Poly Students Join the Homeboy 5K

For nearly 30 Poly students, the recent Homeboy 5K race was about more than running. It was an opportunity to learn more about an organization that has been part of the Poly community for years. About half of the students took on the 5k course, while others joined in the day’s activities and cheered on their classmates.

Poly’s relationship with Homeboy Industries dates back at least 10 years, when the Men’s Service League (MSL) selected the organization as a partner. Since then, the relationship has grown around shared values of service, community, and creating opportunities for others. The partnership has also brought Homeboy’s founder, Father Greg Boyle, to campus to speak with students about the organization’s mission and work. 

Homeboy Industries began by providing tattoo removal for people leaving gang life. As the organization grew, it expanded its services to respond to another significant barrier: finding employment with a felony record. Homeboy opened its first social enterprise, a silk-screening operation, followed by a bakery. Today, it operates 14 social enterprises that include recycling and a pet-grooming operation called Puppy Fades. 

Employment is part of a larger 18-month program that provides participants with wraparound support, including housing vouchers. The goal is to address the challenges that can make it difficult for people to move forward while creating opportunities to develop skills and establish stability.

For Poly students, participating in the Homeboy 5K offered a chance to see that work in action and better understand the organization the Poly community has championed for years. The experience also connected to a broader lesson about looking beyond circumstances and recognizing the possibility of change.