HISTORY OF FRIENDS OUTSIDE

Friends Outside, originally known as the Santa Clara County Jail Auxiliary, was founded by Rosemary Goodenough in 1955. Rosemary was concerned about what happened to families when a family member was incarcerated. She believed that every human being had the potential for good as well as evil and that too often incarceration and its impact on the family led to the waste of human potential. Using volunteers and donors, the agency began to provide food, clothing, and support for families. One of the earliest functions of the Auxiliary was to obtain camperships to send children to resident camp during the summer months. In 1958, the Adopt-A-Family Program was established. This program gives donors the opportunity of sharing the joys of Christmas with families who would otherwise go without.