Registered Charity #118803667RR0001
OUR STORY
We are the bereaved helping the bereaved learn to live with grief.
We empower grieving individuals and families by providing inclusive mutual support programs, fostering hope and healing, and educating the public to help reduce the stigma surrounding grief and bereavement.
After the death of her daughter Madeleine, Margaret Darte, along with four other bereaved mothers, co-founded Bereaved Families of Ontario through the Hospital for Sick Children.
OUR HISTORY
In 1977, John McKibbon, part of the chaplaincy department of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, whose own daughter had died of leukemia, initiated a parental bereavement support program endorsed by the hospital’s chaplain, Hugh Gemmell. Margaret Darte, Marilyn Lee, Diane Oakes Foster and Irene Clarfield, participants in this program then became involved in the development of a bereavement support program now known as Bereaved Families of Ontario (BFO).
In 1989, we (Bereaved Families of Ontario - Halton / Peel) became a Registered Charity committed to supporting grieving individuals.
We are one of eleven affiliates located throughout Ontario, all with strong community spirit that mirrors the commitment made by volunteers, students, and staff. Our programs are facilitated by trained volunteers who are themselves bereaved.
For more information about BFO Provincial or any of the affiliate chapters, please click here.
Testimonials & Impact Stories
"This organization helped save my life. They are dedicated and caring."
~Friends and Family Loss Group Participant
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"A good way to know that whatever you are going through can be healed or that it has a solution."
~Child Loss Group Participant
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"Enjoy coming to these groups, sharing and listening to others share their experiences, and learning how they cope."
~Friends and Family Loss Group Participant
MISSION
To provide inclusive mutual support, improved awareness and education about grief, that fosters hope, healing and improved health and wellness outcomes in the Halton-Peel community.
VALUES
Our values form the foundation of our work and interactions with others. We firmly believe in the inherent dignity and worth of every individual, recognizing that each person is the expert of their own life. We advocate for the right to self-determination, fostering an environment of mutual support, compassion, and empathy. Embracing understanding and acceptance, we celebrate diversity and strive to build healthy relationships with those we serve and our community.
VISION
To be the recognized leader in the Halton-Peel Community in support of grief and healing.