News / June 2021

Homeboy Industries to Receive $20 Million Gift to Support Renown Reentry Program

Homeboy Industries, the world’s largest reentry organization for formerly incarcerated and gang involved individuals, has received a $20 million gift from MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett. This transformative gift will be used to fund initiatives including establishing an operating reserve; developing supportive housing solutions for program participants; and creating more quality jobs through the expansion of its social enterprises – all of which are priorities for Homeboy Industries’ comprehensive capital campaign.

“We are incredibly honored and humbled to receive this extraordinary gift from game-changing philanthropists committed to the notion that there is no us and them, only us. We will use this gift to address critical housing needs and job creation in a post-pandemic world, while building enduring strength for years to come as we invest in the next generation of future Homeboy leaders” said Thomas Vozzo, CEO of Homeboy Industries.

Following Homeboy Industries’ recognition as the 25th recipient of the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize in 2020, the MacKenzie-Jewett gift supports Homeboy Industries global leadership as a paradigm for social justice and creating lasting change for those on the margins. Amidst renewed pursuit for alternatives to incarceration in L.A. County and beyond, this gift will enable Homeboy Industries to expand its transformative impact to reach more people.

“For more than 33 years, Homeboy Industries has relied on the tremendous generosity of our family of supporters who share our mission to stand with those on the margins until the margins are erased. This incredible gift will enable us to serve as a beacon of hope and community of kinship for thousands upon thousands when our mission is more essential than ever,” said Father Greg Boyle, Founder of Homeboy Industries. “We are blessed to stand with MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett in pursuit of a more just world.”

To expand its humanitarian impact, Homeboy Industries is in the quiet phase of a $120 million comprehensive capital campaign and MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett’s gift will be catalytic in this effort to secure the organization’s bold vision for its future.

About Homeboy Industries:
Homeboy Industries is the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world. Annually, the $25 million nonprofit welcomes nearly 9,000 people through its doors who are seeking services and support. An additional 10,000 people come as visitors who experience the exquisite mutuality of the community. Formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated adults and youth are part of the innovative model and therapeutic community of wraparound services and social enterprise businesses. In combination with workforce development and job training in the social enterprise businesses, Homeboy Industries provides healing and alternatives to gang life, while creating more inclusive, safer and healthier communities. Through the Global Homeboy Network, Homeboy Industries engages with hundreds of like-minded organizations around the world providing technical assistance and fostering a paradigm of social change rooted in radical kinship and a commitment to standing with those on the margins. https://homeboyindustries.org

For inquiries, please contact:

Homeboy Industries:
Alison Lass, Manager of Media Relations
alass@homeboyindustries.org
323-526-1254 x310

Steve Delgado, Chief Operating Officer
sdelgado@homeboyindustries.org
323-526-1254 x396