Dreaming of trip to Disneyland Fabian, foreground, and Mario, are two of the children in Friends Outside programs who would benefit from new computer equipment. The young people who participate in Friends Outside programs have so many disadvantages that it's hard to know where to begin. All of them have a parent or significant adult in their lives who is incarcerated or has been recently released from custody. Forty percent have witnessed acts of violence, either in the family or in the surrounding neighborhoods.
None has a computer at home.
On top of that, there is stiff competition for the computers that are available at school and at libraries. With the new equipment, the 65 kids who come to Friends Outside would learn how the computer can be a tool for getting ahead in school and life. The computers also would be used by the Girl Scout troop that meets there and the Friends Outside Kids Club. The information you receive online from the San Jose Mercury News is protected by the copyright laws of the United States. The copyright laws prohibit any copying, redistributing, retransmitting, or repurposing of any copyright-protected material.