Homeboy Industries wants you to get your car washed—virtually speaking.
Here’s the official announcement to explain the context.
“In our community, when tragedy strikes, when there is unexpected financial need, people come together and hold a car wash. Homeboy needs help, so we’re asking you to be a part of our community, to give ten dollars for our “virtual” car wash, and help us spread the word.”
I’ve been to a zillion such car washes myself. The idea is that everybody in the community can spare five or ten bucks to rescue a family in need.
Now Homeboy is in need. As I’ve mentioned repeatedly in past months, like many other non-profits, Homeboy lost huge chunks of core funding when foundations that had had long been supporters of the program found their own cash reserves vaporized due to the nation’s economic meltdown.
Then the state of California began yanking funds due to its own meltdown.
At the same time, more people than ever were out of a job, meaning that Homeboy’s jobs programs and other services were ever more greatly burdened by the thousands of men and women from all over LA County who have come to count on Homeboy as the go-to place to help them get on their feet..
It has been the proverbial perfect storm.
All this year, the Homeboy staff has scrambled creatively to keep their programs in operation. Father Greg Boyle has been on the road as much as has been humanly possible in order to fund raise.
Still, it has not been enough.
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SO WHERE IS THE MAYOR’S OFFICE IN ALL THIS?
The mayor has a pool of around $25 million for gang intervention and prevention programs. And despite budget slashes elsewhere, this line item has remained thankfully sacrosanct. Reverend Jeff Carr and his Gang Reduction and Youth Development office have executed a total of 32 contracts with community-based organizations.
Since Homeboy is by far LA’s largest and busiest gang intervention and reentry program, and by any metric the city’s most successful—and since it has been well known since last winter that they were having fiscal problems— one would imagine that the relevant folks in mayor’s office would have gone out out of their collective way to make sure that at least some of the city’s gang intervention funds from one of those 32 contracts would be bounced Homeboy’s direction.
This has not been the case.
Despite multiple promises and hand-over-heart verbal pledges, the city has thus far dipped into its gang funds to give Homeboy Industries—exactly zero $$$.
Nevermind that in a few hours Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa raised nearly a million dollars from private donors to offset costs of the Lakers victory parade.
(And we won’t bring up the cost to the city of the Michael Jackson memorial service.)
Interestingly, several of the programs that have received big bucks from the city contracts —like S.E.A and Toberman Settlement House—have reportedly been bringing their clients to Homeboy Industries for services like job training and placement. (For which Homeboy gets zip money.)
Father Greg feels confident that the virtual car wash will work, given the time. He hopes the idea will go viral, the goal being a million “car washes.”
In the meantime, without bridge money, Greg says, sometime this month he will be forced to suspend comprehensive services—which means locking Homeboy’s front doors. The businesses like Homegirl Cafe and the Homeboy Bakery will stay open, but nearly all the free services—case management, education programs, job training and placement, legal services, mental health counseling, pre-release and transition counseling—will be shut down.
I understand that several months ago the city again promised Homeboy $500,000, the first payment of which was to have arrived July 1st.
It has yet to show up. Nor has it been officially confirmed. Nor has there been any communication from the mayor’s office as to whether or not any money is actually coming.
LA County has been no better. The county brings kids from 18 different county facilities (9 camps and 9 placement facilities) to Homeboy for tattoo removal—for which the county too gives Homeboy zero money.
Evidently both LA City and LA County officials just believe that Homeboy will somehow continue to magically exist.
Yeah, right.
So all eyes turn to the car wash.
I just got my car washed, virtually speaking.
Over to you.
Spread the word.
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NOTE: On Tuesday of this week, Reverend Jeff Carr, the mayor’s Director of Gang Reduction and Youth Development, reported to the LA City Council on the progress being made with regard to the city’s gang prevention and intervention programs. (More on that later today or first thing tomorrow.)
Homeboy Industries was not mentioned in the report.
I do wonder how Homeboy fell under the radar since the mayor’s office and city attorney etc. have all praised it — maybe the gang monies were disbursed to groups considered more startups and hence more in need of the money?
However I don’t see the connection you’re trying to make to the mayor getting private firms to pony up for the Lakers parade, so he should be able to scare up money for Homeboy. In fact one of those sponsors is AEG which Trutanich and especially his wingman Zine are essentially vilifying in the media and for not having ponied up more money for the Jackson memorial/ traveling road show. While I agree with public sentiment that the city shouldn’t be left holding the bag for what turned into a professional, profit-making event, I also agree with AEG’s head Llewicke that there’s a decent and appropriate way and time to handle such negotiations, this approach by Zine speaking on behalf of Trutanich too shows an utter “lack of class,” and worse for L A, has backfired in getting companies LIKE AEG to kick on for things like Homeboy. This amateur hour P R stunt has probably set back years of effort building a solid relationship with not only AEG but other companies that might normally kick in for programs like Homeboy’s — which ironically should be considered vital to the emphasis Trutanich claims to have on gang intervention. An example of what people are aptly calling the downside of taking this job as Govt 101 at expense of LAPD etc. as teachers. (What do you wanna bet that if Zine and Trutanich read your post they’ll hold a photo op to say they’re “saving Homeboy” and will point fingers at the Mayor for alienating AEG.)
I’ve stopped by Homeboy bakery by the way, enjoyed the breads and some could compete with La Brea Bakery! Haven’t sat down at the Homegirl cafe — couldn’t they sell their goods at other outlets like La Brea and other bakeries do? Do they need marketing help to set his up? We should definitely encourage anything like this where people work and provide a service and get job skills in the kitchen and running a business, not just a handout.
just got my “car washed” too. Thanks for the info Celeste.
