Project Kinship

The mission of Project Kinship is to provide support and training to lives impacted by incarceration, gangs, and violence through hope, healing, and transformation.

Project Kinship was founded in 2014 to break down barriers and bring hope to people impacted by incarceration, gangs, and violence. Today, our work extends deeply into schools and with young people—creating safe spaces, mentoring, and opportunities that help youth heal, grow, and thrive.
We serve as a bridge between youth, families, the re-entry community, and larger systems—building pathways of opportunity, belonging, and transformation.

This year, Project Kinship has been all about growth and new beginnings. With the opening of our expanded facility, we’re reaching more people than ever—serving youth in 35 schools, supporting individuals in custody on their reentry journey, and launching the Kinship Youth Center to provide after-school programs, leadership opportunities, and life skills training.

Key milestones this year include:
• Free Tattoo Removal – launching this fall as part of our holistic healing and reentry services.
• Kinship Grinds – our first social enterprise coffee cart creating jobs, workforce training, and financial relief.
• Healing Institute – a new community hub for trauma-informed, healing-centered training and transformation.
Together, these milestones are igniting potential and building brighter futures for youth and families across our community.

Project Kinship’s youth initiatives are designed to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline by reaching a wide and diverse population. We focus on supporting students from low-income families, those who have experienced housing instability, and youth affected by gang-related challenges, both in and out of school. Because so many of the young people we serve come from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, sustained funding is critical. It allows us to provide healing-centered services, create opportunities for youth to explore new hobbies and career paths, and keep them engaged in positive, prosocial activities. Just as importantly, it gives our youth the chance to embrace simple but powerful experiences of childhood—whether enjoying a meal out for the first time or building lifelong friendships on their first trip to a museum.

Orange County, South LA County

Early in my journey, a mentor named Ruben shared a story that has stayed with me. His father wept the day Ruben received a certificate from Project Kinship and Chapman University. Through tears, he told his son, “I never stopped believing you were going to be somebody, even when you said you’d be in prison for life. Now you’re home, you’re serving the community, and you proved me right.” That moment underscored the profound impact of having even one person believe in you—especially when you’ve lost faith in yourself.

Many who come to us grew up with unprotected childhoods that left lasting wounds, carrying trauma into adulthood that most will never see. And yet, people like Ruben remind us of the resilience and possibility that emerge when compassion and community come together. At Project Kinship, we see this transformation every day—not because people are “fixed,” but because they are reminded of their worth. They come to know they are not alone, and that their lives carry immeasurable value.

I became the Chairman of the Project Kinship Board only a few months ago. I worked as an aerospace engineer for 40 years, but when I retired, I started working with young people who had seen difficult times with the judicial system, and also with the unhoused community. I was introduced to Steve Kim and Project Kinship by Father Greg Boyle, the founder of Homeboy Industries, when I was seeking partners to work on tattoo removal for the unhoused.

From my very first meeting with Steve, I fell in love with PK’s vision, strategy, and implementation of the re-entry and diversion work. The Project Kinship diversion work supports at-risk young people by walking with them through their most difficult times whether in the community, in the schools, or in juvenile hall. Intervening early can prevent life-long issues for both the young people, their families, and the community. I fully support the work of Steve Kim and the Project Kinship Leadership team. I highly recommend that you consider financially supporting their work. I’m happy to speak with anyone interested in the work of Project Kinship.