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Neighbours, Friends and Families (NFF) Campaign

The Neighbours, Friends and Families (NFF) Campaign, funded by the Government of Ontario, was born after a focused study showed that in every domestic violence-related death reviewed, family members, neighbours, and/or professionals had some knowledge of the escalating circumstance between perpetrators and victims. This campaign aims to raise awareness about Gender-Based Violence so that those who are close to at-risk women can support them.

COSTI has been part of the NFF Campaign since 2010 and has developed information sheets, videos, and e-learning tools in different languages to encourage members of the public to take action against gender-based violence. Access these resources below:

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Counselling Services:

If you are in an unsafe or life-threatening situation, call 911 right away.

If you need immediate emotional support or someone to talk to at any time, you can contact the Assaulted Women’s Helpline at 1-866-863-0511, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with support in many languages.

If you are safe at the moment, but would like counselling or ongoing support, please connect with COSTI’s Family and Mental Health Services. Our trained counsellors offer confidential, culturally responsive counselling in Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, Italian and Spanish. They respect your privacy, culture, and personal choices.

Our services include:

  • Individual counselling and safety planning for women affected by abuse
  • Referrals to community resources (e.g. settlement workers, housing, legal services)
  • In-person, virtual (video), and phone sessions

Hours

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday: 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Fees: Counselling services for intimate partner violence are free.

About NFF Campaign

Neighbours, Friends and Families (NFF) is a campaign funded by the Government of Ontario, in partnership between the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children in London, Ontario, and a team of experts, activists, and professionals in the Gender-Based Violence field. Its goal is to help people recognize the signs of Gender-Based Violence in romantic relationships so that those close to the woman in danger or the abusive man can step in and help improve their situation.

COSTI has been part of the NFF Campaign since 2010 when the Government of Ontario, worked with the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) and other immigrant-serving organizations to start awareness-raising projects for immigrant and refugee communities. It focusses on three main areas:

  1. Strengthening the knowledge and skills of staff at COSTI and partner organizations that serve immigrant, refugee, ethnocultural, and racialized (IRER) communities
  2. Hosting community information sessions in person and virtually. Write to [email protected] to request an information session for your organization
  3. Sharing NFF messages through information sheets, videos, and e-learning tools in different languages to promote the message that everyone has a role to play in preventing Gender-Based Violence in our community.

The NFF Campaign started because of the findings of the Domestic Violence Death Review Committee (DVDRC) that worked with the Ontario Office of the Chief Coroner to investigate deaths caused by domestic violence in Ontario between 2002 and 2005. Among the 148 cases studied, the committee noticed that “in every case reviewed, family members, neighbours, and/or professionals had some knowledge of the escalating circumstance between perpetrators and victims.” This showed the need for a program that educated the public about the warning signs of domestic violence and the appropriate action necessary to prevent it.

As part of the campaign, over 200 towns and cities across Ontario are working with community agencies to spread information about Gender-Based Violence and build resources to support those in need.

The campaign aims to:

  • Help the public recognize the warning signs and risk factors of Gender-Based Violence
  • Build confidence in community members to offer help and guidance to women living in abusive relationships
  • Increase knowledge about available resources for women who are in abusive relationships

More resources from the NFF Campaign can be found here: