Briefly noted
Homeboy Industries, the storied Los Angeles jobs program for gang members founded by Catholic priest Gregory Boyle, has received funding from the Los Angeles City Council to temporarily ease a recession-caused cash crunch at the charity. Homeboy, top-ranked by the nonprofit analyst Charity Navigator, has stepped up its drive for donations on its Web site, frozen new hiring and extended café hours on weekends, according to the Associated Press. On August 14, the city council voted to have the city’s gang prevention program negotiate a $340,000 contract with the organization.