Bringing the Homeboy Model to Richmond

Brian, our new REAL LIFE Industries Operations Manager, recently traveled to Los Angeles for the Global Homeboy Network Gathering, joining organizations from around the world to learn from Homeboy Industries and its approach to workforce development, healing, social enterprise, and community.

As REAL LIFE moves forward with the development of REAL LIFE Industries at the Fairmount Center, we’re excited to be bringing the Homeboy model to Richmond through a dedicated workforce and stabilization hub, adapted to meet the unique needs of the people and communities we serve.

REAL LIFE Industries will build on nearly a decade of REAL LIFE’s work alongside individuals facing significant barriers to employment and stability. Through classroom and hands-on training, paid work experiences, social enterprises, life coaching, and long-term support, RLI will create a place to learn, work, connect, heal, and grow.

And while Brian came home with plenty of ideas for the work ahead, his biggest takeaway was about the foundation underneath all of it:

“Radical Kinship will be the foundation for RLI. We see the best in each other because we know we are loved and valued. It isn’t about service provider and recipient. We will strive for ‘exquisite mutuality.’ There is no us and them; there is only us.”

That’s the culture we want to build at REAL LIFE Industries.

As Brian shared, it’s about “learning, working hard, and giving back so that we may heal and become the version of ourselves that we were always meant to be.”

We’re grateful to Homeboy Industries and the Global Homeboy Network for the opportunity to learn, connect, and bring those lessons back to our work underway creating REAL LIFE Industries.