The Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough’s Outreach team is active in the community on a daily basis to provide emotional and practical support to people who are homeless, marginalized, and vulnerable. We recognize that systemic inequities driven by racism and colonialism, and their consequences, including poverty, violence, trauma, mental illness, and substance use, lead to criminalization. Our work is centered on providing gender-responsive community supports for people who have been, or are at risk of being, criminalized, to advocate for broader social change to prevent or provide alternatives to incarceration
As a result of the pandemic, the Elizabeth Fry Society of Peterborough has experienced an increased demand for services and that service users have an increasing complexity and diversity of needs that are significantly impacted by the many inter-connected crises our community is facing, including insufficient housing, poverty, substance use, and food insecurity.
In 2021 we were the grateful recipients of a Trillium Resilient Communities Fund grant that allowed us to create, support, and grow an Outreach Program. Currently, our Outreach Team works in collaboration with PARN and the Peterborough Public Health to deliver a comprehensive Outreach program that supports our community to be able to remove barriers to service and meet the people where they are!
