Operation Exodus was founded after witnessing the positive changes that education created for students in the Washington Heights neighborhood of NYC. Our work began one day after church when a mother approached our founder Luis Iza Jr., a local Sunday school teacher and business owner. She shared how worried she was about her twelve-year old son, fearing that he would get involved with a neighborhood gang if she couldn’t get him into a better school. Moved to help, Mr. Iza supported the family in finding another school and was inspired to start Operation Exodus in order to invest in students and families in Washington Heights.
Since 1988, our programs have provided a safe destination for over a thousand Latino students in Washington Heights to return to after school, in the summers and on weekends. Over thirty years since our founding, we have been inspired by the stories of so many former students that have returned to Operation Exodus as accomplished leaders and community members. Since our founding, our programs have empowered over a thousand students to thrive as they achieve their God-given potential, and we know that we’re just getting started.
