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Alejandra Calderon, Executive Director
Alejandra Mojica, Events Coordinator
Gustavo Lopez, Education Coordinator
David Sanchez, Master Screen Printer, Native Graphix
Florencia "Tragik" Garcia, Webdesigner / Volunteer
Jose Luis Pavon, Volunteer
Alejandra was born in Nicaragua but grew up in the Mission district of San Francisco. As an adolescent she was involved in a local street gang, an experience that helped to inspire her work with at-risk youth experiencing similar life circumstances. She believes that at-risk youth join local gangs in an effort to buffer out the effects of poverty, trauma, community and family violence. She strongly believes that part of the healing process includes cultural affirmation and self-empowerment which is why she was so honored and humbled when Homey approached her about this position because she knew that Homey’s mission and philosophy incorporated those two elements. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and recently received her Masters degree in Social Work. She is the proud mother of Isabel and Sonia Escalante-Calderon and has been dancing with the group Danza Xitlalli for the past nine years.
alejandra [at] homeysf [dot] org
Alejandra Xochiquetzal Mojica is twenty-four years alive. A community educator, mother and poet dedicated to the education and the empowerment of youth. Her life goals are to build an alternative school system (Pre-K through College) that incorporates culture, leadership, self-sufficiency, social justice and love. Alejandra grew up in the Mission District of San Francisco and even at a young age she engaged in protests, cultural/community events and indigenous ceremonies surrounded by leaders from UFW, MECHA and RAP High School, to name a few. At age 12 she began doing environmental justice work at the San Francisco Conservation Corp’s (SFCC) "Youth In Action" where she trained in  and produced – six documentary films around issues facing her community. In her four years at SFCC she was developed to facilitate meetings, create lesson plans, run workshops, apply for grants. By the age of 16, she was leading middle school students to plan and implement environmental justice service projects in San Francisco. For the past eight years, Alejandra has worked doing after school programming developing her own workshops, programs and curriculum focusing on creative expression, social justice, political education, cultural identity, youth empowerment and positive change. Creator of "Ladies Outspoken" Girls Crew, she has inspired young women to find their creative voice and use it to promote social justice. Alejandra has worked at many community based organizations including the SFCC, Excelsior Boys and Girls Club, Mission Neighborhood Center, Garfield Rec. Center, Excelsior Teen Center and Glide’s Family, Youth and Childcare Center. She currently organizes youth at HOMEY where she continues to provide necessary education to young people, developing them to be conscious and critical thinkers, leaders and advocates of justice and peace. Alejandra is also a long-time creative arts performer encompassing spoken word, theater and dance and is working on her own spoken word CD. Alejandra is a powerful voice of truth, unity, cultura and peace.
Xochicana [at] yahoo [dot] com
Gustavo Lopez is the Education Coordinator for HOMEY and is currently pursuing a BA at San Francisco State University in Political Science and Raza Studies. He has been a community organizer and activist in the Bay Area youth movement since the age of 12, where he helped to organize rallies and protests in middle school. Gustavo has been a long time participant and volunteer with HOMEY before joining the staff. Gustavo was born in San Francisco and raised in South San Francisco in a low-income household by his single mother. He has seen many of his close friends fall victim to gang violence, incarceration and substance abuse. Because of this firsthand experience, Gustavo has a distinct passion work with youth and education in order to address poverty and violence. As HOMEYs Education Coordinator, Gustavo has increased the number of youth served at the local high schools where he runs the Homies Skoolin Homies Program, working in John O Connell, Mission, and Downtown High Schools. Gustavo also conducts political education workshops to youth and other organizations and is one of the leaders of HOMEYs different campaigns to address the root causes of violence.
Gustavo [at] homeysf [dot] org
David Sanchez is a classically trained printmaker who brings his 10 years of experience screen-printing to HOMEY. Davids interest in screen-printing first began in his hometown state of Guanajuato, Mexico. It further developed when he met Rene Castro at the Mission Cultural Center back in 1987. He also worked for Walden Graphics assisting maestro Chuy Campusano (RIP) on printing anti-alcohol and drug abuse posters and t-shirts. David has a BA in Print Making, and Cultural Anthropology from SFSU, where he studies several traditional and multi-media techniques. He has been in the screen-printing industry since 1992, working at various Bay Area shops. David devoted much of his free time training HOMEY staff and volunteers to screen-print, as well as doing production for HOMEY. He is now Lead Printer at Native Graphix, although he still finds time to pursue his art in his spare time. He has a large portfolio of prints---etchings, woodcuts, linocuts, and lithographs---which will be available to view and purchase through HOMEY in the future.
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Florencia came to the United States with her parents seeking an american dream, but through her community involvement, socialist upbringing, experience with the juvenile/prison & american educational system she came to realize that whatever affect she leaves on the world, she wants it to be a positive one.
Aside from her involvement with HOMEY & Native Graphix, Florencia is a professional Photographer, Musician, Graphic/Clothing Designer & an Activist. To check out more work please visit www.Myspace.com/LadyTragik or www.LadyTragik.com.
Jose Luis Pavón Villaseñor is a Xicano community organizer. Jose Luis was
born in Mexico and raised in the Mission District of San Francisco by an
activist, single mother. He has worked in non-profit organizations since the
age of 12 and began doing political organizing at the age of 15 during his
freshman year at Mission High School. Since then, Jose Luis has worked on
issues around youth leadership development, violence prevention, immigrant
rights, juvenile justice reform, police accountability, youth policy,
education reform/ethnic studies demands and labor rights organizing. By
working with different age groups and ethnic backgrounds through direct
service or political organizing, Jose Luis has become skilled in the process
of developing youth leadership. Most significantly, Jose Luis worked at
Coleman Advocates for Children’s [Youth Making A Change (YMAC)] Program for
four years, supporting youth organizers in their campaigns to give youth of
San Francisco a voice – working as an advisor and trainer doing leadership
development, political education workshops and policy analysis. Jose Luis
lives in San Francisco and is proud father of one son.
pavon [at] homeysf [dot] org