Homeboy Industries offers jobs, caring to those who want out of gangs

Published: 2005-10-11

LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- Master chef Alvaro Oceguedo remembers being approached by his trusted business partner Pedro Gonzalez with an unusual and risky idea: Could the family bakery business Oceguedo had carefully built train six former gang members from rival gangs in the skills of baking? As a youth minister to young men and women at St. Albert the Great Church in Compton, Oceguedo understood something about reaching out to those at risk. "You can't know someone if you don't give them an opportunity," he said. So began Mi Vida/My Life Bakery's alliance with Homeboy Industries last June, when six "homies" -- several with long track records of being in and out of juvenile facilities or prison -- traded in the late-night gang lifestyle for the early-morning tasks of mixing fresh ingredients, kneading dough and monitoring ovens to pull out fresh-baked raisin bread, Mexican conchas, tortillas and cookies. The story of Homeboy Industries and its founder, Jesuit Father Greg Boyle, will be part of a documentary called "Faith Works: Across the U.S.A. 2005," produced by the U.S. bishops' Catholic Communication Campaign. Beginning Oct. 23, the show will be offered to ABC affiliates; stations will air the program at their discretion.

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