Grants In Action At Homeboy Industries
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The Rotary Community Alliance (RCA), met at Homeboy Industries on January 21, 2014 for the opportunity to see first-hand what a grant can do for a community. Homeboy Industries serves high-risk, formerly gang-involved men and men with a continuum of free services and programs. The partnering Rotary Clubs are Culver City, Glendale Sunrise, Historic Filipinotown, Koreatown, LA Colombo Americano, Rancho Park, Rio Hondo-Vernon, Thai Town, Westchester, Wilshire, Woodland Hills and designated funds from District 5280.
After a sampling of food from Homegirl Café, the 65 Rotarians had specially-guided tours to learn about the programs at Homeboy Industries. The groups saw the tattoo removal machine funded by a Matching Grant from Los Angeles 5 Rotary Club a few years ago. Nearly 1,000 tattoo removals are performed by volunteer doctors each month.
Once in the Homeboy kitchen, Rotarians saw the bakery oven came from a reverse grant between Rotary clubs in Bangladesh and the Wilshire Rotary Club two years ago. It can bake 1,000 pies at a time! Master Baker Herb Fingerhut and his bakers in training then demonstrated the new pastry machine from a grant over the last year with 11 Rotary Clubs in District 5280 and District 3700 in South Korea. Everyone was treated to the delicious variety of pastries made from the new machine. District Governor 2012-13 Sung Won Yeo of South Korea represented the Grant International Partner. He and his wife were impressed with Homeboy Industries and the pastry machine they helped fund. Two years ago the bakery oven came from a Matching Grant by the Wilshire Rotary Club. It can bake 1,000 pies at a time!
With the bakery equipment provided by Rotarians through The Rotary Foundation, young people are receiving vocational job training and are improving their lives. Thank you Rotarians! Click here to view more photos from the event.