Marcus currently oversees our chips and salsa demo team. He
and his team venture to over a hundred Ralphs and Food 4 Less locations across
Southern California to share with the public their stories, Homeboy’s mission
and of course, our tasty salsas. He recently took his first trip outside of Los
Angeles to speak on behalf of Homeboy in Philadelphia.
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| Marcus pictured with our chips and salsa team at our annual fundraiser, Lo Maximo. |
Marcus didn't know what to expect when asked to travel to
the East Coast for the first time in his life. “I was just anxious. I remember
once I was on the plane, that I just wanted to be in Philadelphia already.”
Once in Philly, the City of Brotherly Love quickly made an
impression on Marcus. The different culture and feeling of the east coast
exposed him to the idea that not everywhere in the United States is similar to
things back home. Sure, people look the same, but it was their speech and
attitude that stood out to him. He had expected everyone to be mobster or a
character from the TV show The Sopranos.
Marcus will never forget the feeling he had right before he
took the stage to share his story to an audience of a thousand supporters who
came to listen to him. “I was nervous until I realized that the folks were so
welcoming.” Many came up to Marcus when he was done speaking to ask for autographs.
He was astonished that these complete strangers were touched by his story.
“It was a humbling experience to travel so far from home, to
another state, to meet people for the first time and have them accept me for who
I am, for whom I am becoming, and not judging me for my past.”
