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Dateline: 3/6/2009

GONZAGA UNIVERSITY NEWS RELEASE
Dale Goodwin, Director
Peter Tormey, Associate Director

CLP Welcomes Fr. Greg Boyle to Speak March 18
Gonzaga’s Comprehensive Leadership Program Welcomes Fr. Boyle Who Earned California Peace Prize, Other Honors for Work with L.A. Street Gangs

 

The Gonzaga University Comprehensive Leadership Program is excited to welcome Rev. Gregory J. Boyle, S.J., founder of Homeboy Industries, to Spokane on Wednesday, March 18 for a series of engaging discussions and lectures on servant leadership and the importance of unconditional love in preventing youth from joining gangs.

Rev. Greg Boyle, S.J.
Rev. Greg Boyle, S.J.
The first chance for the Spokane community to hear Father Boyle’s stories about his experience as executive director of Homeboy Industries will be from 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m., March 18 at the Spokane City Forum, located at the First Presbyterian Church, 318 S Cedar St, Spokane. Reservations must be made by March 16 by calling (509) 747-1058 or online . Newsweek published a story recently about Fr. Boyle and his amazing work. .

Gonzaga University faculty, staff and students will have the opportunity to dialogue with Fr. Boyle on March 18, from 3:30-4:45 p.m., in the Foley Center Teleconference Room at Gonzaga. No reservations are necessary for this GU community event.

The final appearance Fr. Boyle will make is when he speaks to students in Gonzaga’s Comprehensive Leadership Program for its biannual Fishbowl in which noted leaders field questions from CLP students. Due to space constraints, this event is not open to the public.

Fr. Boyle, born and raised in Los Angeles, earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Gonzaga in 1977; a Master of Arts in English from Loyola Marymount University; a Master of Divinity from the Weston School of Theology; and a Sacred Theology Master degree from the Jesuit School of Theology. After working and teaching nationally and internationally for several years, Rev. Boyle returned to L.A. in 1988 to create “Jobs For A Future,” a program created to address escalating problems and unmet needs of gang-involved youth. Here, Fr. Boyle and the community developed positive alternatives, established an elementary school, a day care program and found legitimate employment for young people.

In 1992, as a response to the civil unrest in L.A., Fr. Boyle launched the first business, Homeboy Bakery, with a mission to create an environment that provides training, work experience, and the opportunity for rival gang members to work side-by-side. The Bakery’s success created a foundation to establish Homeboy Industries in 2001. Today, Homeboy Industries’ nonprofit economic development enterprises include Homeboy Bakery, Homeboy Silkscreen, Homeboy Maintenance, Homeboy/Homegirl Merchandise, and Homegirl Café.

Fr. Boyle has a long list of accomplishments. He was a member of the California State Commission on Juvenile Justice, Crime and Delinquency Prevention and is a member of the National Leadership Council of the Iris Alliance Fund. He also serves on advisory boards for the Loyola Law School Center for Juvenile Law and Policy and the National Youth Gang Center. He has received numerous accolades and recognitions on behalf of Homeboy and for his work with former gang members, including the California Peace Prize. In 2007, Fr. Boyle received the “Humanitarian of the Year” Award from Bon Appétit magazine. He also received the Caring Institute’s 2007 Most Caring People Award, and was honored with the 2008 Civic Medal of Honor from the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Gonzaga awarded Boyle an honorary Doctor of Laws degree during the 2002 commencement exercises. This year marks the 21st anniversary of the work Father Boyle began. Homeboy Industries, now located in downtown Los Angeles, is recognized as the largest gang intervention program in the county, and has become a national model.

For more information, please contact Katie Herzog, CLP coordinator office, at (509) 313-3579 or via e-mail.