The milestone will take the organization halfway to its campaign goal.

Los Angeles, CA (October 21, 2014) - Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention, rehabilitation and re-entry program in the country, launched a campaign October 1st to raise $400,000 to upgrade and enhance its revolutionary tattoo removal program, which currently serves 3,000 former gang-members annually. Houston-based laser manufacturer, Astanza, agreed to match the first $100,000 to help Homeboy purchase three new state-of-the-art tattoo removal machines, which will remove more ink with fewer treatments and target a larger skin surface. The campaign will also help Homeboy purchase skin-cooling machines to decrease clients’ pain associated with tattoo removal, and other equipment to help increase the organization’s tattoo removal bandwidth. More than 365 donors have stepped up to contribute $85,000 in the last 21 days. Fully 98% of those donors gave through crowdfunding site IndieGogo. If Homeboy Industries can reach $100,000 by October 31, Astanza will release its match, taking the organization halfway to its campaign goal. Many of the 10,000 former gang members and previously incarcerated men and women who come to Homeboy Industries each year are introduced to Homeboy through the tattoo removal program. Gang-related tattoos on the face, neck, hands and wrists are often the first of many hurdles to employment and dramatically affect how the world sees them.

“Homeboy’s tattoo removal program is a gateway to a better life through our many other programs,” states Thomas Vozzo, CEO of Homeboy Industries. “Those who arrive for ink removal generally end up staying and taking advantage of services such as life skills, anger management and parenting classes; legal referral program; job training and placement; support groups and education.”

“Our clients are done with the hate and bad decisions,” said Homeboy’s Medical Director, Dr. Paula Pearlman. “These brave people endure a long wait for an appointment and the new equipment will allow Homeboy’s staff of trained volunteer physicians to treat 50% more tattoo removal clients a year.” Astanza’s President, Ryan N. Lambert, said “We are pleased to make a contribution of our cutting-edge Duality tattoo removal systems to this exceptional organization. Homeboy and its 40 volunteer physicians will be able to remove tattoos in significantly fewer treatments with easy-to-use technology that is chosen by leading tattoo removal clinics around the world.”

Founded over 26 years ago by Father Greg Boyle, Homeboy Industries has become a key community-based organization in Los Angeles. Each year more than 10,000 former gang members and previously incarcerated men and women are welcomed into a community that works to help them get their lives back on track. Based on a community of love, hope, kinship, and compassion, Homeboy Industries offers a wide variety of services ranging from tattoo removal and legal aid to anger management and parenting classes. During the course of a year up to 300 men and women participate in an 18-month job training program that helps them re-identify who they are in the world so they can move on to become contributing members of our communities. To make a donation, visit www.homeboyindustries.org/donate, www.igg.me/at/missingink, call 323-526-1254x396 or mail to Homeboy Industries, 130 W Bruno St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. For more information on Homeboy Industries please visit: http://www.homeboyindustries.org. For more information on Astanza Laser, please visit: www.astanzalaser.com