Our Story
EFry was founded more than 50 years ago by a small group of volunteers dedicated to helping women in prison. Over the years, we expanded the scope of our supports to serve clients at any stage of legal system involvement and added a team of dedicated staff. Today, the majority of our programs are designed to prevent at-risk women and their children from coming into conflict with the law in the first place.
Who was Elizabeth Fry?
Our name honours the 18th century British prison reformer, Elizabeth Fry. At a time when women had little influence, E. Fry was able to almost single-handedly convince the British government to improve conditions for incarcerated women and their children. Her reforms spread across Europe and created opportunities for women to rebuild their lives.
Mission • Vision
EFry Hope and Help provides trauma-informed, inclusive and gender-responsive programs and services to support women and girls at risk or involved in the legal system in building stable lives.
To play a role in ensuring all women and girls impacted by the legal system have access to the supports they need to build stable lives in their community.
Values
Accountability
We deliver programs and services that are responsive to our clients’ and community’s needs, with built-in evaluation frameworks to ensure their effectiveness and continuous improvement.
Advocacy
We pursue systemic changes to remove barriers that marginalize and stigmatize women and their children, to increase access and expand meaningful opportunities for them.
Fairness
We foster an inclusive and respectful environment by providing spaces, programs and services that welcome diverse perspectives and include and respect people from all walks of life.
Collaboration
We believe working together is the key to magnifying positive impact. We are proud to partner with community members, agencies, and organizations to improve the lives of at-risk women and girls.
Innovation
We continually seek out new and better ways to serve our clients and community. We adapt and implement the latest and most effective program design and delivery practices.
Respect
We are diligent in recognizing the dignity and worth of each person. It’s at the heart of everything we do, from our programs and services to our everyday interactions with people.