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DCL
No one loves the idea of crime. And hardly anyone wants a criminal near their home or family. But what if they're reformed criminals and they're working to install solar panels on your roof? All weapons, drugs, and previous wrong-doings aside, a whole army of criminals are coming together in Los Angeles to do just that. Homeboy Industries helps out former gang-involved individuals to become members of society who can contribute positively. Through education, training, and job placement, Homeboy is an independent nonprofit celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. And you should be supporting them.
Sure, it might make you Los Angeles residents a little bit nervous. Gangs in Los Angeles are already a big enough problem, so the idea of inviting former gang members into your home or place of business might seem, well, bad. But I urge you to at least research this organization and consider supporting them. After catching a recent spread about them in The Wall Street Journal, I can't think of a reason not to stand behind these guys. Not only is this organization getting gang members off the streets and giving them jobs that pay well, but they're helping these ex-convicts learn to love the environment and work toward improving the world in which we live. Homeboy Industries does a whole lot more than install solar panels, too. They've got their own bakery, maintenance crew, and collection of free services.
Albert Ortega, a recently-released prisoner who was locked up for seven years on account of drug trafficking, was bound to turn his life around when he got out of prison. Hearing about Homeboy's solar-panel installation course got him set on the right path. As he put it in the WSJ piece, "I wanted a new way of life. Solar puts me on the cutting edge."
And he's right. A new "green-collar" workforce is building in America and it leaves room for capable workers, like Ortega, who have a more than difficult time finding jobs during a recession.
"I was so motivated, I would fall asleep with the books on my bed", Ortega says in the WSJ piece. Isn't that the kind of enthusiasm we want and need behind the solar industry right now?
If you can suspend your apprehension long enough to look into this organization, you might just find yourself ready to support a group that is really working to make a difference. You can help by volunteering, donating, or simply hiring these guys to do some work for you. If Dangerous Minds taught me anything, it's that ex-gang members can change. Yes. That was a movie and this is real life, but why not at least look into it?
