About Us
Out Of Bounds: Prevention & Intervention is a grassroots organization based in the Jane/Finch area which was formed after the “year of the Gun” in 2005.
As a Charitable organization with a holistic, open-minded approach, we aim to eradicate gun violence in our communities across the GTA.
Our mandate and efforts include a Prevention & Intervention approach through:
- Engaging youth, individuals, families and communities
- Strengthening communities by leveraging relationships with community partners
- Mentoring fathers and young men through our Fathers Across Cultures programs
- Creating communal understanding, collaboration and respect with like-minded agencies
- Increasing Capacity to create Change, by providing support and empowering community members affected by violence
- Providing reliable, sensitive, customized grief and trauma care/programs that are necessary for grievers of all ages
- Education on consistent, pragmatic grief /trauma support to bereaved mothers and siblings to assist them in healing and rebuilding their lives
- Trauma-focused training on the Introductory, Intermediary and Advanced levels
- Research and knowledge-sharing which are agile and adaptable
- Programs & services are adaptive on a communal and national level
Over the past fifteen years, OOB has demonstrated strong advocacy for gun violence survivors and conducted research with Ryerson University and Women’s College Hospital.
With a mandate to empower and strengthen the resilience of grievers, Out Of Bounds (OOB) specializes in providing culturally responsive, compassionate, non-denomination “mutual peer support” for youth, individuals, families, and communities.
We have published articles, book chapters and developed customized, copyrighted “Empowerment Models” from our work with gun violence survivors, which will help guide groups, agencies, students, educators, and policy-makers.
OOB strives to remain adaptable, motivated and responsive while servicing the needs of our community. We pride ourselves on being client-focused, relevant and open to new ideas that will promote holistic healing.
Out Of Bounds: Prevention & Intervention was successfully launched on December 13th, 2008. We are fully functional in the Jane/Finch community as a Charitable Organization and respond to crises across the GTA.
History
The genesis of Out Of Bounds: Grief Support – (OOB) evolved from a partnership between Jane and Finch community and BFO-T (Bereaved Families of Ontario – Toronto), where J/F residents participated in IK (Indigenous Knowledge) focus groups from April to June of 2008. Read the Full Report (pdf)
Launch
Out Of Bounds: Grief Support was successfully launched on December 13th, 2008. We are fully functional in the Jane / Finch community as a Not for Profit Organization.
Members
Members comprise of community residents (adults & youth) and workers in the community. We invite and welcome all community residents, staff, and stakeholders.
Youth Involvement
We envision youth as our future for sustainability. We have had consistent youth engagement in planning governance, structure, objectives and future activities for OOB.
Vision / Mission Statement
Out Of Bounds: Grief Support exists to build a sustainable network of support, education, and empowerment, to grieving and non-grieving members of the community, through a “mutual peer support model.”
Philosophy
We believe that trained community approach can provide the compassion, resilience, and familiarity which are needed to address grief, loss, and bereavement, and provide sustainable in-house support.