One Woman and Her Circle of FRIENDS
The legacy of FRIENDS stretches back over a century.
Because one woman saw a need and imagined what was possible, FRIENDS opened its doors as Friends Asylum for Colored Orphans in 1871 following the Civil War.
FRIENDS was founded by former Richmond slave, Lucy Goode Brooks. (Read full story here.)
Having lost one of her own children to the slave trade, Lucy Goode Brooks was especially concerned for the plight of black children left orphaned and abandoned by former owners.
Lucy convinced the Ladies Sewing Circle for Charitable Work, of which she was leader, that a home for orphans was a worthy project. They asked the Richmond-based Quaker Society of Friends for help, recognizing their humanitarian interest in the less fortunate and oppressed.
The Quakers agreed to sponsor the orphanage project and raised money in Virginia and the Northern states.
Lucy and Her Friends Are Honored
On Saturday, March 15, 2008, Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine led a celebration to honor Lucy Goode Brooks and her circle of friends--all former slaves--who embodied the courage to defy the odds and create a safe haven for children in need.
A Virginia historical marker was dedicated on the corners of Charity and Saint Paul's Streets, the site where the Friends Asylum for Colored Orphans stood from 1871 to 1969.
The FRIENDS Family Center & Administrative Offices are located on the same North Jackson Ward site in Richmond where the original orphanage once stood.
The land was deeded by City Council in 1867. The building was
completed in 1871.
The orphanage was torn down in 1969.
Lucy Goode Brooks
was honored as a Virginia Woman of History by the Library of Virginia in 2008.
View poster here
Lucy Goode Brooks was featured in the 2006 Richmond Times-Dispatch Virginia Black History Profiles!
Read article here