Father Greg Boyle
Matt Sanchez
Gianna Tran

Greg Boyle
An outspoken advocate for youth, Father Greg Boyle is the founder and director of a violence prevention program called Jobs for a Future. As head of this endeavor, Boyle personally accepts the daily challenge of helping youth empower themselves to leave gangs and join the workforce.

The Jesuit priest began his tenure as pastor of Dolores Mission Church in 1986, where he served until 1992. Boyle said the church serves the poorest area within the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

During this time, Boyle became increasingly frustrated by local employers’ reluctance to hire gang-affiliated youth. Determined to make a difference, Boyle founded Jobs for a Future/Homeboy Industries, a job training and referral program that includes services such as tattoo removal. The program is home to five businesses including a silk-screening business, an artesania (craftwork) production group, a cleaning service, a landscaping service and a merchandising operation for custom T-shirts and other products.

Boyle has built a solid track record for these community programs. In 1999, the organization placed 180 youth in jobs while employing 70 at Homeboy Industries. In addition to running Jobs for a Future, Boyle has worked to improve the lives of people in the predominantly Latino neighborhood by facilitating day care, after-school leadership and mentoring programs and an alternative school for gang-affiliated youth.

Boyle frequently gives lectures related to violence prevention, juvenile justice and economic development. He is a member of the State Commission on Juvenile Justice and the recipient of many civic awards.

Matt Sanchez
Formerly a gang leader, now a peacemaker, Matt Sanchez is a committed volunteer. Raised in Santa Barbara, he has left the area only twice: once to serve in the Marine Corps and once to serve time in prison.

In 1991, Sanchez changed his life dramatically. As he watched his own children begin to emulate gang members, he realized how urgently he wanted to change his life, give his children a different outlook and affect the lives of other youth in the community. He began by speaking at local schools about violence prevention.

Because he understands how gangs work, Sanchez has been successful in convincing at-risk youth to consider alternatives to violence through the Mi Gente program. He organizes field trips for youth at risk of violence, which he calls Hoods in the Woods. There, away from the warring neighborhoods that define them, young people interact and share activities with one another. Through his All 4 One program, Sanchez recruits and trains mentors, including his former gang affiliates. Young people, all voluntary participants, learn about Sanchez’ activities through court referrals and from friends.

Sanchez balances his violence prevention work with running a barbershop alongside his father. Private donors frequently take checks to the barbershop to help defray the costs of field trips and other activities. Mi Gente/All 4 One is housed at the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara.

Gianna Tran
At the age of 12, Gianna Tran and her family fled war-torn Vietnam for Oakland, California. She came to the United States without knowing English and with memories of the pain of war. In college she studied social work, after briefly considering a degree in accounting, and was hired as a caseworker for the East Bay Asian Youth Center (EBAYC) in 1989.

As a caseworker with EBAYC, Tran worked with juvenile probationers who were primarily Vietnamese immigrants or refugees. Her professional and personal experiences were key to building a rapport with clients and their families and bolstered her ability to lead youth toward peaceful, healthy lives.

Through her casework, Tran came to appreciate the significant role of community action in preventing violence. Seeing the need to educate Oakland’s Asian and Pacific Islander community, she helped shift the perception of violence from a quiet family problem to a public health epidemic.

Encouraged by her mentor, the strong-willed Tran completed her master’s degree in social work while working full time. Today, she is associate director of EBAYC, where she has been instrumental in building collaborations with government agencies, foundations, churches and schools to mobilize the community in support of violence prevention programs.

Civic engagement for youth has become an important element of EBAYC’s efforts. Tran encourages youth to take part in the policy decisions that affect their lives. Her leadership has strengthened the entire community and inspires youth to promote peace and lead their families toward healthy living.