Members of our founding organization, The Grail, posting a sign at their community center

The presence of Grail Family Services in East San José goes back to the early 1960's when the founding organization, the Grail, provided training for women going to work in Latin America, community development programs, a meeting place for peace and justice groups (including César Chávez's early UFW organization meetings), women's leadership programs, and neighborhood beautification projects (such as community gardens).

In 1995, the Grail of California established the San José Grail Development Corporation as a separate entity to continue its work in the community. Following in the footsteps of its founders, SJGDC responded to the needs of the community for housing, child care, and family support programs. The first steps involved the development of (1) 35 affordable, for-sale housing units; (2) a child development center providing primarily subsidized childcare to 40 children ages two to five; and (3) a community resource center.

After completing construction project of the project in late 1999 and sale of the homes, the agency turned its focus toward providing direct service, implementing a variety of family support programs through the community resource center and off-site locations. With this change in focus and as programs for families with young children were developed, in 2004 the agency changed its name to San José Grail Family Services to better reflect its work in the community.