How do cities become great? By investing in leaders committed to their cities becoming thriving places. Your support of Leadership Foundations makes this possible! LA'S BATMAN AND ROBIN Bobby Arias and William “Blinky” Rodriguez call themselves brothers from another mother. Others have called them the yin to the other’s yang, Batman and Robin, and urban legends. Whatever you call them, this is without dispute: - They love each other.
- After 30 years of loving their city, the greater Los Angeles area is better off because of it.
Bobby Arias, athletic director with a masters in Social Work and Blinky Rodriguez, former kick boxing champion and coach run the Leadership Foundation of the San Fernando Valley and Greater Los Angeles. These heroic men are taking on greater LA’s most pressing issues by providing life-changing services to the most vulnerable and marginalized groups in the area. This includes educational support, dropout prevention, and workforce readiness programs. But it is in gang intervention—where they have made their biggest impact and that hits closest to home. A TRAGEDY TRANSFORMED In 1990, at the height of the gang crisis in Los Angeles, Blinky’s 17-year-old son, Sonny, was shot to death. This tragic loss could have been the end, but instead it birthed a new chapter for their work. Blinky and Bobby dedicated themselves to helping young people and communities trapped by gang violence. In 1993, they helped broker the Valley Unity Peace Treaty, a landmark accord that dramatically reduced gang homicides and won international acclaim. Their work has sparked a 20-year partnership with the Los Angeles Police Department that convenes a monthly meeting with police, city officials, and leaders from the fields of mental health, children services, the school district, and nonprofits. Together they are reducing violence and improving the education to the area’s most vulnerable children and adults. In fact, today LAPD relies on Bobby and Blinky to teach them how to work with gangs! Thanks to your support of Leadership Foundations, you are not only investing in leaders like Bobby and Blinky. You are transforming communities like Greater LA, into more vibrant, thriving places. Places where kids growing up in some of the toughest situations, find themselves surrounded by a supportive community. | 
