2011 Heroes of Forgiveness - Matthew Boger and Tim Zaal

When Matthew Boger was a young teen in Los Angeles, he decided to tell his mother that he believed he was gay. His mother threw him out of the house, disowning him. While Matthew was living on the streets of West Hollywood, he ran into a group of skinheads who beat him brutally in the hopes of killing him. Matthew survived and grew up to volunteer at LA's Museum of Tolerance. He moved quickly from volunteer to program coordinator for the Law Enforcement programs and in late 2006, was named the Museum's General Manger.

At the museum, Matthew soon met Mr. Tim Zaal, who was a consultant for the Museum of Tolerance's National task force on hate crimes. The two men formed a mutual respect for each other, both professionally as well as personally, working side by side to combat the issues of prejudice, racism, bullying, etc.

It was in late 2005 when they realized that their lives had intersected once before. In what would become a life- changing conversation for both men, they realized that 26 years earlier in an alley in West Hollywood, California, they'd met before when a group of Neo-Nazi punks attacked and beat a young, gay, homeless 14-year-old boy, who only months earlier had been tossed out by his mother for being gay.

Matthew Boger was that young boy and Tim Zaal was the ringleader of the group who attacked Matthew. For years, Tim had lived with the pain of believing he and his group had killed Matthew. And here was Matthew now sitting in front of him.

Today, through their program entitled HATE2HOPE, they share their story of the ultimate act of forgiveness and redemption: a gay, homeless teenager forgives his attacker of the brutal hate crime perpetrated against him 26 years earlier.

It is an incredible story of two men who share a friendship, born out of hate, and now use their past connection to educate and inspire students and adults about prejudice, racism, and the consequences of those attitudes. 

Their story was also the inspiration for the recently released novel "Freaks and Revelations" by Davida Wills Hurwin

Swords to Plowshares offers a unique and critical service to veterans: a complete continuum of care. The wounds of war can run deep. Many veterans suffer from a variety of issues: from homelessness and drug and alcohol addiction, to physical injuries and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Other veterans need help transitioning from combat to community, help finding a job or accessing disability benefits and healthcare. At Swords, we address all of these issues within one comprehensive, veteran-centered environment.

War causes wounds and suffering that last beyond the battlefield. Swords to Plowshares' mission is to heal the wounds, to restore dignity, hope, and self-sufficiency to all veterans in need, and to significantly reduce homelessness and poverty among veterans.

Founded in 1974, Swords to Plowshares is a community-based, not-for-profit organization that provides counseling and case management, employment and training, housing and legal assistance to veterans in the San Francisco Bay Area. We promote and protect the rights of veterans through advocacy, public education and partnerships with local, state and national entities.

TEENAGE SHOOTER KILLS HER SON BUT MOTHER TEACHES FORGIVENESS!

Teenage Son Shot in Face with Shotgun

Brent Lorentz was 16-years old when he was walking down the street with his friends in his quiet middle class neighborhood. Suddenly, violence came upon him. A group of teenagers in a car drove up next to him. One of the riders pointed a 12-gauge shotgun out of the window and shot him point-blank in the face. Brent survived for 7-days in intense pain before he died on December 12, 1992. Six months later, the TV show "Cops" aired grim photos of Brent lying mortally wounded in the street and a tipster led police to the 19-year old shooter. He was sentenced to 25-years in prison.

Devastated Mother Decides to Do Something

Brent's mother, Debbie and the rest of her family were devastated by the murder. The emotional trauma almost tore the family apart. But Debbie decided that she had to do something positive. She applied the lessons she learned from overcoming childhood abuse - self-affirmation and forgiveness. She set out to teach children and their parents about the ripple effect of violence and the power of forgiveness.

She created a nonprofit organization called LIFE SENTENCE© to denote the life sentence she and her family must endure without Brent. The organization sponsors her work in presenting a teaching program called CHOICES. She now presents her program around the country in schools, churches, detention centers and prisons. Her presentations have been experienced by over 40,000 students, youth offenders and parents. For her amazing journey of outstanding and dedicated work promoting the power of forgiveness, she will be awarded the Hero of Forgiveness award at the International Forgiveness Day Awards Ceremony on Sunday August 7, 2011.