Non-Profit Group Analysis

Chapter Four is entitled, “[The] Scope and Nature of the Current Gang Problem.” It focuses on recent trends in number of gangs, gang members and gang-related crimes in each city. In Inglewood, almost all the neighborhoods were claimed by at least one gang, with gang-unit officers agreeing that the city was facing a major gang problem. In Albuquerque, gangs were involved in drug trafficking and property offenses, with 7 out of 8 gang-unit officers believing the city had a major gang problem. In Las Vegas, migration from other cities was thought to be the primary cause of an increase in gang members. 50% of crime in Las Vegas is attributed to gangs, with most officers believing they had a moderate to major gang problem. In Phoenix, the gang problem is described as wave-like, with 70% of gang-unit officers thinking the city had a major gang problem. These statistics were backed up through interviews with officers and city records.

Situated predominantly in urban areas, gangs are becoming a major problem in today's society. The youth and adults are turning into gang members often times to leave behind the current situation they are living now. Many people who aren't familiar or affiliated with gang members are known to be curious as to why it is that the youth and adults join a gang. Some answers might be the current situation, obtaining social status, sense of protection, amongst other personal reasons. Everyone who joins a gang has different situations about why they decide to associate with gang members. In the novel, G-Dog and the Homeboys by Celeste Fremon, focuses on the gang members about East Los Angeles. This book draws the attention on the youth residing within the East Los Angeles territory and a look at the East Los Angeles gang members and how they play a major role in the book as one of the Latino gangs in East Los Angeles.

Barking to the Choir is a powerful novel that articulates about the life of several gang members in Los Angeles County and their redemption. Father Gregory Boyle, the author of this book and the founder of Homeboy Industries, entered Los Angeles when gang violence was at its peak. Although Father Boyle has gone out of his way to give hope to communities where gang culture is prevalent, has given guidance and mentorship to youth and adults that society has deemed as unworthy, as a Sociologist we have to critique his reflexivity and his acceptance to communities of color.

The documentary Crips and Bloods: Made in America (2008) focuses on conditions and causes of gang violence in Los Angeles, California, as well as the history and background of the main gangs that reside there. The information in the film is compiled from interviews of past and present members of the Crips and Bloods, which are the two main gangs that contribute to the violence in the area. The interviewees explain how the gangs work and the conditions under which these people live daily. There can be parallels drawn from the film to Elijah Anderson’s article titled “The Code of the Streets”, published in 1994, that discusses violence in terms of gang and criminal activity.

With the leading number of gangs in the country, Los Angeles is thought of as the gang capital of the world. Employing gang suppression strategies that take distinct forms, from anti-gang injunctions to high rate of incarcerations, the City of Angels has failed to live up to its angelic name. Known instead for its demonic gang activity and police suppression efforts, Los Angeles has taken over media headlines as one of the most dangerous places to subsist. Representing a worrisome issue for residents, visitors, city government officials, as well as urban planners, gang violence has rapidly become a threat to public safety. Although current-day gang culture has eased off on the violence, it continues to be one of the greatest planning challenges

The correlation between gangs and drugs has always been an issue for the United States government. Major cities often overlooked the problem of youth gang violence, thinking it was only a 1960’s trend. Sixty years later, gangs and drugs continue to be a problem, but in an increasing number within urban, suburban and rural areas in the United States. People may characterize this problem with words such as violence, increase drug activity, and delinquencies, but not many seem to see the bigger picture. Lack of interaction, collaboration, and strategies from law enforcement, youth centers, businesses, churches, and political icons are increasing gang violence and drug related offenses in major cities. In such cities as Chicago, minority groups are the most vulnerable to joining a gang, which then leads to an involvement with drugs; they are faced with barriers – lack of family support, poverty, segregation, unemployment, etc. An incident that happened in Chicago history is the closing of the Cabrini-Green Project, where people involved with gangs had to find a new home, scattering gang-members throughout the city, and eventually leading to their spread and growth.

