As the founder and CEO of Homeboy Industries, Father Gregory Boyle has dedicated his life to helping LA’s most marginalized individuals find a place in society’s ranks. He has become a beacon of hope around the world, and was just selected as one of the White House Champions of Change.
Born in 1988, Homeboy Industries has its roots in the poorest community in Los Angeles. As a response to eight warring gangs, entrenched in 2 public housing projects (the largest grouping of public housing west of the Mississippi), Homeboy Industries grew “from below.” “I buried my first young person killed because of this gang sadness in 1988. I buried my 194th three months ago,” says Father G, as he is affectionately called on the streets.
A native Angelino, Boyle was ordained a Jesuit priest in 1984. He was transformed by his work in Bolivia, Mexico, and Folsom Prison with those who “live at the margins.” His dedication to finding a place for all in our society brought him to the Boyle Heights community of East Los Angeles, where he served as pastor of Dolores Mission Church, then the poorest parish in the city, from 1986 through 1992.
It was there that Boyle started what would become Homeboy Industries, now the largest gang intervention, rehab and re-entry program in the world. 15,000 folks a year enter their doors seeking transformation. Above all, Homeboy Industries announces a message: what if we were to invest in people rather than seek to futilely incarcerate our way out of a complex social dilemma?
An acknowledged expert on gangs and intervention approaches, Father Gregory Boyle is a nationally renowned speaker. His presentations for leaders on hope as a powerful tool have made him a popular speaker with companies and healthcare organizations. He has given commencement addresses at numerous universities and has spoken at conferences for teachers, social workers, criminal justice workers and many others about the importance of adults’ attention, guidance and unconditional love in preventing youth from joining gangs.