New complex for anti-gang program dubbed 'Destination Hope'

Published: 2006-04-17

LOS ANGELES (CNS) -- The mayor of Los Angeles said that a new, long-awaited facility to be built for an anti-gang program could be called "Destination Hope." "We want to instill in you the idea that anything is possible, that you could turn your life around to do something productive to give back to the community you live in," Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa told young people at a groundbreaking ceremony in March for Homeboy Industries. The new 21,000-square-foot center, expected to open sometime next year, will house the program's headquarters as well as facilities for its various services, Homegirls Cafe and Catering, a retail store and a new location for Homeboy Bakery. The old bakery, a commercial enterprise of Homeboy Industries, burned down in 1999 following an electrical fire. A capital campaign has raised a little more than half of the needed $11.5 million for the project. Jesuit Father Greg Boyle is the founder and director of Homeboy Industries, which was started in 1992. Last year, the program provided more than 4,000 tattoo removal treatments, 1,000 mental health counseling sessions and nearly 1,000 job placements to youths working for Homeboy businesses or other jobs.

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