LIVING LIFE TO ITS FULLEST

Spotlight On Joe Baldo

BY MIKE ZINN

WHEN ONE FINDS THEIR passion in life, it is quite a gift. For St. Martin de Porres parishioner Joe Baldo, he uses these passions to live life to its fullest, helping others along the way.

Baldo was born into a devout Catholic family in the western San Gabriel Valley city of Monterey Park. His family attended St. Stephen Martyr Church and he graduated from the parish school and then went onto Loyola High School, in Los Angeles.

While growing up, Baldo’s future was planned. His family owned a meat packing business which was founded in Italy, moved to New York and then to East LA in the early 1940s. Baldo started working there during sixth grade and eventually learned all phases of the business. His father and grandfather were preparing him for that day when he would take over.

After high school, Baldo enrolled at Loyola Marymount University. There he discovered his passion for television and film production. At the time of graduation, he informed his father and grandfather that he wanted to pursue a career in this field and not be a part of the family business.

“My dad was a great man, always loving and understanding,” Baldo said. “He told me to follow my passion.”

A year later, in 1979, Baldo founded Baldo Productions Inc. From its home office in the Los Angeles area, the company quickly became a success. So successful that he and his wife Barbara expanded to a second location in Newport Beach in 1986. This prompted Joe and Barbara and their two children to also move south to Yorba Linda.

The Baldos quickly became involved in various ministries when they joined St. Martin de Porres parish in Yorba Linda.

Years later, after their children had both graduated from LMU, Joe and Barbara felt some of the financial burden come off their shoulders and devoted even more time to serve others. In 2008, after 30 years in business, Baldo sold his production company and devoted his life to full-time volunteering and mentoring.

At a soup kitchen one afternoon, Bal- do had a conversation with a homeless man. The gentleman told him he should go to a prison and talk with inmates. Shortly thereafter, Baldo signed-up for what was then called Catholic Detention Ministry, now known as Restorative Justice Ministry.

That ministry placed Baldo in the Orange County Juvenile Hall, where he assisted incarcerated youth. Within a few months, he was there up to seven days a week and for almost three years, experienced the comings and goings of the teen inmates, serving their time, being released, only to be arrested again.

In 2010, Baldo transitioned from engaging the youth in juvenile hall to welcoming them upon their release, continuing to support them as they reintegrated back into society.

“Sometimes I have experienced God open a door and gently guide me through, but other times it seems He’s blown doors down and the backdraft propelled me through with major force,” he said.

Within a few months, he had hundreds of youths reaching to ask for assistance navigating away from the pitfalls