HOMIES EMPOWERMENT
Overview
Homies Empowerment is an independent, grassroots community-based organization out of East Oakland. We started as a volunteer-run, Jefferson Award winning, after-school program taking on an approach and a way of seeing gang-impacted youth through an asset-based lens. To provide spaces where youth can heal, thrive and self-actualize, we mirror the positive assets that attract young people to gangs: a sense of belonging, protection, rites of passage, and meeting basic needs. Our after-school program evolved to full-fledged Ethnic Studies and Leadership courses offered throughout Oakland schools.
For our first four years of operation, we created a safe space during our weekly Homies Dinners where youth from across gang lines sat together to break bread and came together to participate in youth-led civic engagement programs. As a response to their desire for more spaces like Homies, our team began developing the Freedom High School, Homies Empowerment Community High for Our Success, a community school for youth who have been pushed out of traditional schools.
With the onset of COVID-19, we went from being exclusively a youth-development and educational focused organization to one that stands in solidarity with the entire community to help meet their urgent food and basic needs. Our Block Clean-Up Crew also came together to contribute to a clean and dignified community environment.
Currently, in addition to developing the Homies Freedom High School, Homies is operating our Community Care Center, Learning Center, and several food access programs out of our FREEdom Store: Tuesday food distribution, Love Packages, and Loaves and Fishes.
For our first four years of operation, we created a safe space during our weekly Homies Dinners where youth from across gang lines sat together to break bread and came together to participate in youth-led civic engagement programs. As a response to their desire for more spaces like Homies, our team began developing the Freedom High School, Homies Empowerment Community High for Our Success, a community school for youth who have been pushed out of traditional schools.
With the onset of COVID-19, we went from being exclusively a youth-development and educational focused organization to one that stands in solidarity with the entire community to help meet their urgent food and basic needs. Our Block Clean-Up Crew also came together to contribute to a clean and dignified community environment.
Currently, in addition to developing the Homies Freedom High School, Homies is operating our Community Care Center, Learning Center, and several food access programs out of our FREEdom Store: Tuesday food distribution, Love Packages, and Loaves and Fishes.
Our Values
At Homies Empowerment, our work for freedom is rooted in Revolutionary Love, Sacred Identities, Putting In Work, and Self-Determination. We are seeking to create a world where our freedom is connected to our neighbor’s freedom.
We define Revolutionary love as an act of freedom where we are always in the process of becoming, learning and improving the self. Revolutionary love lives when we see ourselves in the other, when we speak our truths with care, and when we stand in solidarity with each other. Revolutionary love is understanding our community and taking action with cariño (care) and support knowing that we are all interconnected and we don’t give up on each other, but we do hold ourselves and each other accountable.
We define Revolutionary love as an act of freedom where we are always in the process of becoming, learning and improving the self. Revolutionary love lives when we see ourselves in the other, when we speak our truths with care, and when we stand in solidarity with each other. Revolutionary love is understanding our community and taking action with cariño (care) and support knowing that we are all interconnected and we don’t give up on each other, but we do hold ourselves and each other accountable.
Community Responsive Programs
