“Social entrepreneurs” is a not-so-new buzzword for individuals and private organizations that are using innovative means to address social challenges. These trailblazing programs are succeeding where impersonal government programs have failed, by giving individuals the skills and the confidence to become independent. Consider, for instance, the success of Fresno’s Hope Now for Youth in teaching former gang members to become economically self-sufficient members of society.

Winning recognition

The California-based Pacific Research Institute recently recognized Hope Now for Youth as the grand-prize winner of its ninth annual privatization competition, “Celebrating Entrepreneurship and Self-Sufficiency.” The judges found that Hope Now for Youth best exemplified the contest’s goals by providing employment and job training to help former gang members become productive citizens.

The 1992 riots in Los Angeles and gang-related homicides in Fresno the following year inspired Rev. Roger Minassian and Chris Contreras to ask themselves, “What sort of despair and hopelessness would cause people to set fire to their own neighborhoods?” The Rev. Minassian resigned from his parish to start an organization that would give young men hope. With Contreras, he founded Hope Now for Youth, a Valley organization that has taken 675 gang members off the streets and placed them in gainful employment.

The young men served by Hope Now for Youth once did not believe in a future. They viewed their choices as either imprisonment or death. In response, Hope Now provides these troubled youth with caring relationships. It seeks to fulfill a young man’s desire for family affection and economic reward for effort. The organization’s motto is, “Two steps, and you’re up.”

Getting out of gangs

Hope Now for Youth offers opportunities and support for young men who want to break away from gangs by changing their lives and becoming productive, responsible and law-abiding citizens. Hope Now staff recruits gang members from the malls, parks and neighborhoods. Young men are invited to a five-week training program that includes paid jobs, racial harmony training and six classes dealing with success on the job. Once he has completed his training, each youth is placed with a local business.

In addition, Hope Now provides job training and placement, mentoring, work ethic development and scholarships. Hope Now hires Christian collegians to work as vocational placement counselors. The staff also teaches parenting and relationship building skills, along with Judeo-Christian values.

Operating from churches that donate office space, Hope Now spends no funds for facilities. Volunteers assist Hope Now with accounting, secretarial, bookkeeping and mailing duties. Attorneys, physicians, dentists, oral surgeons and psychologists volunteer their services as well.

Last year, Hope Now placed 122 former gang members in jobs and 80% of the enrollees succeeded in holding jobs. Hope Now is also helping to reduce crime and violence in Fresno. The rate of recidivism for violations of parole or probation is only 8%.

Pe, for example, grew up in the penal system, which failed to help him and left him filled him with anger and resentment. Hope Now helped Pe to learn to care for himself and others. Now he is the first one in his family to attend college.

A new course

Eddy was on track for a life of crime until he heard about Hope Now. Eddy is now pursuing a bachelor of arts degree and is writing his thesis on how to start a Hope Now organization in other cities. Says Eddy, “Hope Now for Youth changed my life.”

Pe and Eddy join hundreds whose lives have been changed through private, voluntary efforts since Rev. Minassian and Contreras founded the organization to give young men hope and employment. Hope Now for Youth is not only improving the lives of individuals, it is also fostering self-reliance.

In the wake of the terrible events of the last three months, Californians should take pride in the compassionate and generous organizations that are helping to stop crime and violence, and save lives within their own communities on a daily

Laura Dykes is a public-policy fellow at the California-based Pacific Research Institute’s Center for Enterprise and Opportunity. She can be reached via email at hayward487@aol.com. For more information on Hope Now for Youth, contact Rev. Roger Minassian at 434-8125 or visit www.hopenow.org.