Thanksgiving week is a time to focus on people in or from our neighborhood who are contributing to the betterment of the world around us. Chief among them is Father Greg Boyle.
Boyle grew up on Norton Avenue as one of Bernie and Kay Boyle’s eight children. The family attended church at St. Brendan’s Catholic Church on Van Ness and 3rd Street…a short walk from their home. He attended Loyola High School and then Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Many of the men in our neighborhood know Greg as their friend and classmate; others know him from his days as a teacher at Loyola High School in the ’80s; and many more neighbors know him as active supporters of his 25 year commitment to Dolores Mission and the Homeboy project.
He is a thoughtful, brave, kind, wise soul.
This weekend, CBS Sunday Morning ran a piece on Homeboy Industries – Father Greg’s program to create jobs for former gang members as a way for to give the most desperate members of our City a way out of gangs. Homeboy Industries is the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry program in the United States…creating jobs through separate business units:
- Homeboy Bakery
- Homeboy Diner
- Homegirls Cafe
- Homeboy Farmers Market
- Homeboy Silkscreening and Embroidery
- And more…
The work that goes on at Homeboy Industries is so powerful. At this time when you are looking for ways to give back to worthy causes, consider making a donation to Homeboy by clicking here. Or…use them when you need a caterer (Homegirl Cafe); for bread or pies at Thanksgiving (Homeboy Bakery); or for T-shirts for your school or sports team (Homeboy Silkscreening).
We’ll be enjoying pies and rolls on Thursday! Be sure to call your order in ahead of time.
CBS Sunday Morning, November 24, 2013
photo credit: ~db~ via photopin cc
photo credit: aclu.socal via photopin cc
So important to support Homeboy Industries with purchases and donations! The non-profit does not receive gang intervention funds any longer because the employees and the clients are no longer in gangs! Keep Homeboy Industries going strong.
Well said Karen! The Homeboy initiative has changed the complexion of our City. We need to reward their efforts with our business and/or our donations. Pies? Holiday breads? Mango salsa? That we can do!