IABC Los Angeles is proud to have Father Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, as the keynote speaker at its 2011 Annual Banquet, Wednesday, June 15, 6:00 – 9:00 pm at the Oviatt Penthouse, located at 617 S. Olive Ave. in Downtown Los Angeles. The event is an opportunity for IABC-LA to recap and celebrate the past year and to install new board members for the next year. Registration details will be posted shortly.
Father Greg, as he is known, will discuss the power of communications — the ability to reach the most hardened, to see the best in everyone, and ultimately, how he helped gang members turn their life around. He will also talk about how he changed the minds of many in society to eventually be more accepting of these individuals’ pasts and to give them a chance at a better life. Founded in 1988, Homeboy Industries is the largest gang intervention program in the country, offering job training, tattoo removal and jobs to members of enemy gangs and has become a national model in its effectiveness.
In March 2010, Father Greg released “Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion.” In it, he captures his work with these gang members—the homies—in the barrio of Los Angeles into a book of amazing stories and essays. All IABC-LA gala attendees will receive a signed copy of “Tattoos on the Heart” at the event as Father Greg has graciously agreed to autograph each one. More information about Homeboy available is at www.homeboy-industries.org.