In this episode, Tom Vozzo sits down with Dre Comers and Hector Verdugo to talk about one of the most meaningful parts of life at Homeboy Industries: the morning meeting. Held every weekday, it’s a space where the entire community comes together to connect, reflect, and support each other.
Dre shares what it was like joining Homeboy with a background in nonprofit work, and how the culture of presence and honesty made him stay. Hector offers insight into why celebrating small wins, like birthdays or a year of sobriety, matters more than people realize.
The episode also features two moving “Thoughts of the Day” from community members. Ricky talks about returning after setbacks and learning to take the program seriously. Debrah, released after 36 years in prison, reflects on what freedom means beyond physical release.
This conversation offers a closer look at how daily rituals, real connection, and radical acceptance shape transformation at Homeboy Industries.
Key Takeaways
Morning meetings create a space for grounding, joy, and vulnerability
Authentic leadership at Homeboy begins with humility and compassion
Real change often starts after failure or hesitation
Walking away from gang life is emotionally complex and spiritual
Homeboy always welcomes people back, no matter how many times they’ve left
Freedom includes emotional and spiritual release, not just physical liberty
In This Episode
[00:00] Introduction
[00:27] What is morning meeting and why it matters
[00:59] Celebrating sobriety, birthdays, and small wins
[02:13] Anatomy of a morning meeting
[03:29] The role of “Thought of the Day”
[06:08] Ricky’s story: Better Late Than Never
[08:28] Leaving your gang and the fear of starting over
[09:58] Why Homeboy always gives people another chance
[12:04] Debrah’s story: Reentry after 36 years incarcerated
[14:21] Adjusting to freedom outside the prison walls
[16:23] Unlocking the mind and heart
[18:40] Spirituality, prayer, and protection at Homeboy
[20:28] Letting go, digging deep, and finding your spirit
Notable Quotes
[11:34] "It's never too late to transform. It was never too late to be loved or to love. It's really never too late to start putting yourself first." — Dre
[16:30] "We help gang members, not gangs. We work with gang members that don't work with gangs." — Tom
[19:09] "We don't do shame at Homeboy. We go out of our way to not have people feel shame about saying, sorry, I messed up." — Tom
[30:44] "The spirituality at Homeboy is undeniable. Everyone is trying to transform. Everyone is digging deep into their own spirit and learning themselves." — Dre
Resources and Links
Homeboy Industries
Homeboy Media
Hector Verdugo
Dre Comers
Thomas Vozzo
Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J., founder of Homeboy Industries, and Tom Vozzo, former CEO of the organization, discuss leadership as mercy rather than management, drawing from Fr. Greg’s four decades of walking with those on the margins. What began as a small bakery in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, to provide jobs for rival gang members, grew into the world’s largest reentry program, measuring success by restored relationships rather than metrics. Fr. Greg emphasizes that unconditional love, trust, and kinship, not fear or performance, are the foundations of effective leadership, where compassion becomes a system that replaces shame with dignity. Despite the grief and exhaustion in such work, humor, hope, and a sense of community sustain it. Homeboy’s success is a spiritual one, a living theology of tenderness, where every act of mercy builds belonging. Their conversation invites listeners to lead with empathy, serve with joy, and embrace love as a transformative strategy.
Key Takeaways
Love has to be real and practical - Fr. Greg says it’s not enough to affirm people or hold them in high regard if they’re hungry or can’t pay rent. Love has to show up in concrete ways. Sometimes that means handing someone forty bucks so they can eat today. Small things, done with great love.
No strings attached means exactly that - When he helps someone, there’s never a condition tied to it. It’s not “I’ll help you if…” It’s simply help, period. Even if the person uses the money in ways others wouldn’t approve of, it’s still an act of trust. That trust often circles back years later, when someone returns to say thank you.
It’s about walking with, not fixing - Fr. Greg doesn’t see his work as saving or solving. It’s an accompaniment. Just being with people as they struggle, cry, laugh, and rebuild. That presence says, “You matter,” louder than any sermon ever could.
Stand in the lowly place - The invitation of Jesus, he says, isn’t to rescue anyone but to stand where he stands, among the poor, the forgotten, the demonized. That’s where the joy is, where love always wins.
