Our origins
Who we are
Out Of Bounds: Grief and Trauma Support, is a grassroots organization based in the Jane/Finch community, 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 and across the GTA
Our mandate and efforts include a Prevention & Intervention approach with Support through:
- Engaging youth, individuals, families and communities
- Strengthening communities by leveraging relationships with community partners
- Providing monthly support through “G-Social” subsidiary survivors program
- 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 gun violence, and other forms of 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 families, mothers and siblings to assist them in healing and rebuilding their lives
- Trauma & Violence-Informed (TVIC) training on the Introductory, Intermediary and Advanced levels
- Research and knowledge-sharing which are agile and adaptable
- Programs & services that are adaptive on the individual, familial, communal, coperate and national levels
Befriend’n works hand-in-hand with Tend’n with the following services:
- Mothers and families are encircled in a framework of care
- Physical, emotional, intellectual, mental and socio-economical supports.
- Connection with social supports during and after a crisis
- Post-crisis individual and group support
- Education and trauma-focused training
This toggled, ‘win-win’ situation, serves and befriends affected families, as OOB engage grievers of all ages in a cycle of competent, trans-cultural care.
Amid these urgent, recurring social and mental health crises, OOB continues to Tend & Befriend, providing strategies through ongoing post care for the collateral damage of people’s tender psychological wounds.
Although these are tragic situations, families feel comforted and supported during and after these traumatic occurrences. OOB has distinguished itself in research and service-provision through Tend’n & Befriend’n, which has the capacity for communal, provincial and global adaptation.
Find Your Place
A history of Advocacy
With a mandate to empower and strengthen the resilience of grievers, Out Of Bounds specializes in providing culturally responsive, compassionate, non-denomination “mutual peer support” for youth, individuals, families, and communities.
Out Of Bounds has published articles, book chapters and developed customized, copyrighted “Empowerment Models” from our work with gun violence survivors, which helps 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.