LOS ANGELES – You will typically find Boree Lenoir on his block in the 40s Avalon community at 26-years-old, he is someone that a lot of the youngsters look up to, because inside their house, all they have is each other.

"A lot of us don't have nowhere to go. So with that being said, it's like this house is home basically, you know, for a lot of people,” Lenoir said. "They don't know no other way like a baby growing up, the baby is only going to know what its been taught."

Some of these kids are bound to their block. The neighborhoods they grow up in are as much a part of their DNA as their hair or eye color. According to Lenoir, people are born into the gang life.

"If you instilled in only taught gangbanging and this way of life, this baby or this child is going to only adapt to this way of life that you have shown him,” said Lenoir.

To this day, kids in the younger generations, are at risk of falling into the gang life the same way he did. 

“It was the lack of opportunities that I had. This is all I was around, so seeing this in front of me, it kind of made me grasp to wit.  I kind of adapted to it, you know, it was like kind of forced upon me,” said Lenoir.

Lenoir's life took a turn six years ago, when two of his brothers were murdered within three years of each other. For him, it was a wakeup call.

Gang culture has shifted over time, as well as Lenoir’s mentality and overall approach in the community. Take the music industry, its providing people an opportunity to be successful by avoiding the dangers of gang life.

“It makes them more legitimate way to where they can financially gain opposed to being out here doing something that's, let's say, violent, in order to get cash or whatever they're trying to, you know, accomplish," said Lenoir.

The streets can be unforgiving for everyone. Like any big brother would, he wants to make sure that his little sisters can take care of themselves.

"It's always about our here, you know people like to pick on the weak. So just keep your hands up and keeping your skills up is always great when you come from this type of environment. You tend to protect yourself not to go out there and harm anybody but it's a good thing to have just for self-defense," said Lenoir.

His plan is to help those around them in every way possible by training them physically, spiritually and mentally. Lenoir’s ultimate goal is to change the way people view him and the rest of the people in this community that he so dearly loves.

“It's not what you think, they kind of get a judgmental outlook on certain gang members. But you never judge a book by its cover, so my thing will be instead of judging somebody, give them a chance because not everybody is what they seem to be,” said Lenoir.

As dangerous as it can be, this is the only life he has to live.