Raised in South Central Los Angeles, Alfred Lomas has succeeded in ways few thought possible. From his childhood in one of the worst neighborhoods in LA and his time as a gang leader to now running a transformational non-profit for youth in the city, Lomas brings a unique set of skills and firsthand experiences to each challenge he encounters. His life is dedicated to breaking the cycles of poverty, addiction and gang violence that he was once entrenched in himself. He has rescued hundreds of children out of the grip of traffickers and has given them hope for the future. Lomas focuses on keeping kids safe in high crime areas and gang hot spots, continuing to pioneer and innovate new prevention and intervention programs.
Lomas has nearly two decades of experience working with systems-involved youth and has earned the respect of his community, local schools, non-profit leaders and the city of Los Angeles because of his commitment to holistic, peaceful transformation. He has been nominated to the steering committee of The New Fund for Children and Youth and has built partnerships with local churches and Latin American countries to assist children targeted for exploitation. Most recently, he continues to serve as an advisor and executive board member on several educational boards for the betterment of the community and local schools.
Lomas is an international peacekeeper, celebrated gang intervention specialist, humanitarian and social entrepreneur. He is the founder and executive director of Inner City Visions, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to reducing gang violence, preventing human trafficking and creating opportunities for youth development in the Florence-Firestone neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles. Inner City Visions’ day program includes education, job training, rehabilitation and counseling and has an 85% retention rate. 92% of the systems-involved youth who have gone through the training program are now successfully employed, and the neighborhood has experienced a 43% reduction in violence and murders.
Not only has the Florence-Firestone community been positively impacted by Lomas’ work, the city of Los Angeles has benefited as well. The L.A. Mayor’s Office trusts Lomas as a Peace Ambassador, and he is frequently called on by the city to mediate between transnational criminal gangs and interrupt the violence between African-American and Hispanic gang factions. Lomas pioneered the Hardcore Gang Intervention and Collaboration Model and works to maintain ceasefire agreements between the three largest and most notorious gangs in the city.
Lomas is a pioneer and practitioner of several other initiatives in the city, such as “Parks After Dark” and the “Safe Route to School” program, both of which have had significant success since their implementation. The “Parks After Dark” initiative increased physical activity, improved social cohesion and decreased violent crime in the community while the SRTS program created a safe passage for children to get to school every day. These initiatives are part of Inner City Visions’ logic model—a scalable framework that Lomas is using to create system-wide change through day programming, mental health services and community engagement. The model is designed for areas of conflict, and Inner City Visions is developing culturally sensitive curriculum that can be used to prevent violence and trafficking around the world. Lomas’ vision is to share this model globally to help conflict-ridden communities become places of safety and success.
Most recently, Lomas and Inner City Visions have been honored as a 2021 California Nonprofit of the Year by California State Assembly member Reginald Jones-Sawyer.
“Alfred and his team at Inner City Visions are leading the way in fighting the sexual exploitation of our children in California and also across the nation,” said Kevin Malone, Founder & Chairman of the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking. “No organization in the state is as deserving of this award for their outstanding accomplishments in rescuing victims and ensuring survivors of human trafficking receive the care they need.”
Links:
https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-southla-gang-liaison28-2009jun28-story.html