On April 29, 4 Rotarians, 1 Prospective Member, 2 teachers and 10 Interactors from Pacific High visited Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, the largest gang intervention program of its kind. Some of us read Tattoos on the Heart by Father Greg (founder) and had a book discussion in anticipation of this visit. Others, inspired by our tour and the people we met are reading it now.
After braving traffic for a couple of hours, we arrived at Homeboys not quite sure what to expect. A gentleman gave us a little history about the organization, asked about our purpose and interests and quickly introduced us to Ronald- a former gang member, released from prison 9 months ago who was in the program to get the support he needed to turn his life around. Ronald feels so passionate about what Homeboys does, he started giving tours and sharing his story to spread the word about HI's good work.
When we met Ronald, he had only been giving tours for 2 weeks, but we was so comfortable and professional. He perfectly blended sharing his story with HI's work and how it changes people through job training, mental health programs, addiction recovery, tattoo removal and much more.
The experience was transformative for our group. One student said, "It opened my eyes to the idea that the cycle doesn't have to repeat itself." A Rotarian said, "The feeling of peace, acceptance and love among the former gang members receiving services and working there is palpable." It was an inspiring day with an important reminder of how vital hope and kindness is for all people.