Fr. Greg leaves us with a quiet but radical truth: hope isn’t something you wait for, it’s something you practice. It’s what makes kinship possible and keeps love from ever failing.
In This Episode:
00:25 – The importance of unconditional support
05:21 – Challenges and criticisms of compassion-led leadership
09:20 – Fr. Greg’s personal journey and motivation for service
19:19 – The role of spirituality in daily work
22:51 – Understanding compassion and selflessness
23:49 – Engaging with marginalized communities
24:59 – The invitation to stand with the poor
26:45 – Reframing what it means to be “poor”
33:02 – The generosity of those who have little
35:10 – Faith, suffering, and the mystery of endurance
39:45 – Dealing with burnout and staying grounded
42:00 – Final thoughts and reflections on hope and presence
Notable Quotes
“I take unconditional love seriously. There are no conditions attached to this.” (02:30)
“How can someone take my advantage if I’m giving my advantage?” (03:11)
"The power is the loving. That's the power."(35:43)
“Just listen, listen, love, love.” (19:00)
“The monks said one word when they were anxious, ‘today.’ It anchors you in the only place we are saved, the present moment.” (38:55)
“If you go to the margins so that the folks there make you different, you will never burn out.” (40:40)
Resources and Links
Homeboy Industries
Homeboy Media
Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J.
Thomas Vozzo
In this episode, hear directly from the leaders and lifers of Homeboy Industries: Co-CEO Shirley Torres, Associate Director Hector Verdugo, VP of Operations Steve Avalos, and Case Manager Stephanie Lane, all with decades of combined experience, as they pull back the curtain on the organization's soul.
They reveal the core practices that make Homeboy a global model of radical healing: how to cherish the "un-cherishable," why telling someone "come back when you're ready" is an act of love, and how to build a community where everyone is both medicine and patient. This is a raw look at the joy, pain, and transformative power of walking with people without judgment.
Key Takeaways
How the simple act of feeling "seen" can be a profound intervention.
Why "come back when you're ready" is an act of love, not punishment.
How every staff member, from the front door to the C-suite, acts as a "therapist" and container for healing.
The redefinition of success from metrics to individual healing and wholeness.
The tangible joy found in daily community, morning meetings, and hugs.
In This Episode:
00:53 – Introduction
05:02 – The essence of Homeboy Industries
11:43 – Cherishing and healing at Homeboy
13:47 – Redefining success and healing
16:09 – Challenges and second chances
20:22 – Stories of letting go and coming back
21:23 – A tense confrontation
22:22 – A heartfelt apology
23:07 – The power of mercy and grace
24:12 – Building trust and accountability
29:20 – Dealing with anger
33:25 – The importance of mental health
38:45 – Moments of joy and laughter
Notable Quotes
“It’s so Homeboy to love when other people won’t love, to just give a person a chance and to stand firm.” (00:18)
“We’re all just a plant, just need a little bit of water just to grow.” (08:09)
“Our healing depends on each other. Every single person who walks through the door, I would say all of us, even volunteers, because we all want human connection. We all need human companionship.” (13:08)
“Just because we let someone go doesn’t mean we cut them off. That’s what I love about us.” (00:38)
“The most important job here is to stop running from yourself and to explore this question of who are you really?” (00:26)
About the Guests
Shirley Torres is the Co-CEO of Homeboy Industries. She started 22 years ago, intending to stay for a year, and found her life's purpose. Having held nearly every job at Homeboy, she is a foundational leader in its culture of healing and kinship.
Hector Verdugo is the Associate Director of Homeboy Industries and a 20-year veteran. His fearless love and wisdom in navigating conflict and offering second chances embody the Homeboy way.
Steve Avalos is the Vice President of Operations. A former trainee who came to Homeboy after incarceration, he now serves on the executive team, often being the first welcome and the compassionate guide for those who struggle.
Stephanie Lane is a Housing Case Manager. A lifelong member of the Homeboy community, she left and returned after a period of incarceration. She now uses her lived experience to be a "relatable face" and a source of hope for her peers.
