Chino at-risk youth sell Della Robbia holiday wreaths and continue century-old tradition

A century old tradition continues in Chino Hills this holiday season, with the at-risk youth of Boys Republic selling beautiful Della Robbia wreaths in order to raise money for their program. 

The wreaths are put together by a team of volunteers, sprayed, decorated and boxed before getting delivered to homes all over the United States. While the beauty and warmth they've brought to homes for the last 100 years is something to marvel at, the real purpose of the production is the annual event's truest gift. 

"We love the work Boys Republic does, so we bring people down every year," said Jennifer Salas, one of the volunteers helping construct the wreaths. 

She's one of many that assist in the process, which is finished off by the at-risk youth who benefit from the event in both funds for their program and learning warehousing skills. 

"This is a program to actively work on yourself and become a better person," said Jayson Moore, a treatment director at the Chino Hills based program. He's in charge of the students who are shipping the product. "Not everybody's gonna go to college. School's not for everybody, but everybody can be good at something."

That's where Boys Republic has come in for the last 100 years. Margaret Fowler founded the institution in 1902 after seeing something similar in Italy while on vacation.

Now, the annual tradition helps students raise money through the purchase of each and every wreath of the approximately 30,000 wreaths they're expected to make. 

"There's a little brochure in there. They learn about Boys Republic, they tell somebody else and then we get more donations," said Duffy Blau, a program manager with the school. 

Not only does the money help fund the wreath-building program, but also a dozen other vocational programs like farming, welding, baking and landscaping. 

"Really just about having the opportunities to try a little bit of everything to figure out what works for you," Moore said. He speaks from experience, after being sentenced to the school when he was 16 for burglary. 

While a student, he earned his GED which led him to college and eventually his return to Boys Republic. 

"It was life-changing, it was absolutely transformational," he said, hopeful that the program can help every young man the way it did him.