I recently spoke to a worker at Homeboy and he told me its amazing this organization has so many fooled. He mentioned the black ex gang member worker who was killed because its hard to leave the gang life. People in the community will tell you these gang members don’t want a new start. They are active and are still terrorizing neighborhoods. Father Boyle continues to try but he’s coddled them for so long he’s lost control. This is the reason many who use to support the org. no longer do. The education needs to start in the home not at Homeboy. Its too late then.
L.A’s mayor is holding a “car wash” to pay for Michael Jackson’s memorial service.
In L.A., dead pedophiles get more respect than homeless and jobless people who served their sentences.
BTW, my own from take many months ago was that Homeboy Industries constructed a new home that was more expensive and extravagant than was necessary. With that and lost future revenues, there seems to have been a lot of poor financial planning. Maybe they should train their workers to become accountants.
With all due respect, Janet, until you’ve gone over and spent time at Homeboy, which you can do easily, you don’t know what you’re talking about. That’s the same crap I hear over and over from people who’ve never set foot in the organization and somehow think that a kid who has joined a gang is no longer from the same species as the rest of us, and may be judged as treated as such.
Yes, of course there are people who back slide. DUH! Recovery of ANY KIND—be it from alcohol, drugs, over eating or gangs—is four steps forward, three and a half back. Welcome to the human race.
As for the kid who was killed last month, how and why he was killed was at once tragic, heartbreaking and emotionally complicated—AND not for the reasons you imply. He was a great kid with a smile as big as the world. His death was devastating to all who knew him. I read some of the last poetry he wrote shortly before he died and it split my heart in two.
I can’t tell you the number of people who are alive because of Homeboy. As the people who say that “gang members don’t want a new start” are….well, I can’t think of a civil way to reply to that statement without swearing copiously.
Janet, I respect you. I think you know that by now. But please, please, please go to Homeboy, take the tour, talk to whomever you want there. Until then all you’re doing is repeating vicious, wrong-headed rumors that at best illuminate and help nothing and, at worst, do damage.
I’m going to make this fast ..I’m at a terminal boarding a plane to Mexico…
Janet – you can ask Celeste and she will tell you that I’m on the opposite side of the tracks on many of her views regarding certain gang interventionist programs. I know the real truth behind a handful of them and its not a pretty story. Honestly, no matter what anyone tells you, LA City Hall and the County Supervisors have a bunch of dumb ass politicians and advisors who know nothing of how to curb Gang Violence in Los Angles. Worst, they get their advice from a bunch of criminals connected to the Mexican Mafia or crooked Community activist trying to get media attention and free money.
But, out of all of the programs out there, I can honestly tell you that Father – G’s donated money goes exactly where it should go – every cent goes back into the community.
I support Father G – 100%.
When I shake his hand – I hug him and tears fall from my eyes. I love that man – not because on what his mission stands for – but for believing in people that have nothing – nothing but dreams. I met Father G many many years back at Dolores Mission and since those years I’ve watched him grow – he has never changed one bit.
Those people that have been arrested or killed out of his organization where choices made by those individuals. Father – G provided them tools and skills, if they decided to drop those skills or just use G’s programs to look good – that was on them. I can not say the same for a lot of these other organizations – their presidents or directors are crooked as their workers.
I say more later…i have to run
Done.
This good effort jogged the thought that, assuming there was some nugget of sincerity regarding “the children, etc. etc.” in the Jackson saga, how that memorial could have been turned into a tremendous opportunity to raise resources and awareness for some charitable and outreach organizations to help children and teens in trouble. What a fucking waste ! Sorry goddamned spectacle of narcissism and self-pity of, by and for the undeserving and obsessive that actually robbed LA of the ability to fund the meager programs that exist…
“Those people that have been arrested or killed out of his organization were choices made by those individuals. Father – G provided them tools and skills, if they decided to drop those skills or just use G’s programs to look good – that was on them.”
Well, said, P. Thank you. Have a great time in Mexico, whether it’s work or relaxation.
And thanks to Reg and Jeff and the other virtual carwashees!
Was Father Boyle a member of City Attorney Carmen Trutanich’s Transition Team ??
This may explain why Villaraigosa has gone back on his “so-call word”.
BTW, not all is kosher with the current recipiants of GRYD contracts.
so this is a “virtual carwash”? does that mean there won’t be any muscular, wet, homeboy’s in daisy dukes washing cars?
Janet,Janet, janet,
I’m 37 years old. I have 3 wonderful children, I’ve been married for 19 years and I’m a Financial Advisor for a very respectful firm. None of this would be if it wasn’t for Father Boyle! I am one of those kids you’re talking about and by the way you don’t understand. My family thanks and loves him and Homeboy Industries because without him and this program ” I would be dead or in prison for life!” Father Boyle showed me love I had no idea existed. He showed me there was more to life than just the projects. He gave me the tools to survive and I will tell you I slipped quite a few times but I got up and finally made it. I too encourage you to come down and spend some time with these kids that just need someone to give them support and maybe just a few kind words. You know it’s kind of hard to live in the projects as a parent and tell your kids they should go to college when most of there friends are dying before they turn 16. We are not monsters!!! Someone along they way has failed us and all these kids need is for someone else beside Father G to give them direction. I owe my life to G-dog . that;s right. I love that man and don’t ever give up on us. Love an Older Homie..
[…] Yesterday I complained that the city has not given funds to Homeboy Industries despite the fact that the Homeboy programs are in trouble financially, and are regularly serving more people than all the other city gang-violence-reduction programs combined. (More on those numbers next week.) […]
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