Resources and Links
Homeboy Industries
Homeboy Media
Shirley Torres
Hector Verdugo
Stephanie Lane
Thomas Vozzo
When End Poverty in California (EPIC) founder, leader of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, and Homeboy Industries Board Member Michael Tubbs sits down with Tom Vozzo, former CEO of Homeboy Industries, who helmed a $1.6 billion for-profit corporation previously, the conversation turns from policy to practice.
Tubbs made headlines as the youngest U.S. mayor (Stockton, California), cutting gun violence by 40 percent and launching a universal basic income pilot that reframed poverty current policy nationwide.
Yet as he and Tom discuss, Homeboy Industries has been living those principles for decades, offering belonging as basic income and kinship as public safety.
This episode is not about what the government could do better; it’s about what already works. Through Homeboy’s model of employment, healing, and radical inclusion, Tom and Michael show that lasting change starts with relationship, not policy.
This episode bridges two worlds: policy and practice. Listeners will see how Homeboy’s reentry model functions as a living economy of care, and why Tubbs calls it “the moral north star for every city that wants to work.
Key Takeaways
Policy Is a Blueprint, Homeboy Is the Building - Tubbs designed programs to lift people out of poverty; Homeboy creates pathways that make poverty obsolete. Jobs, training, therapy, and community operate as one system of care.
Kinship Outperforms Bureaucracy - Where city systems stagnate under red tape, Homeboy moves at the speed of trust, responding to trauma, grief, and talent in real time.
Economic Justice Is Personal - Homeboy’s “second chance economy” proves that healing is an economic strategy. Every paycheck funds recovery, family stability, and neighborhood peace.
In This Episode:
03:47 - Personal loss, family incarceration, and the call to politics
08:37 - Violence reduction in Stockton through Advanced Peace
09:48 - Government inertia and leadership’s role in disruption
17:17 - Poverty, wages, and the working poor
22:05 - Guaranteed income pilot outcomes in Stockton
31:26 - Nonprofit structure, humanity, and coalition building
33:57 - Homeboy as a model: clients → leaders
36:26 - Hope, resilience, and the next generation
Notable Quotes
[05:22] “Policy starts with a bill; Homeboy starts with a person.” – Tom Vozzo
[09:40] “Government can test ideas, Homeboy shows us what happens when those ideas become community.” – Michael Tubbs
[16:08] “We don’t need a pilot program — we’ve been piloting love for 35 years.” – Fr. Greg Boyle (as quoted by Tom)
About Michael Tubbs
Michael Tubbs is the former mayor of Stockton, California, and a national advocate for economic justice. At 26, he became the youngest mayor of any major U.S. city, using his platform to push for innovative policies aimed at reducing poverty and increasing access to opportunity. Michael is a champion for universal basic income and founded End Poverty in California, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing systemic poverty. He is a board member of Homeboy Industries and continues to work towards building equitable systems in government and beyond.
Resources and Links
Homeboy Industries
Homeboy Media
Michael Tubbs
Thomas Vozzo
In this episode, Tom Vozzo sits down with Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J., to unpack one of the most frequently asked questions about Homeboy Industries: What’s the secret sauce?
Together, they reflect on how Homeboy creates a community where people feel safe, seen, and cherished. Father Greg shares stories from the early days of ministry, remembering names, meeting homies where they’re at, and learning that transformation often starts with the smallest gestures of attention.
The conversation explores why real change depends on relational wholeness, how leadership is rooted in listening and humility, and why giving second (or eighth) chances isn’t just compassion, it’s the heart of Homeboy. During their conversation, they revisit formative memories of leaders like Hector Verdugo and Jose, discuss how to balance the presence of rival gangs under one roof, and consider what it really means to trust, forgive, and find sustenance in God.
This episode is an honest, moving look at how kinship, not programs or policies, is what heals.
Key Takeaways
Faith reframed: God’s role is not to remove challenges but to provide sustenance within them.
Outcome vs. presence: True spiritual confidence comes from knowing you are sustained regardless of outcomes.
Resilience through faith: Belief in divine sustenance makes it possible to face anything without fear of being abandoned.
In This Episode
[00:44] What is the “secret sauce” of Homeboy?
