We bring Hope and Purpose to those marginalized by gang affiliation and its impact on communities.
Hope, Healing, Outreach
I started out a youngster on the streets. I know what its like growing up in a gang affected community. Street after street of low income apartments. Stifling poverty. Drugs. Gangs. Your world is your 4-block radius. Your role models are living the same life.
And I know what adult homies are up against both inside of prisons and outside in the world. The loneliness. The self-doubt. The lack of basic living skills due to starting their adulthood locked up. The instinct to return to what they have always known. The shock of realizing that what they have always known is no longer the same. The desire to remain free and the feeling of not knowing how to make that happen.
Now I help homies - young and old - find hope and educate communities with the heart to help. I walk with homies as they heal from their past, offer forgiveness and learn to love themselves. I try to lead through example and live in unity for the good of all God's kingdom.
Jose "Neaners" Garcia
Executive Director
Our Mission
To bring Hope and Purpose to those marginalized by gang affiliation and its impact on communities
Jose "Neaners" Garcia,
Executive Director
Neaners founded Second Chance Outreach in 2018. He sets strategy, provides leadership, and works directly with those we serve. He is a former gang leader and inmate turned advocate for youth and adults trying to change their lives for the better.
Richard "Troubles" Loya
Mentor
Troubles began his relationship with Second Chance Outreach as a homie exiting prison and joined our staff as a Mentor after his successful reentry. Mr. Loya's history as a gang member and his 22 years of incarceration have equipped him with the wisdom, empathy and realism needed to guide homies through re-entry and inspire young people to make wise choices.
Sherra Grasser
Volunteer Coordinator / Mentor
Sherra is the Founder and Director of MePowerment.org, which is dedicated to arming, empowering and celebrating our youth through the discovery, sharing and nurturing of their inherent gifts. She is a Certified Life Coach, facilitator and Speaker. Sherra manages our fabulous volunteers and mentors our youth.
Our Staff
Tairyn "TT" Tennyson,
Program Manager
TT started by volunteering with Second Chance Outreach, and joined our staff in 2021 to manage the day to day workings of our TurnAround Youth program. She also works with youth at our Everett center and in Echo Glen. She is a nature enthusiast and studies the medicinal and therapeutic qualities of plants. TT lives in Skagit County, Washington with her two sons.
Jacqueline Ramirez
Mentor
Jacqui is a survivor; a survivor of gangs, incarceration, addiction, and loss. She has fought her demons and continues to beat them. Jacqui lends her time to Hope for Homies' mentor programs at The Village in Everett and at Echo Glen, as she develops her career out in the world. We are thankful for her strength, humility, and determination, as well as her 5 year old son and baby twins.
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Daniel "Dopey" Mendez
Mentor
Danny started volunteering with Second Chance Outreach in the summer of 2021, providing free haircuts for our youth and participating in our summer programs. A talented tattoo artist and barber, Danny now lends his skills of airbrush artistry to create custom t-shirts for our youth at Echo Glen, and participates in our youth mentoring programs at the Village in Everett.
Valerie Vargas
Mentor
Valerie is amazing. She joined our program in 2021 as a young adult, and has since transformed her life and is now one of our mentors. Valerie is a paraprofessional at a local school, and volunteers her time after school in our mentoring activities at The Village. Her bilingual abilities, love of kids and families, and commitment to the community are a blessing to all.
Tatiana Dickey
Intern Mentor
Tatiana's uses her lived experience in gangs and the justice system to help youth grow and learn as she navigates her re-entry. We are so excited to welcome this friend of Hope for Homies into our family!
Nicole "Cole" Day,
Mentor
Cole joined Second Chance Outreach in 2021 during her reentry experience. Ms. Day enjoys interacting with our youth at The Village in Everett and with the young people we mentor in juvenile rehabilitation facilities. Cole has a heart for service and the wisdom and experience to inspire the next generation to reach their potential.
David Garcia,
Board President
Pastor David and his wife lead New Iglesia Pentecostal Nueva Jerusalem in Whatcom County, Washington. A former gang member, Pastor David now dedicates his time to spreading the word of God to the local community.
Chrystal Litz
Board Member
Open Seat
Board Member
Michael Adams,
Board Member
Michael is the Founder and Executive Director of Changing the Narrative Granite Falls.