An interview with Catalina House Program Manager, Michael Arreygue, about ARC’s new youth housing site, and the personal connection that drove him to this work.
Michael: “I committed a crime when I was 17 years old, was charged as an adult, and ended up serving 23 years in prison. After coming home, I became a credible messenger, mentoring the same youth population I once belonged to. The only difference is now, because of changes in the law, these young people are coming home.
When I got the opportunity to become the house manager at Catalina House, it felt like the next step. I know what it’s like to be a juvenile who wasn’t given a second chance. Now I get to help young men who are being given one.
Q: What is Catalina House, and why is it important to the community?
Michael: “Catalina House is a transitional home for young adults who were incarcerated for crimes they committed as juveniles.
We’re here to help them reintegrate into society. Getting their IDs, learning how to navigate services, finding jobs, continuing their education. But it’s also much more than that. We want to create a home where these young men feel safe enough to focus on building their future while we help with the rest.
The program at Catalina House is structured and disciplined. The young men wake up every morning at 4:30AM, jump into morning reflections, rigorous exercise, and breakfast. Then they’re off to school, internships, and job training programs the rest of the day.
I believe this house is beneficial not just to the young men, but to Los Angeles as a whole.
Yes, they committed a crime, and we can’t change that. But what we can do is provide an outlet to help them leave that life behind. They want to be accepted. They’re no different than anyone else’s child; they just made a decision that changed their lives. We’re helping them become part of the community again so they can one day give back and pay it forward.”
Q: What does this work mean to you, and what message would you share with the young men at Catalina House?
Michael: “For me, this work is my continued redemption story. Seeing young people receive the love and care that I needed, and being able to provide that alongside my staff, is amazing.
We may not be able to change the world, but we can make a difference. I hope that one day each of these young men looks back and says, ‘Damn, somebody really cared about me.’ That’s what I’m trying to pass on. One saying I live by is, ‘Everyone is your teacher.’ I learn from these young men every day. To them, I want to say: I appreciate you for believing in yourself, for taking the opportunity, for pushing even when you don’t want to, and for allowing us into your lives.
Our home wouldn’t be anything without you. You are what makes it a home. That’s always been the dream: to build a family where these young men know they always have people they can call, people who care about them, and a place they can always come back to.”
