Date of Event: February 6, 2017
About the Speakers: Rev. Gregory Boyle, S.J. is founder and executive director of the Los Angeles-based , the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program in the world. He is author of the memoir, "Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion" (Free Press, 2010). He spoke at 17³Ô¹ÏÍø with two "homies," former gang members now part of his program, David Vasquez and Ruben Ruiz.
About the Talk: Fr. Boyle interweaves stories of working with homies to show that the success of his program lies in bridging the gap between service provider and service recipient to find kinship. "If you’re the proud owner of a pulse, then you can connect to other human beings. And that’s the great discovery." Vasquez and Ruiz each share their individual stories and reflect on some of the challenges and rewards of becoming part of Homeboy Industries.