Boys' home teaches responsibility, respect

A boys' home in Los Angeles that provides a stable and accountable environment for young men from trouble backgrounds is raising funds to renovate the aging facility after receiving an initial challenge grant.

BOND, or the Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny, founded and led by the Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, runs the BOND Home for Boys, which currently houses eight young men.

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Recently, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation presented BOND with two financial gifts, one of which was a $34,000 challenge grant for the boys' home renovation.

The house, built in the '20s, is in need of $116,000 worth of repairs and renovations. The remaining balance must be raised from other sources so the work on the home can be completed.

In 1995, Peterson opened the boys' home with the goal of providing a place for young men to be counseled, tutored and taught financial self-sufficiency and responsibility. The residents go to school, work at least one job and contribute to the upkeep of the home. BOND's facility allows no drugs and, as the group's website states, each resident "will be expected to carry himself with dignity and self respect."

BOND stresses the boys' home is not a quick fix, but a two-year program that transforms the lives of the participants. Young men in the program are from foster care, group homes, juvenile detention centers or even the streets. Says the site: "What matters is not where each has come from, but the desire in his heart to change. We only take in those who demonstrate that desire."

The organization has raised 57 percent of the need $116,000 for the renovation, which, when completed, will allow the home to house 10 residents. BOND says much of the renovation work will be done by the boys themselves.

Patrick Rooney, BOND's director of development, told WND the total amount needs to be raised by the end of the year at the latest.

Rooney says some of the renovation work has been done already, including doors, shutters, windows and some interior work.

"But there's still a lot of other stuff left to do," he said, including foundation and chimney work, partial roof replacement and repair, new redwood fencing, complete re-piping and re-wiring of the home and many other tasks.

"The house's systems have to be completely redone," Rooney pointed out.

Rooney praised the boys' home program.

"The best thing about it is it gets these guys out of a harmful environment and into a very, very positive environment," he said, "a place where they can learn to overcome their anger, where they can learn viable job skills and get their finances together."

Rooney mentioned many of the young men, who range in age from 13 to 25, learn top-level job skills and are able to then go out and live an independent and productive life.

While residents are often from different faiths, the program does teach forgiveness, "which is obviously a Christian principle," Rooney said.

Rooney told WND BOND makes it a point not to take government money.

"We've never asked for or received any government money," he said. "We want to maintain our independence."

Those wishing to help BOND with the project can find out more about the home and donate via the website.