Houston East End boxing gym: More than just punches for kids in need
HOUSTON - A boxing gym in the city’s east end is serving as more than a resource for hundreds of children living in what many refer to as ‘the hood.’
"Most of the kids don't have a big opportunity. This is all they got. This is their one-way ticket out of poverty. This is their way out," said Pedro Camacho, who started The Knockout Factory. "I boxed myself and got into a little bit of trouble myself and that made me stop boxing."
"We have been through a lot of things that some of these kids have been through. We didn't have a lot of help," said Camacho.
Now, help is what he and his wife, Monica, are providing for hundreds of kids through the discipline and comradery that comes in and out of the boxing ring.
"We have just as many boxers that actually do competition, and they look to win and go to nationals, we have just as many that don't. They are not looking for competition, they are just looking to feel part of a team. They just want to be accepted. For something as raw as boxing or a gym and what we do, it's you come as you are," said Monica Camacho. "It's not about the money. It's the rescuing. It's the getting out there and helping the kids. Maybe in other parts of town there are more resources, and it's easier to reach kids and easier to give them what they need. Here, it is not the motivation."
"That's where it is at. In the hood. There's nothing, sometimes good, out here, and they need it the most," said Pedro Camacho.
To find out more about The Knockout Factory, click here