Registered Charity #118803667RR0001
CENTRE FOR GRIEF & HEALING
Bereaved Families of Ontario -
Halton / Peel
ABOUT US
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.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We want to acknowledge the land on which we gather, and where the Centre for Grief and Healing (BFO-H/P) operates. This land has been and is still inhabited by many Indigenous Peoples since the last Ice Age which was 13,000 years ago. In particular, we acknowledge the territory of the Anishinabek-Ojibway/Chippewa, Huron-Wendat, and Haudenosaunee peoples. The land that is home to the First Nations, Metis, and Inuit people. We are grateful to now be on the land that is the land of Indigenous Peoples since time began.
​
The land we are presently on is under the stewardship of the Mississaugas of the Credit, who are the signatories of the treaty and holders of the area. We recognize that the land we are on was taken away through colonization, oppression, and expropriation. In the hopes for a better future and building relationships, we recognize, require, and honour what is in the truth and reconciliation report and the calls to action. We acknowledge and are grateful for having the privilege of being where we are, for this land, and for the Indigenous Peoples who have and continue to inhabit this land.
​
This Land Acknowledgment was created in collaboration with Indigenous Elder, Cat Criger.
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.
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, Bereaved Families of Ontario - Halton / Peel became a Registered Charity committed to supporting grieving individuals and families.
We are one of eleven affiliates located throughout Ontario, all with strong community spirit that mirrors the commitment made by volunteers and staff. BFO 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.
WHAT OUR COMMUNITY IS SAYING
"This organization helped save my life. They are dedicated and caring."
~Mixed Loss Group Participant
​
"A good way to know that whatever you are going through can be healed or that it has a solution."
~Child Loss Group Participant
​
"Enjoy coming to these meetings, sharing and listening to others share their experiences, and learning how they deal."
~Mixed Loss Group Participant
I.D.E.A. STATEMENT
Fostering Hope and Healing for All Walks of Life.
We've come a long way since 1989 and still have a ways to go. Why? At the Centre for Grief and Healing (CFGH), diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility don't have an end date. We strive to foster an unending commitment to learning from, working with, creating programs for and supporting our diverse community members and their unique grief experiences. Our team is dedicated to including diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible practices at the center of our daily work. We commit to using and improving these practices for our organization and for our communities.
Our team provides mutual, inclusive support through diverse programming, endless advocacy, and community education. We strive to foster belonging and empowerment for all of our members, staff, volunteers, and students. We listen to and engage with all walks of life and we value and welcome all unique experiences and qualities: both visible and invisible. Our commitment to these values is unwavering and they are central to our purpose and to our impact.
Join us in embracing and celebrating diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility for all people in all communities.
We grow together today, to create a better tomorrow.
IDEA: Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility.