Help women leave gang life at the Homegirl Cafe!

Homeboy Industries’ culinary training program provided job training and wrap-around support for 78 former gang members and previously incarcerated individuals between July 1 and December 31, 2014. All trainees work closely with case managers to determine goals and create roadmaps to meeting those goals. They participate in classes ranging from Anger Management to Pathways to College. Individual therapy and support groups for substance abuse, domestic violence, and other issues help trainees deal with deep-rooted struggles that often result from traumatic childhoods.

The combination of rigorous job training and a therapeutic environment has facilitated true transformation for people like Karla, who had several roles at Homeboy Industries and worked her way up to a position at Homegirl Café. Upon graduation she went through a lengthy interview process to secure a job at Marriott Hotels, where her strong work ethic and effervescent personality quickly impressed staff and guests. Two recent Homeboy culinary graduates, Selina and Javier, were accepted into internships at the prestigious Bouchon Bistro in Beverly Hills and subsequently were hired full-time.

Homeboy’s commitment to facilitating change for society’s most marginalized people is unwavering. As Homeboy founder Fr. Greg Boyle tells trainees, “What gets melted away here is all the stuff that people aren’t. What’s left is your brilliance.”