While doing so, the waitress felt a glimmer of recognition.  Finally, the waitress thought that she had the answer. “Oh yes, we were locked up together!”

As noted by Mother Teresa, the problem with the world was with its residents forgetting that we belong together.  It is about kinship.  Thus, Fr. Boyle found that there we some matters as to which his “homies” could teach him.  Among these were the art of texting.  Thus, the homies frequently used initials such as “OHN” (i.e., “Oh Hell, No!”). On one occasion, there was a message that the sender was in police custody and being charged with “being the ugliest person in America.”  The recipient was implored to immediately make his way to the police station “to prove that they got the wrong guy.”

From Father Boyle’s experience he came to the view that the problem in Los Angeles was not gangs per se.  Rather, it was the absence of hope.  No hopeful kid ever joins a gang.  When kids join a gang, they are always fleeing from something.  This hopeless state can be countered by imparting to kids that “you are exactly what God had in mind when He made you.”  It was about a “soul feeling its worth.”  Thus, the purpose of Homeboy Industries was not so much for kids who “need” help, as it is for those who “want” it.

One example of success was a homeboy nicknamed “Bandit.”  “Bandit” was placed in an entry-level job in a warehouse.  Today “Bandit” owns the warehouse.  His oldest daughter is about to depart to northern California to attend Humboldt State University.  “Bandit” asked Fr. Boyle for a blessing for his daughter who would be the first in the family to go to college.  His daughter stated that she wanted to major in “forensic psychology.”  “Bandit” explained that his daughter wanted to study “the criminal mind,” at which point she pointed to her father (“Bandit”).  Fr. Boyle told “Bandit” that he (Fr. Boyle) was proud of him “for choosing to walk in your own footsteps,” explaining that the latter’s “soul was feeling its worth.”

A common experience at Homeboy Industries is “homies” working together who consider themselves enemies.  One would say, “I’ll work with him, but I’m not going to talk with him.”  Later, they find it impossible to work together without talking with each other.

For example, “Youngster” and “Puppet” came from rival gangs and were bitter enemies. Nevertheless, they worked together.  One day, “Puppet” was returning from a trip to the store with items for his family.  He took a short-cut through an alley.  Ten members of a rival gang surrounded him.  They administered a vicious beating, knocking “Puppet” to the ground and kicking him in the head repeatedly.  When “Puppet” arrived in the hospital, there was no brain activity.  After two days of flat EEG readings, “Puppet” was declared dead.  In the meantime, “Youngster” offered to donate blood or do whatever he could to help “Puppet.” Afterwards, a grief-stricken “Youngster” told Fr. Boyle, “He was not my enemy.  He was my friend.  We worked together.”

Asked what percent of the homeboys go on to succeed in life, Fr. Boyle replied that “it works if you work it.”  Of those who “work it,” there was 100 per cent success.  Mother Teresa pointed out that we are not called to be successful.  We are called to be faithful.

Boyle is the author of “Tattoos of the Heart.”  Sales of his book are used to help provide the $10 million in funds needed annual to keep Homeboy Industries in operation.