Homeboy Industries Docent Field Trip, Nov 17, 2009
Thanks to the organizing efforts of Rolando and Maria, 23 docents traveled to Chinatown for a presentation and lunch at Homeboy Industries, located down the street, off Alameda and within a couple of blocks south of the Chinatown station on the Gold Line.
The meeting began with a story and riveting description by Joseph who grew up in the Aliso Gardens Public Housing Project, was shot twice at the ages of 14 and 15, became involved in gangs even younger, and served time in prison as a result of his heroin use and conviction (he has since gone clean). But it was at Aliso Gardens where Father Gregory Doyle began his lifelong committment to not only gangbangers like Joseph, but in changing the cultural environment of the gang bangers and providing them with a second chance and purpose in life.
Joseph said, in his gang time, there were 8 different gangs operating in Aliso Gardents and that over the years, there have been some 800 different gangs formed in the Los Angeles area. He described a gang member as having/showing no feelings, no fear, no emotion, in short a STOIC. That has all changed with the never ending support of Father Doyle.
Father Doyle's story (and committment to HB Industries and it homeboys) follows in the pictures and many videos below:
Interview Line:
What's Don up to?
Restaurant:
Kitchen:
Video # 1 with Father Gregory on the Homeboys purpose
and principles:
Finance and Business Operation of Homeboys:
Beginning and start-up of Homeboys Industries:
Safety Net of Homeboys and Hope:
Working with Gangs:
Charter School:
Bakery:
The meeting began with a story and riveting description by Joseph who grew up in the Aliso Gardens Public Housing Project, was shot twice at the ages of 14 and 15, became involved in gangs even younger, and served time in prison as a result of his heroin use and conviction (he has since gone clean). But it was at Aliso Gardens where Father Gregory Doyle began his lifelong committment to not only gangbangers like Joseph, but in changing the cultural environment of the gang bangers and providing them with a second chance and purpose in life.
Joseph said, in his gang time, there were 8 different gangs operating in Aliso Gardents and that over the years, there have been some 800 different gangs formed in the Los Angeles area. He described a gang member as having/showing no feelings, no fear, no emotion, in short a STOIC. That has all changed with the never ending support of Father Doyle.
Father Doyle's story (and committment to HB Industries and it homeboys) follows in the pictures and many videos below:
Interview Line:
What's Don up to?
Restaurant:
Kitchen:
Video # 1 with Father Gregory on the Homeboys purpose
and principles:
Finance and Business Operation of Homeboys:
Beginning and start-up of Homeboys Industries:
Safety Net of Homeboys and Hope:
Working with Gangs:
Charter School:
Bakery:
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