[02:06] Seen vs. watched: the power of being noticed
[05:19] “The priest knows my name”: why attention transforms
[07:34] Relational wholeness and remembering names
[09:06] Why volunteers should listen first, not rush into friendship
[12:27] Leadership through presence and receptivity
[13:42] Why Homeboy gives second, third, and tenth chances
[15:46] “No hanging, banging, or slanging”: old rules for readiness
[17:08] Father Greg’s first memories of Hector Verdugo
[19:14] What makes people stay: attention as a drop of water on a dry sponge
[21:19] Jose’s story: talent, addiction, and resilience
[23:28] Healing as building upon past growth, not starting over
[24:34] Why Homeboy works with gang members, not gangs
[27:38] Balancing dynamics when homies from the same gang come in
[36:09] God as sustenance, not magician
Notable Quotes
[03:13] “You receive the tender glance, and then you become the tender glance.” — Father Greg
[19:20] “Attention is like a drop of water on a very dry sponge, it transforms more than you think.” — Father Greg
[23:42] “You don’t start over at day one; you build on what was already begun in you.” — Father Greg
[24:41] “We work with gang members, not gangs.” — Father Greg
Resources and Links
Homeboy Industries
Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J.
Thomas Vozzo
Welcome to The Homeboy Way, where we share the voices and stories that reveal how belonging, kinship, and courage change lives. In this episode, I sit down with Jose, Dre, and Hector — three men whose childhoods were marked by poverty, instability, and addiction. From selling drugs at 15 to keeping his family housed, to missing holidays because survival came first, to realizing that poverty was invisible until they stepped outside their neighborhood — their stories show us how economics drive choices, how shame takes root, and how the power of community creates another way forward.
Key Takeaway:
This episode of The Homeboy Way goes deep into how poverty and addiction shape lives — and how Jose, Dre, and Hector transformed their stories into hope.
In This Episode:
[00:00] Introduction
[02:07] Growing up in poverty and the challenges it presented.
[04:56] Hector shares his journey of hustling at a young age to survive, leading him to the streets and eventually to Homeboy Industries.
[08:23] Dre discusses the emotional challenges of growing up without basic necessities, such as a Christmas tree or regular meals.
[14:13] Jose shares how he navigated poverty and took on responsibilities at a young age to care for his family amidst drug addiction and violence.
[17:43] Jose explains how he turned to gang life due to a sense of abandonment and the lack of financial stability.
[21:20] Dre reflects on the material allure of gang life, especially when compared to the poverty-stricken lifestyle he experienced growing up.
[33:21] The group reflects on Father Greg’s approach to giving and how Homeboy Industries provides support for those in need.
[49:14] The importance of second chances, generosity, and kinship within the Homeboy community.
Notable Quotes:
[17:23] "I was just trying to survive, trying to feed my family. I didn’t care about the rest of the world." – Jose
[08:48] "You don’t realize the importance of a Christmas tree until you don’t have one." – Dre
[33:21] "Money solves problems for poor people. It makes a difference in their survival." – Tom Vozzo
[30:12] "You don’t just survive, you thrive because you’ve been given a chance." – Hector
Resources and Links
Homeboy Industries
Homeboy Media
Hector Verdugo
Jose Arellano
Dre Comers
Thomas Vozzo
Welcome to a special sneak peek into, "The Homeboy Way", hosted by former, longtime CEO of Homeboy Industries, Tom Vozzo, with Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J , founder of Homeboy Industries, and voices from inside and outside of Bruno Street. Here, we offer Insights from 4 episodes, as we discuss the myth of second chances, why people join gangs, and how the grace of giving without expectations and not giving up leads to a community of kinship and thriving. Homegrown from Homeboy Media, this podcasts invites you to join us, listen in to conversations and wisdom from the world's largest gang and re-entry program, and take action to implement "the Homeboy Way” - a radical approach business and life.
The Homeboy Way Podcast invites listeners into stories of healing, kinship, and transformation. Hosted by Tom Vozzo, former longtime CEO of Homeboy Industries, alongside Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J., and illuminating guests, the show explores what happens when people are seen, cherished, and given space to heal. The Homeboy team will talk about trauma, redemption, social justice, faith, and business efforts that foster healing, but more than anything, we talk about belonging - and what happens when you meet people where they're at. The Homeboy Way, a movement of radical kinship.
