Father Greg Boyle, the Jesuit Catholic priest who founded Los Angeles' Homeboy Industries gang intervention program, will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian decoration.
Boyle is one of 19 recipients to be honored by President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday. Honorees include such luminaries as Vice President Al Gore, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Opal Lee, an educator and activist known for her efforts to make Juneteenth a federally recognized holiday.
Established by President John F. Kennedy in 1963, the award recognizes individuals who have “made exceptional contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, or cultural or other significant public or private activities.” will be given to.
In a statement, the White House called Boyle the founder of the world's largest gang intervention and rehabilitation program and credited him with turning around the lives of thousands of Angelenos. Mr. Boyle could not be reached for comment.
Boyle became pastor of Dolores Mission Church in 1986. Boyle Heights Parish was one of the poorest parishes in Aliso, where he served residents in housing projects such as the Village and Pico Gardens. At the time, this area had the highest concentration of gang activity in the city, with hundreds of gangs with thousands of members. According to the mission's website, up to nine gangs were active near the parish.
By 1988, Boyle had created “Work for the Future” at Mission. The goal of the program was to help men and women leave gangs through education, job training, and employment. Jobs for a Future eventually evolved into her Homeboy Industries, expanding its services to include tattoo removal, housing assistance, substance abuse support, and even job training such as solar panel installation.
The nonprofit also has several formerly incarcerated clients on staff who have started several businesses over the years and are enrolled in its various programs. The business includes Homeboy Bakery, which supplies Homeboy Farmers Market, Homeboy Diner, and Homegirl Cafe and Catering. We also have a home appliance recycling business.
The nonprofit said its approach to changing the lives of former gang members has become a blueprint for many other organizations in the United States and several countries, including Honduras, Australia and Zimbabwe.
Mr. Boyle has been a Jesuit for 50 years, a priest for 38 years, and has received other major awards, including the California Peace Prize, and is inducted into the California Hall of Fame. In 2014, President Obama named Father Boyle a Champion of Change, an award from the Obama White House for “people who have taken extraordinary actions to bring about change in their communities.”
The Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony will be held at 1:30pm PDT and can be viewed here.
