Message from the Executive DirectorWelcome to the John Howard Society of the North Okanagan/Kootenay Region of BC's new website! If you are looking for information on our support services and programs, our community initiatives and partnerships, or if you are looking for employment opportunities, you'll find it all here. If you think you might be interested in volunteering for or donating to the Society, or if you're just curious about the work we do in our region, take the time to browse through our site to find out more. Finally, if you need our programs to help you transition to a new and better life, or if you need our guidance to help you start over again after incarceration, call any one of our staff for assistance. I am proud to be the Executive Director of an organization that has recently celebrated 50 years of service in this region. This event was more than just the anniversary of the opening of our first office - it was an opportunity to honour the work of our founding Executive Director Bill Hesketh and to recommit the Society to the values that have shaped our first 50 years - dignity, compassion, community safety, and collective responsibility for a better society. We look forward to the next 50 years of service to individuals and to our community - and to the changes that are necessary to build safer communities. Barbara Levesque, Executive Director
Our Mission:To promote and lead effective, just and humane reponses to the causes and consequences of crime and poverty by working directly with individuals, service providers and the broader community. Mandate:Provide safe and supportive housing alternatives that meet the needs of people who are homeless, at risk of being homeless, or who are marginally housed. Promote public safety through community and social development activities. Build programs and services for people who have come into conflict with the law and those whose life circumstances and choices put them a t risk of coming into conflict with the law. Review, evaluate and advocate for changes in the criminal justice process. Engage in public education on matters relating to criminal behavior and crime prevention. Values:People have the right to live in a safe and peaceful society as well as a responsibility implied by the right to respect the law. Every person has intrinsic value and has the right to be treated with dignity, equity, fairness and compassion, without discrimination. Every person has the potential to become a responsible citizen. Every person has the right and the responsibility to be informed about, and involved in, the criminal justice process. Justice is best served through measures that resolve conflicts, repair harm, and restore peaceful relations in society. Independent, autonomous non-goverment voluntary organizations have a vital role in the criminal justice process.
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Working Together
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