Homeboy Industries provides an approach to gang desistance influenced by ideas of Catholic social justice and therapeutic rehabilitation (Flores, 2016). Each year, over 10,000 former gang members seek their guidance (Homeboy Industries, 2005). By combining counseling, case management, education, vocational training, and job placement, Homeboy Industries helps former gang youth become contributing members in their families, communities, and society (Homeboy Industries, 2005). Homeboy Industries offers employment in their bakeries, cafés, silk-screening and tattoo removal studios, and landscaping and maintenance service divisions (Flores,2016).

• Ray Stark and Boyle work together to create the Homeboy Industries, nonprofit to employ gang members

The West Coast Crips are concentrated in one of the most socially disadvantaged neighborhoods of the city (Carpenter & Cooper, “Weak Links: Gangs and Criminal Networks in the San Diego/Tijuana Border Region.” Final Report of the Gangs: Regional

“The Republic of East L.A. Stories” captures the heartbreaking experiences Mexican-American’s were forced to endure. Escaping poverty, alcohol abuse, drug use, and gang violence was an everyday struggle for many families during this time. African American and Latino gangs were initially created as a response to white racism. They were restricted as to what areas they could live in and where constantly harassed. As their populations increased, so did white gangs, in order to take control of their “territory”. African Americans and Latinos had no choice but to protect their families by fighting back. As time went on, the violence only continued. The Civil Rights Movement led many gang members to join organizations like the Black Panther Party, but the government quickly responded by breaking them up and soon enough, street gangs quickly returned. The violence escalated, alcohol,

In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio by Philippe Bourgois is a result of a fascinating ethnographic study of several crack dealers and the people that surround them in El Barrio. El Barrio where Philippe studied is located in New York’s Spanish Harlem. Being a predominately Puerto Rican living in the ghetto, he stood out from the white middle class. Many residents thought him as a crack user, pedophile, or undercover cop because that is primarily the only type of white person that comes to their neighborhood. In the beginning of the book he talks about the “inner city street culture”, being complex and centered on the anguish of living in some of the poorest parts of inner city New York.

In less than forty years, the city of Compton went from a shielded suburb near the confines of Los Angeles, to a terrorizing image of American culture. The results of this transformation and creation of “gangsta rap” is still well renowned today. Through de jure segregation, Reagan economics, undermining of black prosperity, N.W.A., and “Boyz n the Hood”, the city of Compton told its story and became a global image. This paper will analyze the shift of culture in Compton and the transcendent cultural effect it formed in America.

In Search of Respect: Selling crack in El barrio, written by Philippe Bourgois, is a compelling ethnography about the lives and struggles of Puerto Rican immigrants living in East Harlem, New York. Bourgois moved his wife and infant child to live in amongst the streets of East Harlem, referred to also as Spanish Harlem or El barrio, to actively participate in the community to get a better understanding of the underground untaxed economy (p.1). Bourgois in the years he lived in East Harlem established relationships with a group of around 24 drug dealers and their families (p.2) and obtained information through means such as “taped conversations, hundreds of nights in crack houses, … went to parties and intimate reunions” (p.13). This total

As an intern for a non- for profit I worked closely with community volunteers within the agency. The approach to network with the local community members and university to better provide assistance to families in need, worked best for this small community. As a university student of the Social Work program I brought ethical principles, classroom training and work history to the agency. In my position as a counselor, I interview clients utilizing an intake form to gather information about one’s household size, income, and services they required. I had developed a strategy to devote time to the client as well as collect their food and clothing items. An army veteran and long- term volunteer and I worked together to serve clients. I became

Non-profit organizations promote the usage of green products and services by communities, and encourage commercial business to adopt sustainable business practices. Their main focus is to ensure that the communities get access to information about green products and services. More over, the organizations monitor how business implements their sustainable activities to improve environment condition and preventing climate change. Further more, these organizations campaign actively about clean technology, energy-efficiency, and promoting organic products. These activities would improve understanding of communities on sustainable activities by providing them variety of solutions tackling climate change problems. Most of these activities can take place if the organizations receive donations from the various parties that share the same interest in protecting the environment.