Changing lives: East Palo Alto Boxing Club

Tucked away on the outskirts of East Palo Alto is a special place - The EPA Boxing Club. A non-profit venture owned by community activist and former boxer, Johnnie Gray Jr, the gym's patrons and their stories demonstrate how Johnnie and a boxing gym has the power to change lives. Faced with financial constraints, the EPA boxing club is continuously seeking private and public funding on the basis that it is effectively a community program that successfully targets 'at risk' youth.
Johnnie is currently working towards obtaining a portion of the city's Measure C funding.

Measure C is a special parcel tax passed by voters in 2006 and it is intended to "raise revenue necessary to retain and enhance services and programs to prevent violence and crime in the City of East Palo Alto." Funds are meant to be distributed on an equal basis between law enforcement and violence prevention programs.

While Grey has received some money from the city over the past eight years, he believes that the success of the program merits more, as the club just barely stays afloat.