Monday May 23, 2011

Friends Outside of Santa Cruz County, a program of the Volunteer Center, is a chapter of a national nonprofit organization. We have been providing support in Santa Cruz to those incarcerated, their family members, and those recently released for over thirty years. Our primary mission is to end the cycles of recidivism, better known as the "revolving door cycle," through providing emotional support and providing information that can lead to positive changes.  Volunteers offer their services through Office Assisting, Jail Visiting, Kids Day's, Aftercare, R5 mentorship program, and our WRAP program (warrant reduction advocacy program). For more information click on this link Friends Outside

"Danielle Obinger has been the program director of Friends Outside since 2007. Since managing the program, Friends Outside has designed an art show, began a new mentoring program R5 and has increased the operating budget by 30%.

 Danielle has been a resident of Santa Cruz for more than 10 years,  where she originally relocated to attain her Bachelors in Psychology. She has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, Appalachian trail restoration, and school restoration in Costa Rica. Locally she volunteered for Dominican Hospital and events for the Volunteer Center. Her passion for social justice led her to the Friends Outside and drives her to continue expansion of services to this misunderstood and misrepresented population."

If you have not done so already, Please bring your silent auction items and a bottle of wine for the wall of wine.  Thank you!